Congo rebel M23 Colonel Sultani Makenga

East African countries have been urged to utilize their regional body in order to curb a wave of intra-conflicts and terrorism which are detrimental to economic development, peace and stability.

The call was made in a telephonic conference at the US Embassy on Monday this week by Ambassador Johnnie Carson who is the US, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs.

Carson who has a vast experience in the diplomatic circle and African affairs said that Kenya and the Democratic Republic are in dire need of assistance from their neighboring countries in order to resolve ongoing problems in these countries.

He pinpointed the East African Community to be an important body in resolving problems in the DRC which is facing severe internal strife and M23 while Kenya is troubled by the spillover effect of its neighbouring country of Somalia.

“By lacking a strong central command for two decades now Somalia is prone to have the problems that it is facing now, by lacking a national security people are likely to miss basic services like water, food and even micro credits hence the turmoil,” he said.

With a span of 37 years of diplomatic career a good number of those having been spent in Africa, he said that without peace in Kenya or the DRC business activities will not go smoothly in other neighbouring countries.

He however was positive that there are good signs that the Somali question will be resolved due to the fact that for the past 18 months there are positive signs that this country is progressing towards harmony with a minor exception of few events of peace disruption.

“I praise the recent developments where by concerted efforts of various players led by the Kenya Defence Forces alongside Amisom have taken control of Al Shabaab stronghold and headquarters of Kismayu in Somalia,” he commented.

Apart from Kenya and the DRC Carson also discussed the turmoil in Mali, Sudan and Southern Sudan and said that all these problems demand an immediate intervention by regional bodies like the EAC, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in West Africa.

Ambassador Carson said that the dramatic improvement of peace in Somalia has been a product of a joint effort by the AU, IGAD, EAC, under the auspice of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), all meant to sweep away the Al-Shabaab militants.

He stood by the UN position which condemns Rwanda for having been involved in the creation, arm and support of the M23 rebels, a view strongly backed by Congo’s government. Rwanda has been denying any involvement instead it blames Congo for the upsurge in violence.

Responding to various questions from Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa, the seasoned diplomat denied that the US has any vested interests in Africa including allegations that it wants to register military presence through its involvement in the conflicts.

“The US does not intend to settle in Africa that is why even the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM) is headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany,” he concluded.

AUTHOR: Elias Mhegera
URL: http://mhegeraelias.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: mhegeraelias [at] yahoo.com

Addressing participants at the ongoing Alliance of Religions and Conservation conference in Nairobi, Mr Goumandakoye said “the responsibility taken by the faith groups and their long-term commitments for a living planet will help shape the beliefs, behavior and actions for a greener and better Africa and the world”.

He said this commitment by the faith groups in environment conservation for human well-being are among the driving forces for positive change as humanity is grappling with challenges of colossal consequences.

Mr Goumandakoye disclosed that many scientists now agree that the world has entered a new geologic time, the anthropocene era that is characterized by human deep alteration of earth, by massive impact on the planet.

“What science is telling us is that collectively, we have crossed several of the most prominent bio-physical tripping points at the planetary level,” he said.

He added that resources exploitation already exceeds the earth biological capacity by 25 per cent and that humanity increased its global ecological footprint from 0.5 earth planet in 1950 to 1.25 now. “If the trends continue, very soon we will need two planet earths to satisfy our needs,” he added.

For example, he said, the challenge of climate change alone continues to grow with an increase of carbon dioxide of about 40 per cent above pre-industrial levels.

At a recent African Ministers of Environment meeting in Arusha, Tanzania noted with concern that developed countries continue to increase their emissions.

The ministers expressed concern that the current inadequate mitigation pledges by developed countries are likely to lead to an increase of the global average temperature of greater than 2 degrees celsius and possibly 5. This, said Mr Goumandakoye will have a global impact and more so Africa due to its high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and low adaptive capacity.

Kenya’s Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Mr Ali Mohamed said in a speech read on his behalf by Richard Mwendandu that environmental conservation is usually about moral values.

He said understanding the inter-dependence of the planetary systems, inter-dependence between living organisms and between living and no-living organisms are essential in maintaining the natural balances.

