The impact of Israel–America–Iraq War on the Zambian 2026 General Elections
The Israel–America–Iraq wars of 1991 and 2003 may have felt distant for the average Zambian then but their effects reached Zambia not through soldiers, bombs or diplomacy, but through fuel prices, cost of living and household struggles.
Zambia’s Position
Zambia opposed unilateral Western military action, urging UN-led solutions. No troops were sent, and relations with the US and UK continued. Israel remained a minor player in Lusaka’s foreign policy until its embassy opened in 2025.
Economic Ripple effects
As a net oil importer, Zambia absorbed every shock in global fuel markets:
– 1991 Gulf War: Fuel prices spiked, transport costs rose, and inflation worsened.
– 2003 Iraq War: Inflation rose above 20%, debt relief stalled, and aid was diverted. Families felt the pain of higher food and fuel costs.
These shocks didn’t reshape Zambia’s foreign policy, but they reinforced a painful truth that we must face today: distant wars create local household struggles.
But why does It Matters in 2026?
Zambia votes on August 13, 2026. President Hakainde Hichilema points to debt restructuring, falling inflation, and growth gains. Yet ordinary citizens still face high food prices, fuel, and electricity costs.
You see the Middle East instability whether in Iraq, Iran, or Israel still threatens Zambia’s economy. Any rise in oil prices could affect the government’s recovery ‘narrative’ and expose the real cost of living we’ve been speaking about but was hidden by foreign led paper statistics development that the ordinary Zambian can burly feel.
Zambians won’t vote on inflation or foreign policy infact 80% of Zambians burly understand what’s inflation is. They’ll vote on mealie meal, bread-and-butter issues:
– Can families afford mealie meal?
– Are fuel and transport costs manageable?
– Do youth have jobs and opportunities and not just apps have increased promises?
We have always highlighted these everyday struggles, arguing that global shocks expose weaknesses in government delivery especially when these deliveries are not back by anything tangible.
For many voters, the question is not whether Zambia avoided recession through debt defulatation, or CDF being a game changer but whether households feel relief in their pockets or they went from buying Mapelas to now not affording anything at all
Michael M Mulusa
The Voice