The Implications of the Russia–Ukraine War on Sustainable Development Goals in Africa

David Mhlanga, Emmanuel Ndhlovu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The existing discourses on the Russia–Ukraine war mainly focus on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the implications for the global economy. There is a lack of policy and scholarly attention to how the war threatens the prospects for realising Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Underpinned by a critical document analysis of secondary sources available in academic and grey literature and focusing on Africa, the article explores various global challenges ensuing from the crisis. It demonstrates how such challenges impact prospects for achieving SDGs in Africa. Using the first two SDGs as an example, the study found that with the disruption of the global supply chain by the war and the international sanctions imposed on Russia, Africa now experiences food commodity and energy shortages, soaring inflation, and commodity price hikes which now threatens to worsen poverty and hunger. The article recommends that Africa prioritise structural change and regional cooperation, reconsidering the global financial system and how development finance is structured and maintaining a steady commitment to building resilience. Future research could be focused on the effectiveness of non-sanctions-based conflict resolutions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)435-454
Number of pages20
JournalFudan Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Volume16
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2023

Keywords

  • Conflict
  • Russian invasion
  • Russia–Ukraine
  • Russo–Ukrainian war
  • Sustainable development goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
  • General Social Sciences

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