Corn hidden in coffins: The strategy with which smugglers take advantage of the shortage in the Congo

Rising maize prices in the Democratic Republic of Congo have created a lucrative business of smuggling the staple from neighboring Zambia, and the restrictions are prompting creative concealment strategies, even including the use of coffins. Smugglers have hidden maize meal among crushed stones, sand and coffins, according to a report by Zambia's state broadcaster; they have even hidden corn in sacks of sugar. Although the lean season, which usually lasts until May, is often accompanied by high demand from neighboring countries, this year has been particularly severe. Zambia is one of the largest food producers in southern Africa and ran a maize surplus last year despite the impact of Russia's war in Ukraine on fertilizer supplies, which affected other countries in the region. Prices of this crop, which is mixed with water to make a gruel called nshima, have skyrocketed in the region: in Malawi, in February they were more than double what they were a year earlier, according to ...