▁the ▁following ▁deb ts ▁were ▁in cur red ▁by ▁African ▁govern ments ▁( amount s ▁are ▁in ▁bill ions ▁of ▁US ▁dollars ): ▁▁▁ ▁Niger ia ▁( 3 3 ) ▁ ▁South ▁Africa ▁( 2 2 ) ▁ ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Congo ▁( 1 3 ) ▁ ▁Sud an ▁( 9 ) ▁ ▁Eth iop ia ▁( 8 ) ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁political ▁conflict ▁had ▁er upt ed ▁into ▁civil ▁war ▁in ▁some ▁countries , ▁and ▁the ▁political ▁inst ability ▁kept ▁some ▁econom ies ▁m ired ▁for ▁many ▁years . ▁Some ▁African ▁govern ments ▁faced ▁practical ▁problems ▁in ▁implementing ▁industrial ▁change ▁as ▁they ▁attempted ▁rapid ▁modern ization ▁of ▁their ▁econom ies ; ▁cost ing ▁and ▁mis management ▁problems ▁in ▁agricult ural , ▁manufact uring , ▁and ▁other ▁se ctors ▁meant ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁many ▁projects . ▁One ▁result ▁was ▁African ▁countries ▁becoming ▁increasing ly ▁dependent ▁upon ▁foreign ▁food ▁imports . ▁ ▁A ▁heavy ▁blow ▁to ▁the ▁econom ies ▁of ▁many ▁African ▁countries ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁O PE C ▁oil ▁embargo . ▁Arab ▁O PE C ▁member ▁countries ▁opposed ▁Israel ▁during ▁the ▁Y om ▁K ipp ur ▁War ▁of ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁O PE C ▁embargo ed ▁oil ▁exports ▁to ▁many ▁Western ▁govern ments ▁as ▁ret ali ation ▁for ▁their ▁having ▁supported ▁Israel ▁in ▁the ▁War . ▁ 4 0 ▁African ▁countries ▁were ▁dependent ▁upon ▁oil ▁imports ▁from ▁O PE C , ▁and ▁when ▁the ▁price ▁of