Burundian rice donated to the Zambian people in debate in the Zambian parliament on one side and young Burundians arrested by the Zambian police on the other, these two latest news items have not left this blogger indifferent, who believes that the time has perhaps come to activate the lever of economic diplomacy advocated by Gitega.
In a world in perpetual conflict, small country that it is, Burundi assures to have chosen its camp, that of neutrality and swears only by economic diplomacy. Albert Shingiro kills himself to make it understood. But is it already effective, this diplomacy? You must be thinking: why does this poor blogger bring us all this nonsense as if he wanted to teach us a lesson in international relations? Well, I understand you, I myself would have reacted like you. But believe me, it is linked to what I want to express through these lines. For curious people like me, the last debate in the hemicycle of the Zambian parliament surely did not go unnoticed.
The hospital that mocks charity?
Burundian rice, 5000 tonnes offered free of charge to “brother country” that is Zambia have not finished making people talk about them. Between those who do not understand how a poor country, the last, according to international rankings, allows itself to help and those who even suspect poison contained in our aid, it must be said that the donation did not make everyone happy on the Zambian side. And the criticism did not come from Zambia alone. In Burundi, while inflation is breaking records with the cost of living becoming unsustainable, the pill is hard to swallow. It is difficult to imagine Burundi offering a donation of a product that has become too expensive for the purse of an average Burundian. Yes, offering a kg of rice at 4000 BIF every day is really not within everyone’s reach.
But beyond these criticisms, I remembered the Eldorado that Zambia represents or represented for young Burundians and I said to myself: since countries do not have friends, but interests. What if these relations of friendship and mutual aid between Burundi and Zambia were used to create an opportunity conducive to the realization of economic diplomacy for the benefit of young Burundians who are struggling in Zambia?
Muti gute (Comment) ?
A gift for a country that welcomes young Burundians on its territory who have gone in search of the Eldorado that Hichilema’s country represents, what could be more normal, you say? But is it still Eldorado when we know to what extent our young people play cat and mouse with the police to be able to do what they left to do, small business? This is precisely the purpose of this noise that I am making through these lines. This Sunday, while I was queuing at a gas station, I started hunting for the news of the week, just to kill time. As I was scrolling, I came across these images young Burundians chased away like filth, their meager possessions made of bicycles and hoes having been loaded into police vehicles. I see some of you putting forward their duty to comply with the law of the host country. Believe me, I do not want to contradict you, but this is where I would like to challenge our boss of diplomacy.
Time to activate the lever of economic diplomacy?
It is obvious that Zambia has become a land of opportunity for Burundians, young people in this case. Why not negotiate with our Zambian brothers on easing measures that can ease the conditions required to trade in this country with which we share membership of Comesa, a community that we welcome Soon the summit? Would a country for which we do not hesitate to dip into our meager harvest to come to its aid refuse to show itself a little more flexible in order to adopt measures that would establish facilities in favor of our compatriots? Is it not time to activate the lever of economic diplomacy supposed to guide relations with the rest of the world?
In January 2018, in the columns of Yaga, I spoke of Zambia as the new Eldorado for young Burundians who were full of praise for the country that welcomed them. In 2024, if the country remains host to several compatriots, many of them regret the difficult conditions in which they work. Surely they would like to see their country, through the appropriate channels, get involved in the issue, in the name of economic diplomacy.
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2024-09-11 10:12:00