Mr Mohamed however said that this balance has over the years been affected through human action with the resultant effects manifesting in diverse ways that are yet to be fully understood.

“While governments around the world continue to respond to these challenges through policy, law and regulatory measures, the size and the complexity of the challenges continue to grow,” he noted.

He cited the destabilizing climatic systems, the loss of biological diversity, depletion of oceanic stocks and pollution of water systems as challenges that continue to baffle the global community.

“The problem, says Martin Palmer, Secretary General, Alliance for Religion Conservation, the UN and global governments’ approach to these problems is way out of touch. He adds that despite the many Conferences of Parties by the UN and many resolutions by governments, “no agreement is on sight”.

“Yet the religious groups have the answer,” he said adding that the religious groups have practical steps that can be emulated across many villages, regions and countries with action-oriented grassroots projects and programmes whose impacts are seen. “They are also more trusted by their local communities in ways that governments are not,” he added.

“With 90 per cent of Africa’s population being either Christian or Muslim, the way to the heart of Africa is through faith. And faith is at the heart of these plans,” said Mr Palmer.

He said faith groups all around Africa are rediscovering how the mandate to protect the richness of God’s Creation is clearly set out in their holy texts and this is leading to profound practical action – everything from restoring habitats and planting trees to reducing energy use and training young people in environmental care and protection.

He said many COPs are attended by people who do not believe in the processes they are involved in. “many of those delegations are either attending these COPs to help save their governments from paying money or make sure that their governments do nothing about climate change and conservation.

AUTHOR: Henry Neondo
URL: http:// www.africasciencenews.org
E-MAIL: neondohenry [at] yahoo.com

Birth registration is the official recording of a child’s birth, and is both a permanent and official record of their existence. It is a simple concept — a child is born and then at the time and place of their birth a record is made of their name and the name of their parents, sex, along with the date, time and place of birth. However, the implementing registration in Africa is complex and efforts towards universal birth registration remain slow. In sub-Saharan Africa, 70 percent of all births went unregistered in 2000 alone.

Birth registrations in Africa remain slow due to a number of factors — some as simple as a lack of awareness by state and local athourities alike in combination with a lack of understanding of the implications by parents or potential patrents alike, whereas others may include social and ethnic taboos and/or births in rural areas or outside of a medical facility.  There is simply no sense of urgency; thus, parents do not see the hinderance and harm placed on the child until years later when a difficulty arises placing a child in school, getting healthcare, etc.

Birth registration is more than than a right but the key to the future.  Without a birth certificate a child is left to wander through life vulnerable to abuse and victimization.  A birth certificate is more than a simple piece of paper; it is a weapon against early marriage, child labor, recruitment into the armed forces, or detention and prosecution as an adult. Additionally, without registration a child may be unable to exercise many of their rights as an adult, such as the ability to obtain a formal job, open a bank account, get a marriage license, vote, or apply for a passport.  Furthermore, many parents are not registered themselves, which is often a requirement for child registration.  Halting this vicious cycle is key to ending exploitation and the denial of human rights worldwide.

The importance of birth registration as a fundamental human right is often overlooked in the general scheme of International Development and is a vital key to implementing sustainable development polices. Without registration, children are not included in data and thus are overlooked in planning, policy development and budget decisions.

International actions to see see birth registrations are universal and free are in place, as according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 7;

1. The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents.
2. States parties shall ensure the implementation of these rights in accordance with their national law and their obligations under the relevant international instruments in this field, in particular where the child would otherwise be stateless.
countries have ratified the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990).

Additionally the The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child Article 6, states that;

1. Every child shall have the right from his/her birth to a name;
2. Every child shall be registered immediately after birth;
3. Every child has the right to acquire a nationality;
4. States Parties to the present Charter shall undertake to ensure that their constitutional legislations recognize the principles according to which a child shall acquire the nationality of the State in the territory of which he/she has been born if, at the time of the child’s birth, he/she is not granted nationality by any other State in accordance with its laws.

Birth registration must become a top priority for all countries and international development to ensure that the rights of all children are safeguarded. Addressing statelessness and birth registration is key in the battle to protect the human rights of millions and brings us a step closer to ending modern slavery and the exploitation of men, women and children.  Without birth registration or recognition by a state, children are without an official identity; they have no recognized name or nationality — in legal terms, they do not exist. Without documentation to provide proof of their age or who they are, children are likely to be discriminated against and denied access to basic services such as health and education.

