Politics, Religion and Power in the Great Lakes Region covers the
political, religious and power relations in the contemporary Great Lakes
States: Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),
Tanzania, Kenya and the Sudan. The work is important because of the
nexus between these countries' shared present and past - their
political, socio-economic, cultural and historical aspirations. In terms
of regional cooperation, they are the countries, save for the DRC and
the Sudan, which form the current East African Community (EAC). The book
reflects on the complex dynamics and strategies of the ensuing power
struggle, bringing forth a unique set of fascinating revelations of
patterns of primitive capital accumulation, resistance, human rights
violations and the political compromises between traditional enemies
when confronted by a common (foreign) enemy. A critical analysis of the
political distortion the region suffered brings to light the relevance
of these divisive tools on the current trends in the African countries,
drawing inferences from the African Great Lakes Region (GLR). The study
highlights how the conflicts were finally resolved to avert a serious
war, thus bringing about new reforms. This history is instructive to the
contemporary reader because of the frequent skirmishes caused by ethnic
and religious differences, political and territorial conflicts as well
as resource and leadership disputes in the GLR.
