War in Africa is always about business, about the resources a region has. The right wing analysists will talk about tribalism, and try to project this as still the Dark Continent of primitive peoples warring amongst themselves. But such is not the case.
In the Congo and Rawanda the conflict is over gold, silver, and diamonds, still is. In Sierra Leone its over diamonds. In Ethiopia and Somolia its oil and heavy metals. In the Sudan, its not about Darfur, its about oil. Nigeria, Angola, oil.
And my favorite is Chad. You never hear of Chad except once a decade when one of its neighbours and their European allies decides to invade. Little Chad is one richest countries in heavy metals, uranium and precious ores. If nuclear power gains popularity again expect Chad to be in the news.
And chocolate, well that is a major commodity that while it melts in your mouth it's harvested and processed by child slaves in the Ivory Coast. Ironcially this was the point of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that critics overlooked.
Children who are slaves are then dragooned into the internecine rivalries as child soldiers. Just as we have Child Armies in the Central African conflicts funded by the diamond trade, we have child armies in the Ivory Coast funded by Hershey. As the saying goes War is good for business, invest your son.
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