AUTHOR: Cassandra Clifford
URL: www.bridgetofreedomfoundation.org and http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: Cassandra [at] btff.org

Traditional compositions of melodies and lyrics are created with community performances in mind and as such, these compositions do not seek to combine sounds to suit a particular taste. Their purpose is to express life – culturally, spiritually and socially. Another aspect of traditional music is its ability to fuse natural sounds with spoken word to create music. This is where the pattern of self expression gets accentuated. This can be found in simple structures of Malombo music or the haunting melodies of the Jeliya of Mali.

reedom music is rooted in self expression but most importantly it’s an expression that portrays community outlook. To the trained ear traditional music gives an impression that pentatonic scales, hexagonic scales or polyphony are used but the secret lies with the untrained ear –it’s the translation of emotions into sounds. It is an outward presentation of our thoughts and feelings. Social progress within communities also necessitates the need to use song to express certain milestones.

Afrikan compositions tell stories that bring colour to our everyday lives. There are songs for weddings, working, hunting, farming, death, and fishing. Music also symbolises birth in many African cultures. We are bound to the drum both in communication and in rhythm. Colonisation brought with it a different perspective not only on Afrikan lifestyles but music. The systemising of education created a process of learning and with it came Anglo Saxon schools and churches. These institutions became the training ground for music in what is known as Choirs. This new platform created a new found symbiotic relationship between religion and revolution. We cannot deny this fact. Musicians in early tribal wars produced many songs of revolution and proclamation. They not only became the repositories of community and family history but also the first voices to communicate the community’s feelings. They captured the essence of living and cultural philosophies.

This early development of freedom music to some degree, assisted in fuelling the fire that enabled Afrikan nations to defeat imperialists. In South Africa, music was the weapon that gave comrades courage to keep up the fight. The same was experienced in Namibia, Mozambique and Zambia. Bob Marley incited comrades in Zimbabwe to rise up and claim their land. The early settlers on our continent brought with them many things but none more life changing than schools and churches. Before this time people praised the creative creator. They tuned into this creative force and fashioned songs of joy and awe. The western approach to music and religion created a meeting place that gave birth to choral music. A lot of our compositions took on this early developing route of which, gospel music played a critical role. It started flourishing in small communities across South Africa but it’s important to note here that this change did not remove our ability to express our true emotions. During these early days South Africa was overwhelmed by new cultures and continuous displacement of people.

The reality of living in one’s own land as a foreigner was beginning to frustrate Africans and in their efforts to appease the almighty, western religion took hold of our mothers and through them singing was re-fashioned and directed at the creator asking for salvation, and relief from oppression.

The South African natives caused commotions with their songs of hope, freedom and redemption. The dawning of the 20th century brought with it events that transformed South Africa and also resulted in a free society we live in today. Up until 1949 lyrics did not court political confrontation mainly because black politicians in those days belonged to a select few elites. These black elites were mostly intellectuals and possessed a dualist’s mind.

This idealistic state got short circuited by a gentleman famous for a futuristic contribution to our history– “Nkosi Sikele i Afrika”. Elder Enoch Sontonga composed a hymn that asked for blessings and salvation for people of the land. This song was a major turning point in the evolution of freedom music and it spread across Southern Africa. Dr. Cornell West says one cannot remove religion or Christianity from liberation struggles and he is right; Elder Enoch’s song transcended the dualistic idealism and evolved into a liberation song of unified hope. Countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa honoured elder Sontonga by using his lyrics as their national anthems.

Dr John Dube of the Ohlange institute amplified Elder Sontonga’s composition through various performances. This twist in the journey of South Africa’s freedom music changed the way music was composed. It brought with it emotive driven melodies. Songs began to express feelings of the day such as the Song of Oppressive act. These kind of songs married politics and music and gave birth to various genres that used songs to reach the young and old. Gone were the black elites who occupied high chairs. The wheels of liberation had started to turn. Music became a political weapon and a loud speaker of retaliation. Songs like “Umteto we land act” became the blue print on which the South African Native National Congress (SANNC) declared their intention to free South Africa. This organisation went on to change its name to African National Congress (ANC).

