This paper deals with the meaning of two notions: “communal conflict” and “ethnic conflict”. It has two aims: explaining how both notions are most often understood in the scholarly literature and identifying the similarities and differences between them. In fulfilling these aims, a Nigerian exemplification of both types of conflicts is employed. In individual parts of the article, an analysis of the meaning of both notions is undertaken; the case of the Biafran War (1967–1970) regarded as an ethnic conflict and an example of a communal conflict in the city of Sagamu (1999) are discussed, and conclusions referring to the similarities and differences between both notions are presented.
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