Publication

This paper analyzes 1) three assumptions about the sources of conflict in Africa, and 2) the problem of responding to them in ways that fail to take their full complexity into account. The assumptions are that conflicts 1) result from zero sum-centered power politics between contending leaders; 2) are the consequence of state weaknesses and the failure of governments to provide basic services and security; and 3) are the product of sharply differing views on culture and society.