Lords of Wars

Since the 1970’s, at least 10 different African countries were engaged in some sort of war or internal conflict at any one time. The causes of war in Africa are complex: the consequences can span generations.

International influences, and the exchange of lucrative minerals for small arms, have worsened African wars. Every war in Africa is driven by the need to either gain access to resources or protect a foreign power’s   ‘special interests’. 

In Zimbabwe’s case, wars as early as the late 1800’s were fought over land.  The denial of access to arable land by a minority group led to further wars starting in the 1970’s. Ceremonial Independence was granted to Zimbabwe in 1980. Unfortunately due to foreign interference, land could not be fairly shared between inhabitants.  Disagreements in the newly Independent Zimbabwe led to ‘civil war’ between 1982 and 1987. All around Zimbabwe; both Mozambique and Angola had their own internal wars. Zimbabwe provided military support to both.  

By 1988, Angola had managed to regain its sovereignty, however, trouble was brewing in Rwanda and the Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), formerly called Zaire, played host to Africa’s First World War. Different ethnic groups had engaged in battle from 1963-1966. Between 1993 and 1996 further ethnic troubles and massacres in Rwanda led to full scale war. Rwanda, Uganda, Angola and DRC were the main participants. By 1988, Zimbabwe was involved- so were Namibia and Burundi. Zambia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Chad, Sudan and Libya played minor roles. Major countries like the USA, Britain and France, provided financial and other support.

Over 5 million died as the result of direct conflict in Africa’s First Total War. Millions of refugees were displaced. Economies ground to a standstill, in the Great Lakes Region. Up to today conflicts have become endemic in Central Africa. Small weapons are rife and infrastructure is inexistent.

Zimbabwe expended millions of dollars, it did not have, and soldiers lost their lives. Given the government was unable to explain its war funding; it ultimately lost financial support from the IMF. This precipitated the collapse of the Zimbabwe Dollar.

After Zimbabwe’s struggle for liberation, liberation fighters were not compensated for their efforts. In 1997, with Zimbabwean troops fighting in the DRC, war veterans waged demonstrations demanding compensation. The Government printed billions of dollars in paper money further weakening the declining Zimbabwe Dollar. Land which had not been distributed after the war also became a sore point. Its partial redistribution destroyed productive capacity.

Wars cost money. At one point someone has to pay the bills. For African countries, wars have meant the destruction of human and financial resources. Furthermore attrition between nations and tribal groups fosters poor trade relations. In the long term the settling of old scores implies they will be no future peace or profit. For The African they is no war with profit. Even the elites end up exporting their children to escape the general poverty and resultant instability. This is on top of millions of other refugees in Africa. Does war benefit the Lords of War? This question will be answered in my next article The War & Debt Procession.