In my previous post, I talk about Africa in a very broad and general manner which brought some criticisms from my readers. Therefore in this post, I'd like to clarify a few points to support my claim: "Africa is cursed". There is an underlying "African Effect", an electrical voltage that runs through out most Africans countries, could it be poverty as my friend
Virginia suggested? Or something bigger, or a superstitiously [non] empirical doom that has proved to be Africa nemesis. Or maybe it's just as blatant and simple as what has brought Wall St to its knees: GREED.
- The Sudanese government has sold its soul to China in exchange for guns and Oil for China. Talking about China, someone at the meeting asked a question to one of Obama's representatives: "Would Obama curtail China action in Africa? As China has been selling weapons to propagate the genocide." The answer: "Absolutely, Obama spoke with President Nelson Mandela along w/ other Leaders who give him advices." (it was clear that the Rep had no clue of what advices were given or what specifically Obama intends to do once in the office)
Nevertheless, here is an advice that I have for him: "Get rid of all those "leaders" of disasters who have been in power for over quarter century starting with: Paul Biya in Cameroon.
Or at least, could he reinforce what The Bush Administration has already started, in appointing a
command for Africa, whose goal is "to prevent conflict, as opposed to having to react to a conflict
" as defined by the Appointee, General William E. Ward.
- Cameroon, along with many other African countries (Chad, Nigeria, Gabon, and so forth...) is full natural resources but its population is as poor as church's mice while its rulers drive latest trucks models, send their kids to Fustell de Coulanges (a prestigious school) and get their healthcare overseas.
Its diaspora would like and has tried to intervene with not much success. Andrew Mwavu, the townhall's moderator, mentioned that as a 31year old male, this 2008 Presidential election will be the very first one in which he will vote!! My first reaction to it was shock, then ten seconds later I realized we (most of the attendees in the room) were all in the same boat: Here I am at 27 and I've never voted on anything anywhere. Somehow, it's true that for a big number of Africans who have left their country whether is for study abroad or better professional opportunities, they have by ricochet "forced" themselves to exile and thus have no political influence in their native country.
Of course not everywhere is chaos in Africa, there are some success stories like in Rwanda as noted by
Patrick, and Senegal which despite its size half one's of Ivoiry Coast, has a much stronger economy and has seen its inflation fall to 3.3% in 2003 from 32% in 1994.
Obama may have a Kenyan father, he may have some sweet policies for Africa, and he may even be the next US President, would he have any major impact in the continent? I have great reservations about it.
