War and Violence

Although Zambia has shown itself to be a stable country for many years, many of her neighbors are experiencing great conflict. The following is a sampling of the problems facing Zambia's neighbors.

Congo (just north of Zambia).

Another wave of war has erupted as more than 10,000 U.N. troops endeavor to maintain a fragile cease-fire in that country.

Rwanda (tiny country east of Congo).

This month marks the 10th anniversary since the genocide that killed nearly one million people of the Tutsi tribe.

Burundi (tiny country east of Congo and south of Rwanda).

Rebel forces are assembling in the Congo just across the border in what appears to be beginnings of a new wave of conflict coming to Burundi. The Congo had pledged to root out rebel forces from Rwanda and Burundi but has not, apparently, done so.

Zimbabwe (country just south of Zambia).

President Mugabe has ruled this country since Independence in 1980. In recent years he has instituted a land-reform policy that has taken farms away from white farmers and given it to native-Africans. While popular among the poor of the country, this policy has destroyed the country's economy and brought the country to the point of an economic meltdown. Inflation is now over 500% and unemployment has reached 70%.

Sudan.

This country has long been the battleground between Islamic and Christian forces. Government forces from the north (Islamic) have battled with Christian rebel groups in the south. Hopes for peace have been destroyed yet again as a new wave of conflict has erupted and resulted in the killing hundreds of Christian civilians in the south.

Northeast Africa.

Concern is rising that Islamic terrorists are moving into Africa out of Asia and the Middle-East where they will be much more difficult to find and disrupt. It is feared that this will now bring yet another grave problem to the African continent as terrorism has already erupted in Kenya (bombing of American embassy and the attempted shooting of a passenger plane), Uganda (missionary was killed), Burkina Faso (Catholic priest was killed), Somolia, etc.