In Nigeria in particular, a major power with the largest population in Africa, May signaled the end to the long-lived military administration and completed the shift to the first civilian government in 16 years. Such events can be evaluated as contributing to the progress of democratization and the maintenance of political stability in the African region. A certain amount of progress was therefore made toward regional stability, but there is little room for complacency until true peace is achieved in regard to all conflicts. Despite the best efforts of the OAU and other mediators, as well as urging by the international community, including Japan, to the related countries to find a peaceful settlement, peace remained out of reach in the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Military offensives by government forces in Angola in September and October too failed to end the Angolan civil war, with the road to peace expected to be a rocky one.
Political stability remains a major issue in Africa.
On the economic front, many countries have introduced market economy principles and pushed forward with fiscal retrenchment and other structural adjustment policies in consultation with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. As a result, more than 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have achieved economic growth of five percent or more. Socially, solutions need to be found to parasitic diseases such as malaria and other infectious diseases. Poverty reduction, infrastructure development to achieve sustainable economic growth, strengthening human resources development and improvement of health and medical care are urgently required to address the economic and social issues currently facing Africa. In terms of support for political stability, with a view to conflict prevention, Japan has made direct demarches for peace to leading figures of countries involved in conflicts.