Why does violent conflict in Africa matter?
Violent conflict in Africa matters to the UK because of the sheer human suffering it represents and because conflict remains one of the most important obstacles to reducing poverty, upholding human rights and achieving sustainable development. Conflicts in Africa also pose a threat to global security. It weakens state structures, leads to large scale human displacement, environmental degradation and provides opportunities for international criminal and terrorist networks to exploit. The 1990s saw a significant increase in conflict in Africa with interlocking regional conflicts in West Africa (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire) and the Great Lakes (Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo – the latter drawing in numerous other countries in the region). As well as a bloody war between Ethiopia and Eritrea and continuing long scale conflicts in Angola, Sudan and northern Uganda. Some real progress has been made since 2000. The conflicts in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, so
