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The colonial and Cold War influences of Europe and North America are deep and create potential for such an 'Atlantic' alignment, but there are a number of challenges to realising it. Defining 'Africa' itself is problematic. Most obviously, despite the geographical and institutional associations, the divide between North and sub-Saharan Africa is significant (where Arab North Africa and the Middle East fit into Michael's classification warrants a separate discussion). Underlying the historical and cultural differences is an ethnic and racial dynamic that has in part driven the conflicts in Sudan. This was also apparent in the conflict in Libya, which saw atrocities against Africans by the liberation forces.