Fights over resources

African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security Ramtane Lamamra said most of the conflicts in Africa are really a fight over resources. “Since the independence of our nations, Africa has been through a variety of categories of conflicts but when you look thoroughly at each one of the conflicts that the continent has gone through you will find that natural resources are always at the heart part of it whether acknowledged publicly or its part of the hidden agenda that a number of actors especially the actors from outside the continent who would be motivated by it. So natural resources are extremely important for development, for co-operation for neighbourly relations but at the same time in certain circumstances when foreign interests fuel tensions and add to the complexities of situations their own vested interests, natural resources could adversely affect the lives of people and be some sort of curse which they should not be because they are a blessing natural resources are supposed to be tools and material that is supposed to improve the quality of life of citizens.” President Robert Mugabe said 20 armed conflicts had been started by outsiders since 1990.

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