The state of the nation became the subject matter of many songs. Militant lyrics became the stuff of thought and some old songs like “Senzenina” took on a different meaning. Freedom music also had African American influences which to a large extent were sparked in 1891 by Orpheus McDoo and his Jubilee singers. Black South Africans identified with their African American brothers and composers shifted their styles (i.e. Rueben Thokalele Caluza’s Ragtime compositions) to fit in with the flavour of the day.

Between 1920 and 1993 compositions became a blend of nationalism with moral / Christian viewpoints. They articulated deteriorating socio-political conditions and the evils of the god head. Songs like “I dipu eTekwini” articulated one of the most de-humanising aspects of apartheid. It called for a condemnation of white city administrators who introduced a new dispensation that required all black work seekers to undergo “deverminisation” in dipping tanks for public hygiene. A few South African musicians found their way to other continents and continued to spread the message. Whilst Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba were setting the scene is America. Johnny Dyani was grooving to Song for Biko in Denmark and later on in Botswana as part of ANC’s Festival of Culture and Resistance. Freedom music was now in the hand of global South Africans whose sole careers became intertwined with freedom of Azania.

In the homelands, political groups were being organised and members were educated through song. They used extended melodies with words to tell of their situation. The American connection stayed strong in the form of Jazz compositions by the likes of Dudu Pukwana, Kippie Moeketsi and Abdullah Ibrahim. The melodies of freedom songs took on a different groove driven by the evolution of Jazz within the black society. Township life began to grow as more people from different parts of the country moved to big cities in search of work. Masikandi and Mbaqanga were addressing the order of the day. Lucky Dube’s Prisoner and Leta Mbulu’s Uhuru propagated the never ending struggle of native South Afrikans to gain independence. The behaviour of native South Africans began to shift to adapt to new environments and as such the direction of freedom music followed suit.

The era of Motown and bump jive showcased urban living to the masses and with it the heightened activities of political ideologies. This change saw Sophia town emerging as a haven for gangsters, priests, musicians and political debaters. The Sharpeville massacre and the 1976 uprising took a lot out of people and the need to fight the oppressor heightened. Musicians started using their popularity to push the political agenda. Groups like The Beaters used their musical instruments to smuggle youngsters into exile to join the liberation struggle. The death of Hastings Ndlovu in June 1976 in Soweto triggered wide spread violence in South Africa. Feet shuffling and toyi –toyi were amplified by freedom music. ‘We shall overcome!’ they sang, defying the false hope the sun brought. This attitude became the spirit of defiance that swept the nation from villages to townships. Old songs underwent changes to reflect the mood of the people and one such example was the song ‘Senzenina’ which asserted a sense of worth and belonging for the common man. It also critiqued the political climate calling for recognition of the African voice within.

The 80’s brought accelerated urbanisation and with it influences of American music. People like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King were symbols of association and musicians began to take on a philosophical approach and the emergence of social consciousness through the powerful sound of Reggae Music. South African greats used their exile status to push the idea of revolution through song. In fact, all exiled musicians took on this stance and artists such as, Kippie Moeketsi, Lefifi Tladi and Johnny Dyani debated freedom in South Africa through musical compositions and poetry. The African experience necessitated this and through freedom music Mbaqanga and township pop created a cacaphony of songs that addressed personal experiences, political, and social oppression.

Lucky Dube featured prominently and through his music the plight of Afrikan natives to the global community became a talking point. Remnants of early forms of freedom music echoed in compositions by Gospel and Jazz musicians. This era highlighted the growing frustrations of oppressed Afrikans and the need for freedom. The ANC cadres used music to spread their message. Thami Myeni’s Medu projects in Botswana use both art and music to chronicle the changing voice of the people. Farm workers used songs to protest against the oppressive working conditions that continued to deprive them of economic freedom. The singing tradition continued in many parts of the country and fuelled protest marches that eventually resulted in apartheid being abolished and the ushering of a new era for Afrikan natives

