Despite the hundreds of billions of dollars that have been injected into sub-Saharan Africa over the last century in an effort to propel development, the Africa remains by far the poorest continent in the world. The failure is due to the problematic nature of aid management. Traditionally, aid has taken the form of military aid and large international financial transactions. Although these forms of aid have generally been unsuccessful, targeted development aid has always been successful. In order to lift Africa out of poverty, the international community should focus on targeted development assistance.Military AidRecent military conflicts have erupted across North Africa and the sub-Saharan Sahel region. Most countries in these regions face their own violent conflicts. Conflict arises from a myriad of sources, including ethnic differences, political or religious ideologies, low human development, corrupt and oppressive governance, resource conflicts, and poor economic performance (Oyeniyi 1). Across North Africa, governments were toppled during the Arab Spring and violent conflicts with extremist factions such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) resulted in large amounts of international military aid in this region. Supporters of military aid argue that the political instability the region currently faces prevents any meaningful economic or political development. Extremist factions oppose development in the region because it would reduce their ability to act with impunity. For example, the name of a Nigerian extremist group “Boko Haram” essentially means “Western education is sacrilege.” Western ideals such as democracy, capitalism and transparency are essential...... middle of paper ......rks. Bread for the World Institute. March 2012.Web. March 25, 2014. Francis, David, J. The regional impact of the armed conflict and the French intervention in Mali. Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre. April 2013. The web. March 25, 2014.One.org. Development aid. One. Internet. March 25, 2014. Oyeniyi, Adeleye. Conflicts and violence in Africa: causes, sources and types. Transcend multimedia service. February 28, 2011. the web. March 25, 2014. Turse, Nick, Tom Dispatch. The terrorist diaspora: the American army and the dismantling of Africa. Truthout.org. June 18, 2013. Web March 25, 2014. Wallis, William. Mali joins the American list of “terrorist” boomerangs. The Financial Times. January 18, 2013. Internet. March 25, 2014. Williamson, Claudia, R., Ph.D. Exploring Foreign Aid Failure: The Role of Incentives and Information. Springer Science and Business Media. July 11, 2009. the web. March 25 2014.