Gambia L,
Thought some of you might be interested in reading this paper I presented
last night at the Harriet Tubman summer school in Warwickshire, UK.
AFRICA IN DEEP CRISIS
I deem it a privilege to be invited by you to come and talk about the
African continent.
In fact, I received your invitation at a time when I was already thinking of
doing a piece on "Africa and the new millennium".
Anyway, before sharing some thoughts on the current situation gripping the
Africa continent, I must, first of all, point out that Africa is so vast and
diverse a Continent that I cannot claim to speak authoritatively about the
entire landmark.
For instance, in Nigeria alone, there over 150 ethnic groups/languages.
Although Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo are the three most spoken languages in that
country.
However, what I can say with 100 percent authority, or without any
hesitation, is that Africa - a continent long exploited by both internal and
external forces - is today in a serious crisis and, no doubt, needs a new
leadership that could rescue it from its present mess. I'll come to that
later.
Meanwhile, in order to appreciate the gravity of the situation/crisis in
Africa, I'll give you some depressing statistics of African poverty. But
before that, permit me to recall what Robert S MacNamara, a former President
of the World Bank had said in a speech to African leaders, at a conference
in Nigeria in 1990.
Warned he in 1990: "Africa is a Continent in crisis and there is little
reason to believe that current development programmes will reverse the
adverse trend...The situation five years from now is likely to be worst, not
better"...
I do not know where Mr MacNamara is today, but having regard to the present
situation, in which Africa finds itself today, no one in his/her right frame
of mind, can deny the fact the former World Bank president was indeed
prophetic in his statement.
Would you believe this? In Africa, over four million children die every year
before they reach the age of five. In fact, Africa has the highest infant
mortality rate in the world, which is 108 per every 1000. The figure for the
developed world is just 12 per 1000, while the world's average is said to be
63 per 1000.
In other words, one in every six children in Africa dies before the age of
five and one in eight children is disabled. Also, one out of three children
in Africa does not go to Primary school, while nearly a third of the total
children's population is malnourished.
Listen carefully to these additional figures - in economic terms - so that
you can better grasp the seriousness of the poverty in Africa: The per
capita growth rate in Sub Saharan Africa between 1980 and 1991 was 1.2
percent, while East and South Asia jointly had about 10 percent.
In fact, surveys as recent as 1997 indicate(d) that Africa's per capita
income was/is now below the levels of 1970.
Imagine this: Africa has 9 percent of the world's population, but its
contribution to the world's GNP is reported to be 1 percent. Also,
statistics have it that about 60 percent of the African population has no
ready access to health facilities/services, while 3 million hectares of its
fertile land is lost every year, due to desertification. So only a tenth of
the cultivable land in Africa is under cultivation.
What about wages/salaries in Africa? Well, real wages, as of 1997, had
dropped to between 30 to 90 percent, while unemployment was/is between 40
and 70 percent.
It is also reported that out of the 20 world's poorest nations, sixteen are
in Africa. In 1993, over 20 Sub-Saharan countries had debts in excess of
their GNP.
As of last year, 1998, Sub-saharan Africa debt was 106 percent of GDP
compared to 37.4 percent in Latin America. Presently, Africa - in spite of
all its raw materials - could only produce one percent of the world
manufactured goods.
And, in fact, findings have even revealed that the West, or Westerners, own
most of the processing plants/factories in Africa.
According to conservative estimates, the financial outflow from Africa to
the West is about US $212 million per day. Or to put it in another way, out
of everyone dollar put in Africa, the West reportedly receives four in
return.
And let us not also forget that because of repression/tyranny and other
factors, most of Africa's talented professionals have also been lost to the
West and other parts of the world.
Having given you a gist of the seriousness of the present crisis gripping
the African Continent, you may now want to know why Africa is the way it is
today, and whether its future looks bright or not, especially as we are
about to enter a new millennium.
Well, in my view, and in the view of many African scholars, Africa's crisis
has , to a very large extent, been caused by two forces - an external force
and an internal one.
The external exploitation of Africa obviously is being perpetrated by the
West and its money lending institutions, while the internal destruction is
being committed by African leaders themselves.
African leaders - or those charged with managing Africa - are best at
keeping their brothers and sisters down, and not providing positive
leadership. Independence in the 60s did not bring any well meaning
development to African countries/societies.
Africa then and now continues to produce corrupt leaders who are only
interested in filling their pockets with stolen state wealth, rather than
serving their people.
Imagine this: when President Sani Abacha of Nigeria died last year, his
family was found with cash amounting to over 800 million US dollars. The
late President Mobuto of Zaire was among the 10 richest persons in the
world, while his people were/are queuing for water to drink.
In short, one major reason why African countries are in shambles today is
owing to economic mismanagement and corruption, perpetrated by its despotic
leaders who have no vision for the continent, other than swindling public
funds for their own benefit/good.
Let me now move to the Western/external factor. The West, through its
western controlled international agencies like the IMF and the World Bank,
has also been responsible for turning Africa into the most backward
Continent in the world in socio-economic terms.
The West has continued the practice/habit of lowering the prices of Africa's
raw materials and also putting unjustifiable tariff barriers against
Africa's manufactured good. What this means is that to be able to pay for
its imports and service its debts, the African continent is forced to sell
more and more of its raw materials at give away prices.
