Where Have All the African Revolutionaries Gone?

Chris Blattman and William Reno (PDF) wonder why armed conflict in Africa has taken on a decreasingly ideological character in recent decades. You still have rebels, but you have fewer revolutionaries.

I’d say global politics has in general become less ideological in most places. US domestic politics is an exception to this overall trend, but you see it in a lot of other places, from the domestic politics of European countries to geopolitical rivalries to intrastate conflict in Africa. My impression is that politics wasn’t especially “ideologically” before the late 18-th century and perhaps post-1991 we’re just returning to the long-term norm.