Even the most die-hard fans of US President Barack Obama are aware that the first black American president cannot by himself solve Africa’s many problems. Obama himself would quickly agree. Africa’s future, he says, is up to Africans. Indeed, his message from Ghana — but directed to all leaders on the continent — was spot on. “Development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.”
The challenge before the African people is to shed corruption and conflict in favor of peace. In pursuit of this, Obama went to Ghana strumming his hit tune, “Yes you can.” But can they? The choice of Ghana was made in part because of the democratic commitments demonstrated by President John Atta Mills who took office in January after a close election. Other black African countries did not win the coveted visit award but at least they know why. They interpreted Ghana-only as a comment on the democratic performance of their own governments. Ghana’s stability stands in contrast to other hot spots on the continent, such as Zimbabwe where society is in economic and political turmoil; Sudan where fighting rages in the Darfur region; and Somalia where a shaky transitional government is now battling an insurgency. Even Kenya, homeland of Obama’s father and which was high in the running as an Obama target visit, continues to struggle with tribalism and corruption.
Much was made of why Obama picked only Ghana as his one-stop sub- Sahara tour when his predecessors Bill Clinton and George W. Bush went not only to Ghana but elsewhere. That Obama selected only Ghana is a strong signal that he can and will bypass countries that are being undermined by despotic leaders and corrupt politicians. The visit was meant to say that African nations crippled by coups and chaos, as Ghana has been in the past, can reshape themselves into lawful democracies if their leaders so desire. If not, they will be left out, not just when it comes to tours but on the much more vital financial front.
Sub-Saharan Africa is as poor as they come and as such, the timing of the trip was perfect: from Italy at the end of a summit of eight of the world’s most powerful nations to sub-Saharan Africa, one of the poorest places in the world. To connect the dots between rich and poor, the G8 heads of state agreed on a $20 billion fund to bolster agriculture, the main source of income for many sub-Saharan Africans.
The money is essential because many Africans want to know how the developed world, first and foremost the US, will deal with trade restrictions and protective customs that ruin many African farmers. There are hopes for an improved US development policy and more support for agricultural programs and small-scale farmers in Africa.
The money will help but the task at hand is daunting. So many countries in Africa are best known for their civil wars, grinding poverty and HIV/AIDS.
The challenge faced by Obama and the people of the continent is to shatter, if only piece by piece, the status quo.
