The real cost is in blood

Research undertaken by a number of non-governmental organisations, including Oxfam show that the cost of armed conflict to the continent's development over a 15-year period was nearly $300 billion (£146bn) , equal to the amount of money received in aid during the same period.

Between 1990 and 2005, 23 African nations were involved in conflict, and on average this cost African economies $18 billion a year .

Some say stop the supply of guns through arms control .

"We need to restrict the supply of guns to African conflict zones - and an arms trade treaty is a vital way to do this", The president of Liberia , Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf , said.

Others say more guns are actually needed in Africa .

Haneelmoed Heitman - the Africa correspondent for Jane's Defence - told the BBC "in a lot of countries the primary problem is that the national security forces are too small, too ill-equipped and too ill-trained to actually provide any sort of security".

Neither attempted to explain the real cause of war and the only solution to end them . A brief perusal of this blog would quickly identify that ownership and control of raw materials or trade routes are the main causes of conflict . Well meaning intentions from well meaning people will not suffice in ending the curse of war and the associated famines and pestilence that accompanies war .
No matter what the political, religious, or ideological label , the principal economic drive has been the production of wealth for sale on the market in the hope of profit. It is the needs of capitalist economies that drive a state's foreign policy as its relations with other capitalist states. The festering of tribalist, nationalist and racist sentiment are nurtured and sustained by the capitalist system of production which produces only for profits and not for needs.
Africans are killing each other and destroying the continent's resources all because of leaders' power hunger and greed , or by proxy for the material and mercenary benefit of the multi-nationals .