African Conflicts Shift from Politics to Resources

(Busiweek)-- Researchers commissioned by the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) have warned countries emerging from conflict and war situations of possible lapse if the new trends of war dynamics are not urgently addressed.

The research that covered Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Burundi, Eritrea, Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Rwanda and Somalia, observed that causes of war in these countries were taking a sharp drift from the struggle for political power to acquisition of land and exploitation of rich mineral resources.

The results of the research were presented during the COMESA meeting of experts held early September in Livingstone, Zambia. Participants at the meeting from Uganda included the Uganda Land Alliance, Uganda Joint Christian Council, and a representative from Gulu University.

The new trend code-named ‘war economy’ is said to involve illegal and illicit trade of valuable minerals that takes advantage of the poor legal and policy frameworks in the countries in question to grab from the masses what legally belongs to them. Such acts are mainly fired by issues of liberalisation and deregulation, privatisation and tax exemptions and incentives favouring foreign mining companies (investors) and large-scale miners over the smaller and more localised ones. This situation is likely to provoke affected citizens into taking up arms in self defence, creating a vicious cycle of insecurity.

The researchers further noted that countries emerging from wars often suffer deficiencies in governance coupled with involvement of private sector in the management of public utilities.

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