So much for the so-called "peace dividend".

The report pointed out that, since the end of the Cold War, Africa has suffered a catastrophic number of wars (over two dozen). During that period, half the nations in sub-Saharan Africa have been at war for at least some of the time. The cost of these wars has been horrendous. On average, nations at war saw life expectancy decline five years. Economies shrank by 15 percent and overall direct (combat) and indirect (economic) costs were an estimated $300 billion. That was about equal to the amount of foreign aid received during that period. For every soldier (or irregular) killed in combat, about 14 civilians perished from starvation, disease or murder, as a result of the economic disruptions and violence by the armed men roaming about. That’s over ten million dead, but no one has any accurate numbers.

The linked post is not about the failures of Africa but rather the impact of non-goverment organizations (NGOs) in the region. The historical review of NGOs is in itself quite interesting.