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Angola


Sierra Leone


Nigeria



African “Arc of Conflict”

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Despite the signing of the Lusaka Peace Accord in July among the seven African armies engaged in a war there, the truce has been violated by all countries and tensions continue. In addition, as the country becomes more accessible, immense humanitarian needs are being uncovered. The war already has displaced 1 million people and put several million at the risk of starvation.

Republic of Congo
Its ongoing civil war offers no hope of a quick solution in 1999. More than 500,000 people have been displaced thus far. Between 10,000-15,000 people died in 1999 alone as a result of the conflict.

Ethiopia & Eritrea
Fighting continues between these two countries over a border dispute. Thousands have been killed and there are estimated to be hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people. There also have been reports of forced emigration, ethnic cleansing and military action against civilians in both countries.

Somalia/Somaliland
Extensive and extreme poverty has been exacerbated by a culture of violence, clan warfare and drought in Somalia, primarily due to years of clan-fighting. There are more than 400,000 Somali refugees, and much of the country from Mogadishu to the Kenya border operates as a stateless, clan-controlled society. Constitutional provisions and national laws are inoperative, except in break-away (and, as yet unrecognized) Somaliland. Recently, the country has faced floods and droughts, as well as a ban on the export of livestock to Saudi Arabia and other nations. About 1 million people in the central and southern regions are affected, 300,000 need food aid, including 200,000 children.

Sudan
Sudan’s civil war has continued for the better part of four decades. Virtually all of Sudan's nine neighbors have become embroiled in the conflict in some way over the years. Relations with Ethiopia have improved this year and a peace deal with Uganda was brokered earlier this month. Yet, no lasting peace agreement has been brokered between the SPLA and the government in Khartoum. In terms of human costs, more than 1.9 million people have died in southern Sudan and the Nuba Mountains since 1983 as a result of the war, according to the U.S. Committee for Refugees. Fighting also has caused massive internal displacement, leaving millions more homeless or without lands to farm and threatened by starvation and disease. Furthermore, the south is far behind the north developmentally due to the war and benign neglect during colonial rule. Violence is expected to continue.

Follow the links below for other regional reports: