Trade is concentrated on South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. The short-term national interest might seem limited to seeing that these dominant African economies are stable and maximising trade in specific sectors, such as arms. South Africa shows how, once seemingly intractable conflicts have been resolved, things come good for UK plc too. The British trainers helping to integrate apartheid-age enemies into the South African army, paid for by the ministry of defence and the foreign office, represent the kind of initiative which could be more widely applied with additional funds. Such training cannot be supported by Clare Short's department despite recognising its importance in countries emerging from conflict.
British interests go wider than commerce.
Public opinion has an ethical dimension. Following it, the government has to do what it can to reduce war and conflict in Africa. Labour has recognised that if you want to reduce conflict, you have to reduce poverty. At its crudest, former fighters are unlikely to sit playing cards if they are hungry. In Sierra Leone, the UK has led the way in paying for demobilising ex-combatants.