Dakar, Senegal ? Prevailing wisdom pins the world’s civil wars on two causes: Greed and grievances. Both are fueling Africa’s two most dangerous conflicts, in Liberia and in Congo.

Both conflicts have hit turning points, with nations and tens of millions of lives in the balance in west and central Africa.

In Liberia, President Charles Taylor — longtime regional gun trafficker and diamond smuggler newly indicted by a U.N. war-crimes tribunal — threatens to take much of West Africa down with him as rebels near their goal of toppling him.

In Congo, the struggle over lodes of diamonds, gold and other resources is blocking efforts to end a war that already has killed up to 9 percent of the vast Central African nation’s population.

Refugee George Williams called on the international community, “especially America” to help.

“Someone’s got to do something to stop this foolish war here,” Williams said last week as he fled Liberia’s besieged capital, Monrovia.

A government comptroller, Williams cradled a wounded 13-year-old daughter deliberately shot by Taylor’s looting troops.

“Otherwise, it’s going to be completely destroyed,” he said.

Conflict in Liberia reached a dramatic peak last week when French military helicopters swooped in to ferry out 500 foreigners. In Congo, French soldiers flew in to stop fighting that has newly claimed hundreds of lives around the northeastern provincial capital of Bunia.

In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe’s forces used clubs, rifle butts and live fire to put down opposition protests. In Togo, rival presidential candidates went into hiding after an internationally dismissed election victory by Africa’s longest-ruling leader, Gen. Gnassingbe Eyadema.

Africa since the 1990s has seen leading states — South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal — move into multiparty democracy, and warring nations — Mozambique, Angola, Sierra Leone, and others — move to peace.

A Congolese family prays during a church service where the preacher asked his congregation to keep its faith during difficult times at a small church in Bunia, Congo. French troops leading an emergency force in Congo came under fire for the first time near Bunia this weekend.