Audit of USAID"s activities to prevent, mitigate, and resolve conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa

Audit covers FYs 1995-99. USAID and other donor expenditures are small compared with the scope of the problems facing Africa. A recent United Nations report found that, since 1970 more than 30 wars have been fought in Africa, and that in 1996 alone, 14 of the 53 African countries were afflicted by armed conflicts, accounting for more than half of all war-related deaths worldwide and resulting in more than 8 million refugees, returnees and displaced persons. In contrast, from 1995 to 1999, USAID"s Africa Bureau invested about $107 million to prevent, mitigate, and resolve conflicts in Africa -- about $21 million a year for the entire continent. Since Africa"s conflicts are in many cases based on longstanding religious or ethic divisions that are exacerbated by poverty, a lack of respect for human rights, and weak and undemocratic governing structures, near-term investments to strengthen African abilities to prevent, mitigate, and resolve conflicts often suffer setbacks. These investments are expected to show results over the long rather than the short term. The report also discusses the extent to which the above activities support U.S. foreign policy objectives and national interests.