"All Members of Cocoki Have A Dream"

Find out what the dream is by watching the video in this piece. It seems to be a dream of many, many Africans. What do you make of that dream?

A Catch-22 in Ivory Coast

The crisis that followed the troubled presidential elections in Ivory Coast has led to an international political dilemma that may not bode well for the country whichever way this crisis is solved. If the incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo, stands his ground and weathers the storms (the threat of being forcefully removed from power, etc.) he will surely be a dictator and the country will remain almost ungovernable. The fact that he has the support of the army of the country and most people in the south may lead him to be a president of the army and the population that supports him. This will narrow his constituency so much (his international support does not seem clear right now) because the country will remain isolated. This isolation may serve as disincentive to investment in the country and further drive down its economic growth/development prospects. In short, if Gbagbo remains in power, Ivory Coast is going down with him.

However, with the support of the international community, if Alassane Ouattara gains power, he may also be a president of his northern constituency, always being wary of an army that currently does not support him. Well, he may solve the army problem by purging it but this will not remove the threats. Ouattara will always be insecure in power unless something drastic happens to make the army of the country be for him. Further, the fact that his support base is the international community rather than the Ivorian people will make him to be like most African leaders who have the international community, rather than their people, as their base. This again will not bode well for the Ivorians who would be ruled by a person who cares less about their well being than pleasing his international constituencies.

As it now stands, there is going to be no beautiful outcome in Ivory Coast. Gbagbo already spoiled the future of the country by deciding to steal the election. Even if he tells his supporters to now support Ouattara for the good of the country, a move which currently appears to be unlikely, this will be only a lip service. There is now so much bad blood among the supporters of both candidates that it is difficult to see how a future of peace and prosperity can be carved out of the current mess. Whether one is for Gbagbo or Ouattara what needs to be the somber realization is that this coming new year hardly brings good news for Ivory Coast. The politicians have already muddied the future of the country so bad that it is difficult to picture a flourishing scenario for the people. In all this, the people, as usual, are the losers. It is a somber conclusion, but sadly true.

Vatican's Secretive Bank!

Vatican's bank is obviously not in Africa and probably does not do any business with Africans. However, after recent allegations of shady deals at the bank, (allegations that have not been denied by the Vatican), I am beginning to have the impression that the secrecy shrouding the activities of the bank may hide connections with Africa, especially with thieving African leaders. It is of course clear that all banks have elements of secrecy about them but it seems to me that, being a Christian bank, Vatican bank would be different. However, it does not seem so given the profound secrecy with which the bank is run. The bank's activities are replete with unresolved secret dealings that involve links to the Mafia and murder. I would not be surprised by stories like these from a modern, secular nation-state. Given the fact that these stories are coming from a bank run by a religious, nay, Chirstian body that pontificates on morality at every turn, how sincere could some of the church's positions about public morality be?
More specifically, givien that the Pope is a very respected personality in Africa and has good relations with some African leaders, I am beginning to wonder if some of these leaders are not stashing money stolen from their peoples in Vatican bank? How can the Pope then speak against corruption and bad government, like he did when he went to Cameroon in 2009, with moral authority? Can Vatican bank assure African peoples that just like banks in London and Swiss banks, it is not keeping money stolen from Africans by African leaders?

Walmart Going to Africa

Walmart is now eying Africa and making other supermarket investors there nervous. Even more, will the arrival of Walmart make smaller unit retail stores like these disappear, as it happened in the United States? What future, then, for owners of these little stores?

Cell Phones, Banking and Health Care In Tanzania

What is the connection among cell phones, banking and health care? Watch it in this CNN video.

"Death Panel" In A South African Hospital

During the recent debate on expanding the number of people with health insurance in the United States, Sarah Palin (the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate) and her people promoted the expression "death panels" to conjure a fearful time of health care rationing that an overhaul of the insurance system could engender. While their campaign was mainly aimed at fearmongering and has been described as the most blatant political lie of 2009, real death panels are at work in South, deciding who dies and who lives because of inadequate health care. At least in one hospital in South Africa, health care is being rationed because the resources are very limited and that makes the difference between life and death. So, while Sarah Palin and her people used the expression "death panels" to make political points, it is already a reality for some people, especially the poor of South Africa and much of Africa. It is a cruel situation where people live or die based on the size of their wealth. This is not only an African problem although the necessity to fix this cruel situation is even more urgent in the African contexts where there are many poor people than most places around the world.

