Peripheral Urbanism in Africa: Border Towns and Twin Towns in Africa

Abstract

There has been a proliferation of research on Africa’s borderlands over the past decade, which reflects their centrality in regional systems of trade and the rapid growth of border settlements. The development of twin towns/cities at the border, which has attracted the interest of scholars in other regions of the world, has been a distinctive feature of Africa as well. This paper examines some of the particularities of peripheral urbanism in Africa, whilst seeking to avoid a resort to continental exceptionalism. It begins by tracing some broad patterns before homing in on two sets of case-studies along the Uganda/Kenya and Ghana/Togo borders. The paper argues, firstly, for the enduring importance of colonial infrastructural investments and the policy choices that were made after independence. Secondly, it highlights the markedly different variations of scale, ranging from the border capitals of Kinshasa and Brazzaville at one end of the spectrum, through growing towns like Busia-Uganda and Busia- Kenya, to a multiplicity of smaller border settlements at the other end. Thirdly, the paper argues that administrative logics and trade dynamics have been the main drivers in the expansion of twin cities/towns, although the flight of populations from insecurity have also played a significant role in the Great Lakes region and in West-Central Africa. Finally, the paper points to a feature that has been identified in other regions as well, notably the often marked asymmetries between border settlements, which reflects the influence of deeper historical trajectories and contemporary patterns of trade and population movement alike

Regional Integration in Border Cities

“…Twenty-seven of them are cross-border centres separated by land or river borders or are located on a coastline. Contrary to appearances, the national centres that make up these agglomerations were often duplicated or relocated after colonial partition, rather than having been separated by current borders (Soi and Nugent, 2017). These cross-border agglomerations emerged without a concerted development plan and remain very dependent on each other.…”

Population and Morphology of Border Cities

“…As such, morphology reflects the different land use arrangements resulting from the history of human settlement, the various functions of cities over time and national territorial development strategies. The current location and morphology of border cities has changed dramatically since the end of the 19th century (Soi and Nugent, 2017). In the first place, colonisation encouraged a number of human establishments to move to a location nearer the new road and rail infrastructure (Njoh, 2006) or to relocate to various colonial borders to take advantage of legislative and pricing differences or to avoid taxation (Box 2.1).…”

“…Cinkansé, an urban centre between Togo and Burkina Faso, with a population of over 53 000 people in 2015, is a good example of this type of urban development featuring a continuous built environment and origins tied to cross-border trade in contraband. The existence of agglomerations separated by a river is due to the fact that colonial powers often sought to locate urban centres near a waterway, which was the only means of transport before road and rail infrastructure was built; they also sought to use waterways to delineate the internal and external borders of colonies (Soi and Nugent, 2017). Dugout canoes were used to cross rivers in the smallest centres; ferries and bridges were also used.…”

“…This situation has its roots in a historical context dating back to the end of the 19th century. Lomé was originally built by the Germans based on a rigid urban grid which separated the colonial administrative sector from the other previously built commercial districts (Soi and Nugent, 2017;Gervais-Lambony and Nyassogbo, 2007). After the Second World War, the French colonial administration expanded the original grid.…”

Population et morphologies des villes frontalières

“…La morphologie reflète alors différents modes d'organisation de l'espace qui s'expliquent par l'histoire des peuplements humains, les diverses fonctions occupées par les villes au cours du temps et les stratégies de développement territorial des États. L'emplacement et la morphologie actuelle des villes frontalières ont connu de profondes transformations depuis la fin du XIX e siècle (Soi et Nugent, 2017). La colonisation a tout d'abord encouragé un certain nombre d'établissements humains à se relocaliser au plus près des nouvelles infrastructures routières et ferroviaires (Njoh, 2006) ou à déménager de part et d'autre des frontières coloniales pour bénéficier des différentiels législatifs, des différences de prix ou échapper à l'impôt (Encadré 2.1).…”