I'm not filled in on this guidance part, but it sounds pretty logical. If to look at things from BR side, then they are not facing too many options in the long run:
Option A: Side with LickMe, a tribe surrounding them, maybe get decent relationship.
Future 1: LickMe looses war to CGI - CGI continues carnage and eats BR as well.
Future 2: LickMe wins war and either still eats BR or merges. BR is still surrounded and their members have no room for growts or prosperity.
Asking me, neither future looks too bright :/
Option B: Stay neutral and hope that neither tribe pays any attention to them.
Future 1: LickMe looses war - CGI eats Lickme and then BR, as they're still in their corner without a chance to gain more strength.
Future 2: LickMe wins war - LickMe eats BR as BR has no room for growth or BR just dies slow death as they still got no way to expand.
Looking loose-loose again.
Option C: Stab LickMe in the back, while they're hurt.
Future 1: LickMe looses war - CGI eats LickMe, but BR has better hopes at standing against CGI and maybe get flanking alliance with some other large tribe in world, as they've grown and have better chances at success than by just standing stillin their corner.
Future 2: LickMe wins war - Lickers are pissed and kick the crap out of BR. At least went down with guns blazing and banners flying high!
To me this looks best results offering path for BR. And if CGI did motivate them to take it, then I see no reason for anyone to be hurt for this decision. As told we, in CGI are good people, we watch out for each-other and if possible help others as well. And if we get declared on, we fight our battles ourselves and don't need anyones help with those, even more, as we're already quite far ahead on balance of power

But if someone approaches us and asks a bite of a ground, we're unable to reach in short amount of time, we're not greedy and not going to try to stop anyone.
So, cheer up! After all it's just a game and unlike Monoply it doesn't have a table to flip (If anyone intends to flip a table, remember, that it most likely has your computer on it!)
HeZ