It argues that even though the presence of natural resources may prolong civil wars in Africa, in a number of cases civil wars and organised crime have the same origin: a combination of poor political, economic and social governance at a national, regional and international level.
Focusing on Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe, the book scrutinises resource-rich countries and a poorer one, all of which experienced organised crime prior to, during and after the eruption of civil wars. The book is divided into two sections, with the first focusing on definitional issues and the theoretical background of the nexus between organised crime and conflict. The second includes an in-depth discussion of the presence of organised crime in each of the individual countries.
