So here he was. President Obama setting foot in Africa for the first time since he became President of the US of A. To no surprise, Obama-fever reached the sky and beyond in Ghana. The Gold Coast as it’s known. A reasonable decent example that democracy can grow in Africa. Unfortunately this type of example is still too few across Africa. The oldest continent. But a continent scarred by its past, hurt by its daily reality, and dreaming of a better future while fearing it might be the opposite.
Obama visited the slave fort where Africans were sold of to American cotton farmers. And Obama spoke to the people of Africa – his paternal roots.
Obama spoke openly and directly and without too much empty rhetoric as too many northern hemisphere leaders have done previously (and will do again) when blitz-visiting Africa.
He touched upon the issues and warned about the future. He admitted the failures of the past but warned that Africa needs to stop blaming all its woes on its colonial past. And that was hitting the nail on the head.
Africa’s decolonisation started in the 60s but was soon hijacked by the cold war. The West supported apartheid South Africa out of fear of Russian influence in other parts of Africa. Russia supported rebel groups across the continent to fight a proxy war with its Washington foe. Britain tried to retain control of independent Kenya by steering the process through the backdoor. The West blindly kept Congo’s dictator Mobutu in the saddle out of fear of a Marxist revolution in the heart of Africa. And on and on. It was a very murky and dirty chess game.
But the collapse of the Soviet empire brought a quick end to this. But Africa since then has unfortunately not been able to rise above all that and put itself on the right track towards strong state institutions, independent judiciary, solid economic models, free and fair elections.
There are good examples for sure. Ghana as mentioned earlier. It was ruled by the military for a long time but then a visionary officer decided to take the country onto a democratic path. And since then there have been several elections – and without bloodshed or fraud. And its economy is growing fast too. And then there is South Africa. Of course the rainbow nation conquered apartheid and walked into the civilised world. But since that famous, first free vote in 1994 it has been a rocky road. Strong economic growth but growing inequality between rich and poor. Mbeki’s AIDS denialism was as wacko as Michael Jackson himself – but with far wider and deadlier consequences. South Africa’s silence on Zimbabwe’s meltdown remains a dark spot. Its growing corruption is another painful pothole. Where corruption is without doubt a worldwide pest, in Africa it is eroding society fast and furious. There is certainly also Botswana and Mozambique as good examples of what is possible in Africa.
But too often those shining stars are dimmed by the darker clouds of civil wars in Ivory Coast, Chad, Sudan, Somalia, Congo,... or massive corruption that nearly forces all international cooperation to halt like in Kenya;... or dictatorships that turn a nation into personal sources of wealth grabbing while the people slide deeper and deeper into hellish poverty like in Zimbabwe, Gabon, Equitorial Guinea;.... Africa should have the guts to look in the mirror and tell itself it messed up. It has failed itself. It has failed its people. It has failed its destiny. It has failed its potential. It has failed its hope.
And Obama spoke about aid and trade. About opportunities and hope. Especially hope. But hope without structures and nations built on democratic principles and the rule of law remains utopia-hope. And utopia is like dope. It might feel nice for a brief moment but when you crashes the headache is severe and reality cold and painful.
Aid can never be forever as it does not stimulate nor create nor built. It enslaves and keeps people dumb and deaf and blind and stupid and numb. Trade is the answer. Fair trade. But trade that builds a better life for all Africans not for the few controlling the bank account. And yes African nations have the right to criticise the West for having trade barriers and trade-distorting subsidies. But in a global market nations and regions will always defend itself to some degree, as long as the basic rules for world trade are outlined, followed, scrutinised and legally supported. Free trade doesn’t mean a free for all. Free trade means fair trade. So Africa needs to learn those examples, those techniques, those rules, those strings that come attached to being part of a world market. The current sell-out of Africa’s mineral wealth to Chinese companies is for instance not a good example of the way forward. The fact for instance too that China brings in its own Chinese workforce (sometimes Chinese prisoners!!) when implementing Chinese investments in Africa is also not a good example to built on. There is certainly enough workforce in Africa that needs the income and the skills.
Trade and investments come when institutions are strong. When nations are rock solid. When the fundamentals of democracy, independent judicial system, and strong and open economic policies are in place. That is the key to success. That is the stepping stone for growth, development and taking people out of poverty.
And that is sadly too often where Africa fails. Dictatorships are only welcome for murky business deals that don’t like day light – shaky diamond sales or illegal weapon trade. Democracies with accountability are needed, and need to be strengthened where and when they are in their infancy.
You can’t for instance have a regional grouping of southern African nations coming together to discuss restoring democracy on the island of Madagascar after a coup, while the leading players in that discussion are a dictator from Zimbabwe and an absolute monarch from the mountain kingdom of Swaziland. That is taking a serious debate to ridiculous levels. That is once more making the ridicule out of you. Or when the International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for the butcher of Sudan, then the meaningless African Union attacks the West for being too harsh. Meanwhile the majority of AU members have signed the bill that created the ICC. So again, a pretty direct hit into your own foot.
So yes colonialism and cold war have fooled around with Africa. And yes that should never be forgotten. But please dear Africans, stop blaming all your sorrows on the past when your own actions since independence and the collapse of the Berlin Wall are too often seriously off track.
Use Obama’s fever to try to rise up and fight the injustices. Reject corrupt politicians as they will torpedo the people’s progress. Fight it. Crawl, walk, stand up, stand tall.
Throw out. Been listening to the debut full-length by US band Trapped Under Ice. Hard stuff.
collateral – July 2009
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