JEDDAH, 11 June 2003 — The finance ministers from 53 African countries met in the Ethiopian capital last week for the 38th annual meeting of the African Development Bank (ADB). The ministers discussed ways to solve the economic backwards of the world’s poorest continent and to assess the African Union’s initiative of New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). The initiative was aimed at removing the burden of economic and political turmoil, attracting international investment and make the continent more self-dependent.
Africa has been beset by economic decline, debt, a legacy of wars, dictatorial leaderships, threats from the AIDS epidemic and numerous alerts of terrorist threats. Two years ago, the UN and the World Bank report noted that economic shock waves from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in United States could put as many as 10 million people into poverty in developing countries. The worst-hit region, it says, will be Africa, where the combined effect of low growth and falling commodity prices may plunge 4 to 5 million more people into abject poverty. However, Africa received a more optimistic report last Wednesday. The Africa Development Bank said in a report that the continent’s economy would benefit from slightly increased growth this year, as long as recovery takes hold in developed countries, oil prices fall and droughts ease.
The report predicted an economic growth of 3.6 percent this year in Africa. The continent’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2002, it says, was 2.8 percent, down from 3.5 percent the previous year. On the other hand, the report said the cessation of conflicts in parts of Africa, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Angola and Ethiopia-Eritrea, and the prospects of significant post-conflict reconstruction programs fostered the hope of possible peace dividends. It was also optimistic about last year’s elections in Kenya, which brought in a new leadership. The report stressed the need for sustained and deepening reform, going beyond political governance and institutional reforms, to a broad economic agenda concerning micro— and macro-economic policies.
Can Africa institute the necessary reforms alone? The report emphasized the for the international community to alleviate the poverty of the poorest regions in Africa. The challenge facing Africa is not only to overcome some short-term cyclical trends, the report says, rather it is how to overcome the poverty trap and lay a solid foundation of growth and development.
Although the report is optimistic for the continent, some Africans believe that it is not an easy task to fulfill what it suggests. Africa has been under the yoke of dictators. Although some countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Kenya and Ghana adopted a new democratic path after electing their heads of state, many of the continent’s long-serving leaders are still in power. President Gnassinbe Eyadema of Togo and Omar Bongo of Gabon have been in power for 36 years. President Qaddafi came to power in 1969, giving him 34 years at the helm. Many other African leaders are in the range of 19 to 26 years in office. Some of these leaders organized their own elections, and won the polls in recent years.
At the launch of the African Union last year in South Africa, African leaders pledged to strengthen democracy and combat corruption. But many analysts felt that such pledges were not borne out by the behavior of the continent’s leaders.
The commentators insist that the NEPAD initiative could overcome the development chasm and African leaders implement what they promised and make commitments to good governance, democracy and human rights, while endeavoring to prevent and resolve situations of conflict and instability on the continent. They believe that these steps are indispensable for investment and development.
In fact, the US and Western countries have made clear their political positions. They have pledged to help Africa, when the continent acts to resolve its own problems, especially the conflict resolutions and establish peacekeeping mechanisms. At the same time, some experts feel that African forces would offer a less costly alternative to UN peacekeeping operations in Africa.
Political and economic reforms will not be accomplished if African leaders continue their old dictatorial behavior, corruption and abuse of human rights.
