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If Africa is inherently unstable, you should consider the stability of post-war Europe.
Don't underestimate how smashed-up Post War Europe was, what with food riots, retribution and mob-led ethnic cleansing, (hundreds of?) thousands of disposessed refugees, and more than its fair share of corruption.
There really is very little difference between the Europe of the late 40's and parts of today's Africa - at least in the terms you describe.
Comparing prices with the WOT strikes me as missing the point. The war on terror is a needless, self-defeating shambles that could be better waged along the lines described above. On resources, Africa is bountifully stocked with natural resources including oil, coal, diamonds, agriculture, steel, gold, uranium and countless other shiny goodies. It's just that parts of it have never been fully developed.
Yes, it would have to be a massive collaborative effort, in the same way the response to the tsunami is - but the numbers of needless deaths in Africa are not dissimilar to those experienced after the tsunami. This is an opportunity to commit to a firm and measured plan of sustained investment, to everyone's benefit. I really think it could work wonders.
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