The message changed in 1994 and musicians in South Africa and abroad found a new voice. The effects of apartheid still endure until today and the emergence of popular culture sparked a youth movement that used music to talk about urban living, education and economic empowerment. Kwaito music was born with hints of a rebelious disposition. This genre of freedom music was and still is the most potent urban music to come out of Johannesburg and it drew attention to living conditions in townships. Arthur Mafokate’s hit song ‘kaffir” reflected the new freedoms that emerged after the political changes of 1994. The song’s lyrics were fiery and addressed the classist society that placed the native at the bottom of the food chain. Music became a tool for young people to bring attention to their own communities and expressed an attitude of self- expression, self-reliance and determination. Kwaito still remains a fiery genre conceptualized by township youth for township living. Many other artists such as Boom Shaka, Trompies and Brothers of Peace epitomized the changing signs in South Africa.

A genre that revolutionized freedom music came in the form of Hip Hop music. This genre emerged as another powerful voice that had its history in praise poetry and slave songs from America. Prophets of the City, Black Noise and the iconic Open Mind Sessions in Johannesburg gave birth to a new Pan Afrikan voice that used music to ask questions and to project a positive outlook. Artists such as Public Enemy, KRS – One and Poor Righteous Teachers influenced the modern song of the heathen is Africa. Today, hip-hop music has become the number one genre in the world all because it allowed the voiceless to express themselves in their language with their own style. Freedom music is alive and well as seen though the works of Tumi, Sifiso Sudan, Tidal Waves, Obitha and numerous other acts that use their artistry to effect change.

This is but a snippet of a story that can be told in many ways. I guess the question to ask is; is freedom music still relevant today and in the future? We are in the throes of globalisation after all; and the protest principle has sailed the world wide web as witnessed in North Africa. We have also been entertained by the comedy of Afri Forum and Julius Malema “toyi toying” to the Dubula iBhunu song. Do these events project a world that is changing and in need of a different tune? I believe the role of freedom is yet to be exhausted in our communities. As much as the lyrical content could be mistaken for hate speech in some quarters the historical importance of such songs cannot be trivialised. Self Expression remains a cornestone of freedom and we need to do all we can to protect it. The Afrikan revolution has not yet been realised and until then the Heathen songs of the natives will be heard and continue to be composed. We need them desparately.

AUTHOR: Charles Nhamo Rupare
URL: http://www.proudlyafrikan.org
E-MAIL: Nhamo [at] kush.co.za

Between 2 July – 18 July, NL-Aid is enjoying a summer recess. From 19th July, you can read articles of our authors again. Untill that time, we have selected Youtube videos in which development thinkers are centered. In this episode: Why Aid to Africa is Not Working.

AUTHOR: Hans Sluijter
URL: www.NL-Aid.org
E-MAIL: info [at] www.NL-Aid.org

The Atlantic Council’s Africa Center hosted a discussion on the book On the Fault Line: Managing Tensions and Divisions within Societies recently.

The panel was moderated by Mary Carlin Yates, former Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Africa on the National Security Staff. It included J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa Center; Jeffrey Herbst, President of Colgate University; Greg Mills, Director of the Brenthurst Foundation; Joel D. Barkan, Senior Associate in the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Peter M. Lewis, Associate Professor and Director of the African Studies Program at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University.

It discussed the findings from the case studies of Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Somaliland, and South Africa, and the lessons to be gleaned from the experience of states which have made significant progress towards successfully managing their fault lines as well as those which, having failed to do so, have been torn by violence.

AUTHOR: Seth Kaplan
URL: http://www.fragilestates.org
E-MAIL: seth [at] sethkaplan.org

At The Atlantic Howard French makes a really good point: if the United States is really committed to democracy in its (to be fair, increasingly engaged) Africa policy, why does it so often partner with autocratic leaders?

It is going to be one crazy second half of the year in South African politics. This theme will be at the heart of my writing for the next three weeks, but let’s just say that President Jacob Zuma’s chances of emerging from the ANC’s Mangaung conference unscathed seem to be declining by the day. I’m not ready to say that the country will see a repeat of the 2007 Polokwane conference that saw Thabo Mbeki ousted from the ANC presidency, an act that led to Mbeki’s resignation as head of state, but the circumstances seem to be conspiring to create another rather interesting moment in the history of the ANC and South Africa.

