From Strategy Page:
U.S. intelligence analysis of the situation in Africa are grim. The basic problems are corruption, tribalism and raw materials (from oil to diamonds and minerals) that enable warlords to sustain themselves, and their gun toting followers, for years. Somalia and Congo are the worst examples of this sort of thing. Then there's Sudan, where the government actually supports much of the mayhem. Many countries are seemingly peaceful, but are actually ready to slip into anarchy.
The problems in Africa are pretty basic, but most Western leaders are unwilling to deal with them head on. For example, it's not considered politically correct to talk about tribes anymore. Instead these distinct cultural organizations are referred to as "ethnic groups" (which they often are) or "clans" (which are subsections of tribes). But much of the world's population still owes their primary allegiance to tribal organizations. Africa, South America and parts of Asia are largely tribal areas. Europe still has a few. But the Scots clans are largely just social organizations, although in Eastern Europe you can still find functioning clans.
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