November 27, 2003

Marauding groups of "rebels" and "government soldiers" still wander the countryside, raping and pillaging at will. The new government is trying to get the marauders to turn in their weapons, but unless you can offer the armed men (or, more often, teenagers and younger kids) food and a future, they will prefer living off the wasteland they have created.  Many villages towns have established their own defense organization, and fight off the marauders. Other localities are, in effect, ruled by marauders, who have enslaved the local civilians and forced them to grow food for them.