The term "arranged marriage" is a very merciful, we use mostly "forced marriages".
The point is that two young people (man and woman) are promised and forced to marry each other. Many times the loss of their friends and a move (many cases an abduction) is the consequence. But there is another pressure, more subtle; as you've said already , cousin marries cousin, what means that her family is also his family. If you risk now to divorce, you lose the whole family, you are a betrayer, you defile the family honour.
Not to mention that around 100 000 people (nearly 100% women) get killed by their brothers or fathers, if the daughter/sister is not willing to marry or tries to divorce
It's mainly practiced is islamic countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Irak..), but also Turkey, Albania,some Greek regions and Asia. But we also have in Germany some cases where brothers dashed their sister with benzin and burned her alive in the middle of the street.
But let's just to understand the normal situation. For me, as a woman, the imagination that you have to have sex and kids with a man, you don't love, is like a daily, weekly or monthly rape, with a big torture at the end. The reason, why many women commit suicide.
Of course there is a possibility that your parents make a good decision and let's take it that 100% of the parents are acting in a good will, but they are also enmeshed in their family bonds..
you are talking about your country..I assume you are talking about an african country..which one is it? Are you from Senegal?
Er.. Naija is from Nigeria, which is why he calls himself "naija".
I've always made a great fuss about Nigeria, I don't have the strong protection in that country that is necessary to survive there--lol--but as much as I've heard it must be a very interesting and rich country in some areas..do you go back there from time to time?