Whether it is the anger of a student who feels unfairly punished or a national riot over government policy, political unrest is a disruption of normal social or economic order. It can have a significant impact on travel, business and daily life, and should be taken seriously.
The catalyst for most strikes and protests is usually something concrete, such as a new tax or the actions of government officials. The underlying issue however is almost always a deep dissatisfaction with the status quo. It is a societal turbulence that can manifest itself in different ways, from public demonstrations and strikes to terrorism or civil war.
For example, in Uganda in 2008 food price spikes, a government collection policy on small traders and urban malnutrition triggered riots and attacks against the police. These riots were part of a wider deterioration in the living conditions of citizens that was driven by the macro-economic conjuncture of high fuel prices, depreciating purchasing power, double digit inflation, weak urban social provision and 86% youth unemployment.
Moreover, the riots in Uganda were part of a wider political crisis resulting from an accumulation of grievances that the state seemed to have ignored. These included a lack of checks and balances in the government, a perception of injustice by citizens, and a skewed distribution of wealth and power. This was compounded by climate change-related droughts that exacerbated rural-to-urban migration and led to diminishing supplies of food. The combination of these factors heightened the sense of insecurity and vulnerability of many people and increased their willingness to rebel against the state.
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