The competition for continental supremacy between Nigeria and South Africa is a bit of a reductionist fiction — Africa is hardly beset by a bi-polar Cold War competition — but it is true that the two countries’ conceptions of themselves tend to clash. Nigeria has a massive advantage in population. Resources are a bit of a wash– Nigeria produces oil, which would seem to give it an advantage, except that South Africa has a diverse array of  minerals and agriculture — and South Africa is dominant economically, culturally, politically, and militarily. And whatever critiques one might levy against South Africa, it is a bastion of stability and practically represents the platonic ideal of democracy when compared with Nigeria. Still, as Africa’s prominence grows, so too will the sense of competition between these two regional giants.

Important constituencies in South Africa are lining up against nationalization of the mining and other sectors. The Northern Cape ANC wants to emphasize land reform and a report from the national leadership of the ANC calls for higher taxes on the mines. Both reject nationalization, which is a frontal attack on the calls from Julius Malema and some factions in the ANC Youth League for nationalization.

Foreign Policy has produced its 2012 Failed States issue, and Africa continues to be overrepresented on the wrong side of the ledger. Of the bottom twenty states on the 2012 Index, fifteen are from Africa, including the bottom five.

On the positive side, a special report from Global Post indicates that we might be reaching a turning point on combating HIV/AIDS globally and especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Global Post also has a report on the ways in which Africa’s entrepreneurs are fueling the continent’s growth.

Just a friendly reminder: Mugabe’s got to go. But the devil is in the details — how?

COSATU wants to cut down on the presence of “foreign whites” at the country’s universities. This strikes me as a demogogic solution in search of a problem inasmuch as there is little evidence that qualified students are not getting into universities because those slots are going to foreigners. There are more than a few universities in South Africa that would welcome more bodies on campus, foreign or domestic.

Kenya’s proximity to the failed state that is Somalia and especially with the encroachments of al Shabaab’s militants means that the country runs the risk of becoming embroiled in a “forever war.” This is especially worrisome in light of the country’s own internal divisions that have at best been papered over.

It is hard not to be pleased to see Charles Taylor, Liberia’s former warlord and Big Man, convicted and sentenced for his crimes in Sierra Leone. But as John Campbell has rightly pointed out, the trial and its outcome was not without its problems and its potentially problematic ramifications going forward.

A few weeks back the New York Times had a story on Laamb, traditional (but increasingly lucrative) traditional wrestling in Senegal.

In case you missed it, F. W. De Klerk gave a non-apology apology interview with CNN. There were times when I wanted to bang my head repeatedly against my desk. de Klerk was a pivotal figure in South Africa’s transition because he saw the inevitable changes that his predecessor P. W. Botha refused to recognize. But de Klerk was no hero. The idea that Nelson Mandela had to share the Nobel Peace Prize with de Klerk even while de Klerk’s government was engaging in myriad Third Force and Dirty Tricks campaigns is simply galling.

In the New York Times Ian Bremmer argues that Africa stands at a vital pivot point that should allow its leaders finally to have real options in operating in a global economy.

Finally, if you haven’t bookmarked Awesome Tapes From Africa just do it now.

AUTHOR: Derek Charles Catsam
URL: http://africa.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: derekcatsam [at] hotmail.com

Africa, with a population expected to roughly double by mid-century, has become recognized as the world’s fastest growing continent. But the less-told story is of Africa’s economic rise. In the last decade Africa’s overall growth rates have quietly approached those of Asia, and according to projections by the IMF, on average Africa will have the world’s fastest growing economy of any continent over the next five years.

Seven of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies are African. The continent is famously resource rich, which has surely helped, but some recent studies suggest that the biggest drivers are far less customary for Africa, and far more encouraging for its future: wholesale and retail commerce, transportation, telecommunications, and manufacturing.

A recent report by the African Development Bank projected that, by 2030, much of Africa will attain lower-middle- and middle-class majorities, and that consumer spending will explode from $680 billion in 2008 to $2.2 trillion. According to McKinsey and Co., Africa already has more middle class consumers than India, which has a larger population. Goldman Sachs recently put out a report, “Africa’s Turn,” making similar points.

