The Editor Zambia
President Hakainde Hichilema has delivered a timely warning to African leaders: a hungry population is not merely a social welfare concern; it is a potential source of instability.
Speaking at the official opening of the 20th Regional Inter-Ministerial Committee (RIMC) meeting, President Hichilema cautioned that citizens deprived of food can become difficult to govern, with the potential to confront those entrusted with their welfare. 
His message was blunt. When people are hungry, patience wears thin, frustration deepens, and the authority of those in power can be challenged.
The President’s remarks go beyond the immediate question of food availability. They touch upon the relationship between economic hardship, public confidence, and political stability. A government cannot reasonably expect lasting peace where citizens struggle to meet their most basic needs.
Hunger can turn ordinary grievances into wider discontent. When families cannot afford food, opportunities are scarce, and livelihoods are insecure, the promise of national development risks becoming an abstraction.
Food security is, therefore, a matter of governance, not simply agriculture.
President Hichilema also urged countries to exchange food rather than deploy soldiers at border posts, arguing that regional co-operation could strengthen food security and reduce the conditions that give rise to conflict.
The proposal is significant. African countries possess different agricultural strengths, yet drought, poor distribution, trade barriers, and weak infrastructure can leave communities vulnerable even when food is available elsewhere in the region.
Co-operation, rather than confrontation, offers a more constructive response. Regional trade in food could help countries manage shortages, support farmers, and make essential commodities more accessible. But, such exchanges require reliable transport networks, predictable trade rules, and political commitment.
The President further questioned why people from African regions with substantial economic potential should feel compelled to migrate to Europe in search of better prospects. His argument was that African countries must narrow the gap between their resources and the opportunities available to their citizens.
That challenge deserves serious attention. Natural wealth alone does not guarantee prosperity. Resources must translate into employment, productive industries, affordable food, and decent livelihoods.
For Zambia, the message is particularly relevant. Food security cannot be measured solely by national production figures or the availability of maize in silos. It must also be measured by whether ordinary households can afford a nutritious meal.
The wider lesson is clear: peace cannot be sustained by security measures alone when economic hardship remains unresolved. Governments must create opportunities, strengthen food systems, and ensure that development reaches the people whose patience and resilience are too often taken for granted.
President Hichilema’s warning should prompt leaders across the region to examine not only how much food their countries produce, but also who can afford it, how efficiently it reaches communities and what practical measures can prevent hunger from becoming a catalyst for conflict.
A country may possess considerable wealth, but if its citizens go hungry, that wealth has yet to fulfil its most important purpose.
