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Editorial: Can Africa really survive without outside help?
Sunday, 30 January 2011 15:41
JollofNews - It is fascinating how Africa’s development so much depends on the rest of the world, yet we have become
accustomed to this idea that the West (EU and the US) represents nothing other than evil for the continent.The question is: is this really so?
In any case, it remains a well noted fact that this thought has been well exploited by African leaders, whose sole drive has been linked to their irrefutable
aversion for the words democracy and good governance. Basically, the idea is that it is wrong for the West to preach good governance, but they can pump their hard-earned money where they have no rights to put their mouth. As we have been hearing and reading, some supporters of this idea would say ‘no one asked them for help’. But that will be wrong, because it is Africans who seek the support of the West.Take, for example, this document on the IMF website, containing a Letter of Intent from the government of The Gambia, written by its Finance Minister, which describes the policies the country intends to implement in the context of its request for financial assistance.
The above example is especially intriguing given President Yahya Jammeh’s inclination for such loathsome attacks on the West.
Just over a month ago, the Gambian president said “only we the Africans can lift the continent out of abject poverty,” and implored the “racist” West to mind their business and stay away from Africa’s natural resources. For that statement, Jammeh attracted a lot of praises, albeit short-lived, from among people who identifies with this hybrid idea of pan-Africanism that overlooks the conduct of leaderships. Another point is that, the context on which he released that statement, Ivory Coast, has some highly debatable points.
But the question again arouses: if the ‘racist’ West stayed away completely from Africa, how will countries like the Gambia - which is not as fortunate as Ivory Coast is in terms of natural resources endowment - survive?
Just last week, the pro-government Daily Observer newspaper in Banjul headlined: ‘EU Injects 28 Million Euro In to Road Network’. The contents of that story reveal a rarely-talked-about role the European Union plays in one of the most trumpeted of President Yahya Jammeh’s achievements since coming to power in 1994 – road construction. Jammeh, in a rather grateful frame of mind, called “for a full-fledge EU diplomatic mission in The Gambia”, as reported by the Daily Observer.
In light of this and other recent developments elsewhere across the continent, there is an ardent need for collective action against a disruptive trend of alteration of the concept of pan-Africanism. Most of contemporary African leaders appear to have developed an impervious sense of immunity to ignominy, hiding behind the veil of this noble concept. The general idea has been that the people are supposed to accept whatever their leaders decide on their behalf, as it all is in the name of strengthening the African continent.
And even with the blatancy of indiscretion around our leaderships, we are seen to be patriotic only if we towed their lines.
Imagine, as in the case of Laurent Gbagbo, having ruled Ivory Coast for about five years without a genuine mandate, on seeking reelection, he lost. Instead of doing what is right by stepping aside, he decided to put his own pride in front of the welfare of his people, manipulating tribal, regional and religious differences to his advantage, to the detriment of not only unity, but also regional and international peace.
Unfortunately, some people have shown a frightening preference for ignoring all the obvious facts and qualify Gbagbo’s disgraceful attitude with words like pan-Africanism. They categorically failed to see that the ultimate goal of Pan-Africanism is a unified Africa, something Gbagbo’s political ideology, vis-à-vis the Ivorian national identity based on discriminating characters, totally defies this.
Some say the West should mind its business. But they always mean that to say not to be interrupted when they try to establish their largely devious power base.
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Who do you think should be the next President of The Gambia?
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Comments
Public financial management and accountability
1. Establish an internal audit unit at the Ministry of Finance End-June 2010
and Economic Affairs and hire core staff.
Result: Met
Every sincere Gambian knows the above is inaccurate.The money spends by this dictator in public to cement his stay in Gambia is like Gadhafi and Libya,yet they call that public finance management and accountability.It will be very interesting to collect all the hidden data in Gambian economy when this guy is gone.I think IMF should start releasing on its web site,the amount & trend of borrowing every 6 month of all African states so that one can see clearly the state of African economies particularly the deficit,not %growth they desperate will include as if they are China.This will disclose the source of the huge cash being dash daily especially Jammeh
I dont think this guy is arguing for fair trade... I don't think he knows what fair trade is all about even. I see that he is obsessed with this accusation that the West interferes, only because they do what is expected of them, reminding fellow countries of their democratic responsibilitie s.
Did the West come to Ivor Coast and forced them to sell Cocoa at $6M? We are talking about leadership flaw on the continent, and people like Sunjata belieive if Gbagbo and Yahya Jammeh has failed in their responsibilitie s it is the cause of Ban Ki-Moon and Tony Blair.
Sunjata,
what do you call the EU's support for road construction in gambia, as indicated here?
Your support for mr Gbagbo is understood.
Your support for fair trade prices for Africa is commendable.
However, your argument is I believe...to be fundamentally flawed.
Gbago being in power has controlled the the sale of cocoa...and procured and sanctioned the "traders" who you claim to exploit Ivory coast.
He still has control of the economic forum...
This accusation of yours is guided towards the US Government. I think this is very unfair?
Should it not be directed to Gbagbo himself for an explanation?
That they must take the long term view.
That these tin pot Dictators are an "endangered species" and that the western democratic alligence is with the people and not with these self centered egotistical dictators.
You see evidence of this in the present response to Egypt from Obama and Europe,
where they are demanding protectiion of the people and not the government...
no matter how "friendly" these governments are towards the West.
Many here are seeing the collapse of dictators as akin to the downing of The Berlin Wall.
Others that the dictators dam has been breached.
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