Tackling a fundamental question in the study of contemporary African politics, Borders, Nationalism, and the African State systematically and comparatively examines the impact of colonial borders on the intertwined trajectories of ethnic conflict and state development. The authors combine case studies (Congo, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan) with thematic chapters to provide a vivid story of state weakness and conflict on the continent. Their richly detailed analysis and often surprising findings offer an insightful reexamination of the prospects for peace in Africa, and prompt a fresh consideration of the nature of the African state.