ABSTRACT
This chapter explores one of the most interesting but also disturbing macro-regions from the viewpoint of ethnic stratification and economic inequality. It investigates the intersection between ethnic differentiation, class formation and economic inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa; it is argued that a specific form of ethno-classes has emerged here and still persists in several countries. The chapter analyses the patterns of present-day ethno-class domination and privilege. In fact, often students and intellectuals were the driving forces behind rebellions, such as in Ethiopiaor in the West Sahara. Overall, several thousand ethnic groups exist in Africa, clearly differentiated from each other in terms of social origin, language and culture. The Islamic Arabs were slave rioters and slave traders throughout almost a millennium; the Black Africans were their victims. In some cases, political and military alliances were established in which European powers helped African states and regimes to persist in their conflicts with other states.
