ABSTRACT

Africa has been ravaged by war and conflict in recent years. Between 2000 and 2010, armed conflict affected twenty-four African countries and killed millions of military personnel and civilians. Looking beyond the tragedy of battle-related deaths, however, the implications of conflict for development are far reaching, and as Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, stated in 2010, ‘the costs of war in Africa have cancelled out the potential impact of 15 years of development aid’ (UN, 2010b: 1). Conflict has resulted in the collapse of economic systems, state infrastructure and effective governance, and more people die from disease and starvation due to the loss of essential services than from the direct impacts of military action. Those who manage to survive through conflict situations face numerous development challenges, ranging from displacement and livelihood insecurity to being orphaned or infected with HIV. There are, therefore, clear and demonstrable linkages between the widespread poverty and underdevelopment that exists throughout Africa and the persistence of armed conflict.