ABSTRACT
In the vast majority of cases, the movement of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is a complex and often chaotic affair. The events prior, during and after their flight leave them scarred both emotionally and physically. In the most basic terms Africa is home to two categories of victims of forced displacement: refugees and internally displaced persons; both, however, are victims of the continent's failure not only to protect its citizens from persecution but, more importantly, Africa's inability to find durable solutions to conflicts. South Sudanese scholar and leading expert on displacement Francis Deng cites internal and ethnic conflicts as the main causes of forced migration in Africa. Milner goes further to argue that while migration has been a key feature of the continent's history, it was not until the advent of the anti-colonial struggle that forced migration came to the fore.
