Ethnicity and Constitutionalism in Africa

African constitutions have long stood at the centre of efforts to manage the challenges of politicised ethnic diversity. From the moment of independence, constitution-makers have grappled with the question of how to accommodate competing identities within fragile and evolving state structures. Yet early constitutional recognition of ethnic interests was often short-lived, giving way to authoritarian rule, instability, and conflict&#8212developments that continue to shape the continent's constitutional landscape. The wave of constitutional reform that began in the 1990s offered renewed opportunities to address these tensions through institutional design. Across Africa, a wide range of mechanisms&#8212federal arrangements, minority rights protections, and participatory models of governance&#8212have been adopted in an effort to foster inclusion and mitigate conflict. However, the promise of these reforms has frequently been undermined by selective implementation, political manipulation, and a persistent gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, echoing broader concerns about the fragility of constitutionalism in practice. Bringing together leading scholars and diverse case studies, this volume critically examines how constitutional design has responded to, managed, or, at times, exacerbated ethnic tensions. It explores the complex intersections between ethnicity and other foundational constitutional concerns, including gender, federalism, minority protection, and nation-building, situating these debates within both comparative and theoretical perspectives. By interrogating the successes and limitations of three decades of constitutional reform, Ethnicity and Constitutionalism in Africa offers a timely and rigorous assessment of the prospects for developing inclusive constitutional orders in Africa. It makes a significant contribution to ongoing debates on how constitutionalism can promote substantive equality, strengthen legitimacy, and support more peaceful and resilient multi-ethnic societies.