This is a list of historical separatist movements in Africa. Separatism includes autonomism and secessionism.
Criteria What is and is not considered an autonomist or secessionist movement is sometimes contentious. Entries on this list must meet three criteria:
They are no longer an active movement with active members. They are demanded greater autonomy or self-determination for a geographic region (as opposed to personal autonomy). They were citizens/people of the conflict area and did not come from another country.
Under each region listed is one or more of the following:
De facto state (de facto entity): for unrecognized regions with de facto autonomy. Proposed state: proposed name for a seceding sovereign state. Proposed autonomous area: for movements towards greater autonomy for an area but not outright secession. De facto autonomous government: for governments with de facto autonomous control over a region. Government-in-exile: for a government based outside of the region in question, with or without control. Political party (or parties): for political parties involved in a political system to push for autonomy or secession. Militant organisation(s): for armed organisations. Advocacy group(s): for non-belligerent, non-politically participatory entities. Ethnic/ethno-religious/racial/regional/religious group(s).
List
Algeria (To Gain independence from Algeria on July 5, 1962)
Political party: Mouvement D'Auto-Détermination De la Kabylie (MAK) Rebel organization: Front de Libération Nationale is calling for its dissolution. The French is describing it as a terrorist movement. Parallel government: Provisional
Angola
Political party: Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) Parallel government: Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile (GRAE)
Botswana
Political party: Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), Botswana People's Party (BPP)
Burundi
Political party: Union for National Progress (UPRONA)
Cameroon
Political party: Rassemblement camerounais (RACAM), Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) Rebel organizations: National Liberation Army of Kamerun (ALNK) Bakassi Militant organization: Bakassi Movement for Self-Determination
Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau
Political party: African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), Struggle Front for the National Independence of Guinea (FLING)
Central African Republic
Political party: Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa (MÉSAN)
Côte d'Ivoire
Rebel organization: Patriotic Movement of Côte d'Ivoire (MPCI)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Political party: Mouvement National Congolais (MNC), ABAKO
Katanga
Political party: Confederation of the Tribal Associations of Katanga (CONAKAT)
Egypt
Political party: Wafd Party
Eritrea
Rebel organization: Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF)
France (associated territories)
Réunion
Autonomist movement Political party: Communist Party of Réunion (which still exists, but has abandoned its goal of autonomy)Cairn Article (in French) "De son côté, le parti communiste s’impose à La Réunion comme la principale formation politique après avoir abjuré son mot d’ordre d’autonomie"
Ghana
Political party: Convention People's Party (CPP), United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) Self-government experiment: Fante Confederation
Kenya
Political party: East Africa Association, Kenya African National Union (KANU), Kikuyu Central Association, Young Kikuyu Association Rebel organization: Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA or Mau Mau)
Mali
Political party: Sudanese Union (US)
Mauritius
Political party: Mauritius Labour Party (MLP), Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM)
Morocco
Political party: Istiqlal Party, National Action Bloc
Mozambique
Political party: Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO)
Namibia
Political party: South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), South West Africa National Union (SWANU) Rebel organizations: People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN),
Niger
Political party: Nigerien Progressive Party, Sawaba
Nigeria
Political party: Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), Action Group, Egbe Omo Oduduwa, Northern People's Congress Sessionist Entity: Indigenous People of Biafra
São Tomé and Príncipe
Political party: Committee for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (CLSTP), Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP)
Seychelles
Political party: Seychelles Democratic Party (SDP), Seychelles People's United Party (SPUP)
Sierra Leone
Political party: Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), West African Youth League (WAYL)
Somalia
Political party: Somali Youth League (SYL)
Somaliland
Rebel organization: Somali National Movement (SNM)
South Africa
Secessionist movement: Eastern Cape Separatist League
Sudan
Political party: Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Sudanese Communist Party, Umma Party
Tanzania
Tanganyika
Political party: Tanganyika African Association, Tanganyika African National Union
Zanzibar
Political party: Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), Zanzibar Nationalist Party (ZNP)
Tunisia
Political party: Destour, Young Tunisians, Neo Destour (ND)
Uganda
Political party: Rwenzururu Secessionist Movement, Uganda People's Congress (UPC)
Zambia
Political party: Northern Rhodesian African National Congress, United National Independence Party (UNIP), Zambian African National Congress (ZANC)
Zimbabwe
Political party: Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) Rebel organizations: Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA), Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA)
See also List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies List of active separatist movements recognized by intergovernmental organizations Lists of separatist movements
References