Normativity in African Regional Relations

In cases that involve domination of, and discrimination against, minorities, the most common solution is the promotion of minority rights. However, this book contends that in the context of migrant minorities in Africa, appealing to minority rights is not a workable solution due to the historical abuses and discrimination of minorities both within and across African states. Through insightful philosophical analysis, Abumere argues for a new normative international relations among African states, which includes the adoption of minority rights, but does not rely on them. He analyses the possible consequences of the newly ratified African Continental Free Trade Agreement, looking at how it may encourage a more integrated Africa, but also may increase the chances of domination and discrimination against minorities. The author shows how normative international relations may be used to prevent the domination and discrimination of migrant minorities.

Frank Aragbonfoh Abumere is a Senior Member of St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, and an Academic Visitor at the African Studies Centre, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow/Associate Staff at the Department of International History, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and the leader of the ‘Developing World’ WP 4 of the Globalising Minority Rights research group at the Department of Philosophy, the Arctic University of Norway.