A State of Nature

This article by the East Africa bureau chief of The New York Times in Foreign Policy describes the "wars" in that region that seem to go on and on without end. His basic point, these are not wars as we know them but rather banditry:

Even if you could coax these men out of their jungle lairs and get them to the negotiating table, there is very little to offer them. (snip) All they want is cash, guns, and a license to rampage. And they've already got all three. How do you negotiate with that?

The author scarcely mentions the influence of tribalism which also plays a role here. The behavior described sounds like it comes from X rated versions of the Mad Max movies. This is bad business.