Pan-Africanism, Inter-African Migration and the Crisis of National Integration in the African Novel

Abstract

The Pan-African ideal of one continent was premised on the invented tradition of shared ancestry, communitarian values, common heritage and vision. The unity thesis notwithstanding, Africans — either within national borders or across borders — have subjected other Africans to xenophobic wars and genocidal conflicts. Mindful of the benefits of Pan-Africanism and the systemic fragility of the African nation-state, African writers have often inscribed themes of integration, violence, disintegration and same/other tension in their works. The paper seeks to examine images of Pan-Africanism and inter-African migration in African fiction by revisiting the pitfalls of nationhood and ethnic identity.