It is a region rich with natural resources and could well be the engine that drives Africa's economic Renaissance. Despite these positive indicators, the region's people continue to experience unemployment, poverty and malnourishment. A very large part of the problem relates to the ongoing political instability in the region, of which Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo are possibly the quintessential examples.
War results in a diversion of foreign capital flows to more stable regions.
War also has its own economic logic that is oblivious to human suffering. To fuel the war machine, the rich resources of one's country are traded for the latest tank or jet fighter. In the process, a vicious cycle of death and impoverishment is created. To break the cycle and to secure the development of the region, it is imperative for a solution to be found for the current wave of political instability besetting several countries in the region. One of the first steps necessary in order to resolve a problem is to understand the problem fully.