African blood

African blood
In 2002, he ended the war in Angola between different ethnic groups that lasted nearly three decades. The war has left at least 800,000 dead and 4 million refugees. During the same period have laid down their arms also in Sierra Leone, but after twelve years of bloodshed, with at least 100,000 deaths and two and a half million refugees.
In 2003, resolved or suspended at least six wars in the Congo (50,000 deaths), Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda (10,000 deaths), in the Central African Republic, Senegal, in Western Sahara.
In Kenya, where as a result of complaints addressed to the regularity of the elections, there were tribal clashes in 2008 with a number of deaths that perhaps will never be known exactly, but it certainly is at least several thousand.
In Zimbabwe, whose sham elections have confirmed the dictator in power, creating a situation that could result in fierce clashes. And yet the eternal drama of Somalia, from twenty years unstable and crossed by armed troops, suspended between Islamic fundamentalism and foreign intervention, but that has already paid more than half a million deaths.
What we fight for, really?
In fact, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between acts of terrorism and war, as the two phenomena are closely intertwined, and wars especially in African countries, they become more and more often in conflicts between different ethnic groups and that last years, including reciprocal massacres of civilians, often with kidnappings of Europeans or Americans, with attacks on mines or offshore platforms for oil extraction.
It 'just that mix of racial hatred, of economic interests and political, religious divisions, of concern to the water, fertile land, for renewable energy, which makes the scene confused and gives rise to the temptation to give up on seeing each other clear. But how to look the other way, as millions of human beings suffer, are maimed, killed and often do not even know why?
Who wins is close to us. The instability in Africa, therefore, is nothing more than a huge business for manufacturers and arms dealers, capable of diverting financial resources unimaginable in the pockets of those who, perhaps, sometimes attends our same places. They are men and women in Western societies, behind which lurk governments, banks, trust corporations, merchants, fixer, single men of corrupt state and simple shareholder base. A chilling picture of this aspect of African reality, often overshadowed by empty talk and "whining" about hunger and poverty.
Over the past 5 years, it was purchased on the continent over 53% in most of the major weapons systems from the previous period. Soaring in the countries of the southern Mediterranean, South Africa, Nigeria and Uganda. Globally, spending on weapons has grown by 24%. There must be a crisis, but the weapons continue to flow so copiously in Africa. They seem not to be affected by the recession. The SIPRI, the Stockholm International Peace Institute - one of the most reliable in conducting research in the field of conflict and engaged in the study on the costs of armaments - has compared the data from the five-year period 2002-2006 with those of 2007-2011. Discovering that there was an increase of more than 53% of imports in Africa of the great conventional weapon systems (aircraft, helicopters, tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, radar, air defense systems, missiles, ships more than 100 tons with guns, aircraft engines and armored vehicles, turrets for armored vehicles and boats. The so-called "arms" or "small arms" are not included in the statistics SIPRI).

So today the continent weighs more than 10% (13.329 million dollars for a total volume of transfers of 128.343 million) at the global level, when five years ago it was still 8, 3 (8.66 billion versus $ 103.743 million). Data that take into account also in Egypt, while the SIPRI ranks Cairo in the Middle East. The surge has occurred thanks to the purchase of weapons occurred in the southern Mediterranean. A growth in North Africa by more than 72% (from 5.099 million to 8.722). As for Sub-Saharan Africa, growth was 29% (from 3.561 million to 4.607).

In terms of growth, the record has conquered Morocco, with a more than 443% over the five-year period 2002-2006. Thanks in particular to the performance of 2011, which saw Rabat import arms for a total value of 1,558 million dollars. Among the purchases are excellent 16 F-16 fighter jets from the U.S.; 27 air Mf 2000 by France; a frigate from Holland ...

It remains unattainable military spending of the north African country, ranking at the top in the last five years, with 4.644 billion dollars, four times the spending of the previous year (€ 1,141 million). Russia remains the largest supplier of Algeria (4,301).

South Africa alone accounts for 41% of imports of arms, almost doubling the share of the 2002-2006 period (1,842 million against 977). Decline in the Sudan (415 million versus 739), while strong rise in Nigeria (406 million versus 86) and Uganda (334 compared to 76 the previous five years). Surprisingly even the activism of Equatorial Guinea, well stocked Ukraine (194 million) and Israel (70 million).