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In recent decades, the Horn of Africa has been engulfed in spiralling conflict, dire poverty, widespread famine and endemic disease. Massive damage has been inflicted on the region's economy, infrastructure, and natural resources. As repressive regimes were overthrown, the social fabric of venerable communities was torn.

Explanations of the malaise that has afflicted this corner of Africa usually focus on the ethnic causes of many of the conflicts. Although ethnicity is often a factor, the substance of conflict is normally intense competition over scarce and diminishing resources, rather than a clash of cultures. This book addresses the substance of the problem, which is the widening gap between the resource base of a poorly endowed region and its rapidly expanding population. The first part of the book is devoted to a survey of population, resources, and food security. The second part describes the many struggles for power in the region during the past few decades, and the final part examines efforts made at the state and regional levels to deal with such issues - both what has been done and what could and should be done.