Nationality disputes have also played a role in political instability, as illustrated by identity documentation controversies linked to conflict in Côte d'Ivoire,6 and legal uncertainties affecting nationality status following the separation of Sudan and South Sudan.7 These examples illustrate the relationship between legal identity governance and broader questions of political inclusion and stability. Institutional responses to forced migration involve complex interaction among international organizations, regional bodies, and national authorities. UNHCR and IOM perform central roles in refugee protection and migration governance, while the African Union and Regional Economic Communities contribute to policy coordination, albeit with overlapping mandates and capacity constraints. Variations in national legal frameworks further contribute to uneven protection standards, with some states adopting progressive refugee legislation permitting employment and mobility rights, while others lack comprehensive asylum or nationality regimes.8 This essay argues that forced migration and statelessness should be understood not merely as humanitarian outcomes of conflict, but as structural factors capable of shaping conflict dynamics themselves. Strengthening nationality protection, improving civil registration systems, and harmonizing regional governance frameworks may therefore contribute to conflict prevention by reducing structural inequalities associated with legal invisibility. Through examination of legal frameworks, institutional practices, and selected regional case studies, the analysis seeks to demonstrate how legal and policy strategies addressing displacement and nationality gaps may support more sustainable peacebuilding outcomes across Africa. 2. Definitions and Scope Understanding forced migration and statelessness as structural drivers of conflict requires conceptual clarity regarding the legal and policy categories through which displacement is governed. Forced migration broadly refers to movements undertaken under conditions of compulsion rather than genuine choice. https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-briefs/climate-fueled-violence-and-displacement-in-the-lakechad-basin-focus-on-chad-and-cameroon/. 6 Citizenship Rights in Africa Initiative, "ID Wars in Côte d'Ivoire" (27 September 2024), https://citizenshiprightsafrica.org/id-wars-in-cote-divoire/; Mirna Adjami, Statelessness and Nationality in Côte d'Ivoire (Geneva: UNHCR, 2016) (a study prepared for UNHCR, available via Refworld at http://www.refworld.org/docid/58594d114.html ). 7 Open Society Foundations, "Nationality Laws Leave Many at Risk of Statelessness in the Two Sudans" (2011), https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/newsroom/nationality-laws-leave-many-risk-statelessnesstwo-sudans. 8 See generally Refugees International, "The New Refugee Act in Kenya and What it Means for Refugees" (2022), https://www.refugeesinternational.org/perspectives-and-commentaries/the-new-refugee-act-inkenya-and-what-it-means-for-refugees/; Stateless Hub, "Africa Region Overview" (2023), https://www.statelesshub.org/region/africa.