ABSTRACT
Identity politics is a form of political mobilization and manipulation of groups of people by appealing to common identities or bonds involving race, ethnicity, religion, language, gender, and sexual orientation. It is often about the struggles of a group to get public or legal recognition of identities that have been suppressed within the wider society. However, rather than being an instrument of resistance against oppression, or of struggle for public recognition of identity, identity politics may serve as a tool to perpetuate political power by political leaders and institutions. The main purpose of this chapter is to address the central question of how political identities in Africa are defined, pursued, and manipulated for political gains by Africa’s predatory states.