American media have largely failed to pick up on these trends, hewing instead to their long-running traditional narratives of African violence and suffering to the exclusion of most other news. Corporate America, though, is proving itself increasingly attentive to Africa as a big new growth story. Big companies, from retail to technology, are approaching Africa as a promising new growth frontier. Many are already investing heavily there.

These are vital trends too because their meaning is still in flux. Who will benefit from such growth? How can political leaders help the most people benefit from such economic growth? Can this economic expansion help to obviate Big Man syndrome, or will some of the continent’s kleptocrats find a way to line their pockets at the expense of their populace still? That the growth is happening is undeniable and holds a great deal of promise for the continent, both in terms of its own development but also, perhaps, to give it a greater role and status in the world. But promises of growth are nothing without promises of the development of human capital. This is the sort of development that we have to hope accompanies the continent’s economic boom times.

AUTHOR: Derek Charles Catsam
URL: http://africa.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: derekcatsam [at] hotmail.com

How the World Views Africa

Laura Seay has an important piece in Foreign Policy, “How Not to Write About Africa.” In addition to pointing out what not to do Seay also argues that coverage of Africa ought to derive from within Africa by and large by Africans. This is a useful prescription, but I would shift the remedy slightly — yes, by all means, Africans ought to write about Africa, and more to the point, Ivorians about Cote d’Ivoire,  Nigerians about Nigeria, and so forth. But even more important is that those who work as Africa correspondents, whether from within Africa or from “The West,” should actually have some demonstrable background and strength in African affairs. I am always astounded how fungible the elite media believes foreign correspondents to be. After a few years in Africa a reporter will move on to Latin America or Europe, the belief apparently being that the skill set of a correspondent is more important than actual knowledge.

AUTHOR: Derek Charles Catsam
URL: http://africa.foreignpolicyblogs.com
E-MAIL: derekcatsam [at] hotmail.com

This could be true seeing how the nominal GDP of some African countries are growing and how much of FDI –- Foreign Direct Investment –- have been attracted. Most African countries have also kept around their government experts in cabinet positions to engage the best of knowledge in decisions.

Africa rising is beneficial to itself and the world, bringing another choice of partnership to developed economies in decisions than observers or supporters. Africa, by country and collectively, has several issues that makes the total outlook grim, but leaves some hope to element of development in some sectors.

Some issues are peculiar to Africa from the way their leaders chose to govern in the post-colonial era, other issues are related to the late-start most countries have in thinking of anything like economic growth and development after their common independence era circa 1950 – 1970. African countries today have different issues and some of the issues are so big that it will not allow the government to focus on economic issues.

A priority that should guide leaders of African economies in decisions and policies is on how to boost Personal Income for the people. GDP per capita is so important if they have to leave the realm of poverty, dangerous levels of unemployment, and repeated conflicts for piffling matters.

The provisions of the government in bills and laws should favor the people and put more in their pockets to spend; helping microbusinesses and low income earners is important to help parents to children (or intergenerational) economic mobility.

Access to loans and ease with processes to help many stop struggles for basic things should come quick in some government’s near term provisions to the people. Respecting big businesses so much (for their tax and social giveaways) and wooing FDI’s anyhow will only lead to abuse of citizens out of line with labor laws, which in many ways contribute to poverty.

Governments for the benefit of their citizens should pursue favorable trade agreements (for Purchasing Power Parity) and monitor closely Retail Price Index (RPI) to check inflation. The benefits of good government policies will increase consumer spending not limiting purchase to needs, but to both needs and wants.

The importance of a focused Africa is primarily beneficial to the people, so that government’s hiding under the term ‘reforms that will benefit the future’ but may hinder some of today’s important foundations for per capita GDP, will quickly know that if the present is quavering, a good future may be unlikely.

The expertise is there, the resources in many ways are there, good plans and the power to cut losses in bad systems and processes are there; but it remains with governments whether to do or not. The noise of Africa rising everywhere may just be façade if per capita income growth stays same or keeps plunging.

AUTHOR: David Stephen
URL: http://www.trpns.com
E-MAIL: Stephen [at] trpns.com