tribal warfare

civil war, ethnic conflict. Or, replace with names of precise combatants. "Conflicts among diverse peoples within African nations are often referred to as 'tribal warfare,' while conflicts among the diverse peoples within European countries are never described in such terms. If the rivalries between the Ibo and the Hausa and Yoruba in Nigeria are described as 'tribal,' why not the rivalries between Serbs and Slavs in Yugoslavia, or Scots and English in Great Britain, Protestants and Catholics in Ireland, or the Basques and the Southern Spaniards in Spain?" (Robert B. Moore, in Paula S. Rothenberg, Racism and Sexism). In the same way, "We hear about 'black on black' violence in Africa, but Eastern European warfare is called an 'ethnic clash'; we never hear about 'white on white' violence. It's just people from 'ethnic' groups clashing. How much more understandable than those enigmatic 'tribal bloodbaths'" (Joan Steinau Lester, The Future of White Men and Other Diversity Dilemmas).