Zambia has for a long time been regarded as one of the most peaceful countries in Africa. Despite pockets of violence during elections, the country has not experienced major incidents of unrest, and this sets it apart as an example; a good one. This is also demonstrated by the fact that the country has successfully and largely peacefully elected 6 different Presidents in just 33 years [after the introduction of multi-party politics].
The Global Peace Index of 2023 ranks Zambia 8th of 54 in Africa and 63rd of 163 in the world. This certainly demonstrates how peaceful the country is. It is perhaps why countries like Zambia may need to be interested in initiatives like this past weekend’s Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland.
At the summit, representatives from over 90 countries emphasized the importance of respecting Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” and called for “dialogue between all parties” to achieve a lasting resolution to the ongoing conflict with Russia. The objective was to achieve peace.
Before we look at the outcomes of the summit, let us draw ourselves back to Zambia. Despite the country being so peaceful, it remains among the countries with high levels of poverty and inequality globally. The World Bank reports that in 2022, poverty reached 60% of the population, up from 54% in 2015. Conflict anywhere in the world has the potential to make these statistics worse for Zambia, which happens to be a net importer.
The high levels of poverty may just well be the reason why the country is always on high alert to avert the possibility of any kind of conflict or unrest. Zambia has drawn lessons from conflict within the region, to know how bad things can get. The civil war in neighbouring Angola between 1975 and 2002 left over 500,000 people dead, millions more displaced and unprecedented economic devastation. Zambia itself saw a high refugee influx as a result.
This could be a good indicator as to why the country has been reinforcing measures around continuing to safeguard the peace that the country enjoys.
It is imperative that Zambia sees conflict as a potential hurdle to the much needed economic freedom and growth. The African Development Bank estimates that since 1990, over $1 trillion has been lost to war and conflict in Africa. Many African countries have failed to achieve their economic potential because of conflict.
One of the major consequences of wars and conflict has been the impact on agriculture and ultimately food security. Food security is especially important because like Zambia, several African countries are grappling with high poverty levels and they truly cannot afford to witness any further slowdown in trying to find solutions. Unfortunately, conflict or wars are some of the easiest ways to slow down poverty alleviation.
For countries like Zambia, even conflict that happens thousands of miles away has the potential to impact us negatively. Any conflict in areas that supply us with resources could disrupt our functionality and possibly increase the cost of living and in turn increase the levels of poverty.
Since the conflict, Zambia has witnessed an increase in the cost of petroleum products which has greatly impacted the cost of doing business and in turn, the cost of living.
In a country where small scale farmers can barely afford to do their work without government support, the increase in fertilizer pricing on the international market has come as a huge inconvenience.
An assessment of the Farmer Input Support Programme by government demonstrates how farmers have always endured insufficient fertilizer supply and the infamous delay of distribution in 2022, when the conflict started, can still be felt today. The country is still yet to solidly stabilize its food security.
That is why the importance of a resolution in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cannot be overemphasised. The hosting of the Peace Summit recently is perhaps one of the most important steps in finding a solution to this conflict that has now lasted over two years.
It comes at the perfect time to safeguard the food security of countries like Zambia, which is currently in a state of emergency and disaster, following one of the worst droughts in history.
The country’s economy, which is already vulnerable to external shocks, is struggling to absorb these additional costs, threatening to undermine its growth prospects.
Plus, reliance on wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine has left the country exposed to supply chain disruptions. The conflict has led to a shortage of wheat on the global market, causing prices to surge. This has resulted in higher bread prices and reduced availability, affecting the very many Zambian households that rely on bread.
This is why it may be of good interest to note the outcomes of the peace summit where key highlights included a commitment to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine. Most participating countries reiterated support for UN General Assembly resolutions and international law, emphasizing nuclear safety, food security, and the release of prisoners.
The plan received support from 82 delegations, including countries from Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as European organizations, showing a strong international commitment to promoting peace and stability in Ukraine.
Seven countries, including India and Saudi Arabia, refused to sign the joint communiqué due to Russia’s absence. South Africa objected to Israel’s presence, citing alleged war crimes.
While some countries did not sign the plan, the summit has largely been considered a success, considering the reality that peace is a process and such engagements pave the way for better discussions in the future.
Resolutions from the summit include ensuring the safe operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants under Ukraine’s control and IAEA supervision, maintaining uninterrupted food production and supply with free access to sea ports in the Black and Azov Seas, and the release of prisoners of war, deported children, and unlawfully detained civilians.
There was also a strong commitment to dialogue and the involvement of all parties for a peaceful resolution, as well as adherence to the United Nations Charter and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, despite Russia not being a part of the summit. Resolving this conflict stands to benefit many countries like Zambia.
By Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya