Last week, the International Action Network on Small Arms, Oxfam international and Saferworld released a report entitled Africa’s Missing Billions, detailing the costs to Africa of armed conflict. In a recent post I argued that the extent of corruption in Africa is sufficient by itself to explain why Africa remains poor in spite of all aid efforts. The new report reveals that war by itself is also sufficient to explain why much of Africa remains poor.
The report reveals that armed conflict has cost Africa around $300 billion since 1990, an amount equal to the aid received from major donors. Wars, civil wars and insurgencies shrink an African nation’s economy by at least 15 per cent. There are the obvious direct costs of war as well as the indirect costs from lost opportunities and trauma.
The report concludes that there is an urgent need to reduce the international supply of arms and ammunition to Africa. The international arms trade provides a steady supply of arms and ammunition to African insurgents. If the supply of weaponry could be restricted, the costs associated with armed conflict would be similarly restricted.