Gender, Governance and Conflicts in Africa

"Civil War is Africa's self-inflicted wound. More than one African in five lives in a country that is fighting a war, and nearly 20 countries have experienced civil war since 1960. The continuing conflicts that ravage the African continent represent a heavy social and economic burden. During a war, most of the country's resources tend to be deverted away from development and towards supporting conflict. War is estimated to cost $1bn per year in Central Africa, without counting the cost of aiding refugees, which is estimated to be about £500m in the region.