Violent conf licts continue to be a major feature of much of Africa's political landscape. Not only are Africa's conf licts increasing, but they are also interpreted and theorised in varied ways, with irreducible discrepancies. In the dominant literature, ethnicity, religion, resources, territory, poor governance, and the struggle for power, among others, have been identified as the major causes of violent conf lict on the continent. This paper, a broad brush that raises more questions than

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... ers, argues that, underlying these apparent causes of violent conf lict is the undying desire for happiness. It concludes by paraphrasing Von Clausewitz's dictum that war in Africa is a pursuit of happiness by other means and, therefore, to prevent it, policy should promote popular happiness.