Me Against My Brother: At War in Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda: A Journalist Reports from the Battlefields of Africa

British journalist Scott Peterson was an old hand at reporting in Africa by the time the 'New World Order' was tested by Somalia in the early '90s. For this reason, his shock and horror at the events he describes in this book carries weight. Covering Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda, different approaches to solving the same problems of civil war and hunger are effectively juxtaposed - ultimately providing few concrete answers to the 'peacekeeping problem', but being highly instructive all the same.For those just home from seeing the new movie _Black Hawk Down_ (Americans especially), I think _Me Against My Brother_ should be required reading. Peterson spends half of his book on Somalia, and provides clear and concise background information on the origins of the unrest there. His analysis is evenhanded, spreading plenty of blame around: to the UN, the U.S. Armed Forces, the Somali warlords, and the Somali people themselves. I felt the book portrayed a bad situation steadily made worse by all parties involved, rightly leaving them smarting from their involvement.The next quarter of the book examines the Sudan. A timely topic in this time of heightened sensitivity to Muslim/Christian conflict, Peterson shows how damaging such conflicts can be. Again he provides good, brief background material and plenty of firsthand accounts from southern Sudan; the front lines. The section on the Sudan underscored a civil war where, unlike Somalia, humanitarian aid was distributed without accompanying military intervention. The result is a graphic illustration of how such well meaning aid organizations can be manipulated, prolonging suffering rather than quelling it.A third contrast is provided by the last section of the book - Rwanda. There, the conflict was so terrifying that not only was there no military intervention, but no humanitarian effort either. Rwanda was so atrocious, so dangerous, that Peterson (who had been-there-done-that as far as African wars are concerned) was almost too overwhelmed with fear to go there. No aid, few pictures, nearly a million dead. Essentially an inferno of violence that burned until there no no fuel of Tutsi and moderate Hutu bodies left to sustain it.I consider myself fairly educated and aware. Peterson jolted me awake. His eyewitness accounts are riveting, his analyses fairly impartial. In this book he shows a conflict where we tried to intervene with force, one where the intervention was in the form of aid, and one where no one lifted a finger. In all three cases, the results were varying degrees of the same hunger, anarchy, and death. Therefore, Peterson gives no prescription for curing the ills of Africa, but does a fine job of noting the symptoms of the illness.I highly recommend this book. I learned from it immensely, and I'm sure you will too.

This is fascinating reading regarding some of the most intense struggles and war zones of 1990's Africa which the author experienced first hand. What I appreciate about the book is that Scott Peterson brings deeper insight into the war theatres by being involved with those at ground zero. This book is a reality check for the Western world, so that we may fully see some of the critical problems in Africa. Hopefully this will bring about some sort of understanding of how terribly sheltered we are from Africa's situation. This book helps to bring this world disparity out of the darkness and ultimately establishes a good forum for us all to address Africa more critically. Only by caring enough about the crucial situations there, like Scott Peterson has, can we at least try to frame Africa in our world-view; Sadly you'd have to admit that most westerners are extremely detached from the widespread sufferings in Africa. Scott Peterson's perspective is equally compassionate as it is dispassionate. Perhaps that is the sort of mind required to live at the frontlines. Whatever the case, his perspective has brought me inside the struggles of Africa. We all should try to see beyond our comforts and try to be concerned about what is going on over there. This book will help to educate you.

Mr Peterson does an amazing job of bringing the reader to an understandng of the tragedy that occurred in the three countries that he focuses upon Somalia, Rwanada and Sudan)but he does so without pushing the reader over the edge into compassion fatigue. His book is also extremely useful for understanding some of what actually happened at the time; for the first time I actually have an understanding of the dynamic that existed between the Tutsi and Hutus. His inclusion of Sudan is remarkable and notable given that it is one of the most overlooked conflicts in American eyes, yet well worth understanding. Mr Peterson also makes clear the paradox that relief agencies face in alleviating suffering when their efforts can actually prolong conflict. The excellent writing was the only thing that kept me going through the more emotionally disturbing sections. Finally,the photo insert, while unsettling, was an extremely important addition to the whole experience of reading the book.

Peterson does a great job of documenting the trajedies of Africa that simply doesn't seem to interest most Americans. With Sierra Leonne in the news recently, this book takes on even more urgency. Peterson deserves credit for sticking it out in the destitute war zones, even after nearly losing his life in Somalia (and seeing close friends butchered by the mobs) He is (justifiably) highly critical of the U.S. and UN efforts there, but he also assigns the blame for the famine where it belongs, with the warlords. This is an excellent and informative book that will unfortunately never find as big an audience as it deserves.