Meanwhile, the IMF and the World bank ensure that African governments
continue to cut down expenditure on social services and welfare programmes,
so that their loans/debts can be repaid/serviced.
And, of course, Africans leaders - in most cases - cooperate with these
financial institutions from the West, because the cutting down on public
expenditure does not affect them, since, as leaders, the State provides
everything for them.
Interestingly is the fact that African governments borrow more from these
institutions than governments in other Continents, and yet Africa remains
poorer and poorer. Sadly, too, is the fact that while Africa's exports are
on the increase, the value has continued to go down drastically.
Isn't it, therefore, ironic that the West - despite all its talk about human
rights - has, in fact, a definition of human rights that excludes economic
rights if its trade relations with Africa are anything to go by.
In fact, given the seriousness of this Western exploitation of Africa's
enormous and rich resources, Sub-saharan Africa's share of total world trade
has had to drop from 4 percent to 1 percent, according to one survey.
Anyway, let me not bore you any further with the statistics of African
poverty. Actually, I deliberately travelled this far, in order to give you a
sense of the politics and economics of Africa, so that, hopefully, you can
better understand and appreciate the gravity of the crisis gripping the
African Continent.
Two fundamental questions now arise: Is there a way out for Africa's
suffering millions, especially on the eve of the new millennium? Is there
any glimmer of hope for Africa?
Well, in spite of the encircling gloom, I am still optimistic about Africa's
future. I am convinced that Africa's enormous problems can be solved on the
waves of the new struggle by Africans - at home and abroad - for the rebirth
of a new Africa, a struggle which is already rising in many parts of Africa
and the world over.
It is indeed encouraging to note that forward looking African forces in
Africa, and outside Africa, have now begun networking, re-grouping,
strategizing, in order to give Africa its rightful place in world history.
Already, a wind of change is blowing in Africa and there is no doubt in my
mind, that sooner rather than later, this wind WILL shake or break the
foundations of tyranny, repression and neo-colonialism all over Africa.
It is indeed a historical fact that wherever there was a
dictatorship/tyranny, there was also resistance. And resistance though
starts feeble but certainly grows and becomes unsubdued and unvanquished.
Also encouraging to note is the fact that the very external forces in the
West and in the East which for both financial and ideological reasons
supported dictators in Africa, like the late President Mobuto of Zaire, have
now woken up to the reality that the democracy is on the ascendancy in
Africa and that their investments in the Continent cannot be guaranteed by
tyrants, but rather by a democratic culture.
A democratic culture which would allow greater accountability,
institutionalized pluralism, freedom of the press and association, an
independent judiciary etc.
In conclusion, let me pose this final question: what is the way forward for
Africa, as we are about to enter a new millennium? Well, in my view, if
Africa is to make a recognisable headway in the 21st century, then we need
to build, or establish, a completely new Africa.
Africa's rebirth is a MUST if Africa is to play a dominant role in world
politics in the new millennium.
Certainly, the struggle for the building of a new Africa is not going to be
an easy task, knowing fully well that many regimes in Africa are still
determined to fight against the main current of history, to cling onto
power, and will be all out to destroy all forces which seek to dislodge them
from their position of privilege.
But, in my view, this struggle can be won just like the way colonialism was
defeated.
The new Africa envisaged shall bring Africans at home and in the diaspora
closer by creating an African common market and the opening up of African
economies towards each other, which is a must if African development is to
become a reality.
Such an African State shall ensure the economic empowerment of her people,
based on collective self reliance. The overall goal of the kind of Africa
envisaged, or in mind, shall be the elimination, or the massive reduction,
of endemic diseases, mass poverty, nepotism, chauvinism, unemployment,
injustice, corruption, wars, illiteracy and other forms of under development
rampant in Africa.
It shall also be an Africa where there shall be genuine accountability,
probity, transparency, freedom of the press and association, women's right
(before Ndey Jobarteh kills me), open and honest debates on issues that
concern the public, religious tolerance, higher education accessible to all,
free medical care for the sick etc.
Having now painted for you the picture of the sort of Africa envisaged, you
may know ask whether realistically speaking, this new Africa could be built.
Of course, the Africa envisaged, in my honest view, is realistic and
achievable. However, in order to build such an African State, where mass
poverty shall be eventually eliminated, Africa needs to have a new breed of
genuine, inexpensive, humble and committed leaders who are capable of
defending Africa's interest, vision, its economies, rights, image and
aspirations.
These new leaders shall see themselves as subordinates of their people, and
not demi gods. In fact, these new leaders shall be gracious enough to
encourage the people to vote them out of office if they were not delivering
the goods.
Their immediate task/priority shall be to provide their citizens with all
their basic needs such as proper housing, decent education, good medical
facilities etc.
These new African leaders shall also possess the wit to make a decisive
contribution to world peace and also help establish a just international
relations system in the world that would be based on justice and equality
for all peoples and countries of the world.
These new leaders shall also try and attract their citizens back home and
discourage any new wave of exodus of our most virile and brainy people, so
that Africa development can, once and for all, become a reality.
I could go on and on, but I'll pause here and take questions. I also hope
that those of you who have not visited Africa yet, would try make the
historic journey to where your roots are.
Long live Africa!
Ebrima Ceesay,
Birmingham, UK.
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