The Problem With The World Festival of Black Arts and Cultures in Senegal

Described as "the biggest celebration of black identity in the world," this festival was initiated by one of the brains behind the intellectual movement known as negritude (blackness), an intellectual movement that took hold especially in French-speaking Africa and its diaspora. That brain was the renowned academic and first president of Senegal, Leopold Sedar Senghor. However, some are beginning to wonder whether such a festival is currently of any use to Africa and its diaspora. Why spend so much money to celebrate blackness when the money could be put to more better use that may improve the material well-being of the people? Why not spend the money to improve transport infrastructure, education, or health care?


Here is the position of yours truly on the matter: It is well and good to celebrate culture and identity and I do not want to be seen as someone who is against the arts - a dominant part of the celebration. However, such celebration will not be needed if there are significant things that can speak about our culture for themselves. We do not need to call attention to ourselves by dancing - as Senghor thought we should - but rather by raising monuments to our civilization. And by raising monuments to our civilization I do not mean building statues and other things like the Pyramids (monuments to the dead!) and the Sphinx of Egypt. I mean improving transportation infrastructures, medical care, education, and the general standards of living. I mean treating our people with dignity and respect and letting them know that they are not only fit to be the refugees and desperate peoples of the world. These things would celebrate our cultures and values more than all the dancing could do. This is a new time that should not be dedicate to the celebration of blackness but to the celebration of our humanity and the humanity of all people.

Is the Violence in Nigeria Religious or Political?

The general media narrative is that the violence is religious but scholars have long indicated that this view is not very accurate. Nigerian religious leaders are now calling out politicians for having a hand in the latest flare up of violence. No doubt there are religious elements in the violence - the suspicion between Christians and Muslims; however, to say that the violence is religious rather than political makes a facile and problematic distinction between politics and religion. It is similar to arguing whether the genocide in Rwanda was ethnic or political. These distinctions can hardly be made given that religious leaders and politicians both utilize religion and ethnicity to boost their political ambitions. The sooner the general media tendency to describe causes of violence in some African countries as either religious or ethnic, seeing them rather as mostly political, the better.

Africa Has Some of the Fastest Growing Economies in the World

A video interview with an African CEO.

If They Complain of Joblessness, Shoot Them

Tunisian government's unenviable repression of its people links the country uncomfortably to the worst of African life. This reaction to a demonstration against the joblessness that young people experience is clearly barbaric. It is despicable that soldiers would fire live weapons at civilians armed with Molotov cocktail. While elsewhere soldiers are involved in fighting wars to protect their citizens, in some African countries, soldiers fight wars against their own people. It's a shame! A country that aspires to be a part of a civilized world should have a better reaction to demonstrations.

Western Lobbyists Help African Dictators

That African countries have been, for the most part, ruled by cruel men (for they have all been men!), is probably well known in both Africa and other parts of the world. What is little known, however, is that many, if not all of these men have a tradition of hiring Western lobbyists to clean their dirty images abroad so that they may gain legitimacy abroad rather than with their own people at home. This is strange, given that many of these dictators have been hoisted on Africa by the West. However, that is the tradition. The latest new hire is Lanny Davis, a former counsel to Bill Clinton. Davis seems to be currently in the employ of two notorious African dictators: the current person who has stolen the Ivorian presidency, Laurent Gbagbo, and the eternal ruler of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema.

Update: Lanny Davis resigns Gbagbo lobbying job. He also needs to resign the Obiang job given that Obiang's dictatorship is worse than Gbagbo's.

Nigeria's Boko Haram On the Spotlight

America's Council on Foreign Relations shines the spotlight on Nigeria's Boko Haram in a video, giving the same tired socio-economic and political explanation for its existence - poverty.

The Complexity of Land

A new global rush for Africa's land may conjure unsavory memories of the partition of Africa. Is this a new partition or an attempt to improve the lives and livelihoods of Africans?

Making Elders Among the Masai of Kenya

A crash course narrated with pictures. Take note of how globalization is manifested among the people.

Ken Saro Wiwa: The Man Oil Killed

One of the foremost advocates for the well-being of the Ogoni people of the Niger Delta in Nigeria, Ken Saro Wiwa, was slain by the politics of oil fifteen years ago. Some of his last words are found here.

The Chorus of Growth Continues

The chorus about the remarkable growth that will soon be happening in Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, continues to pile up. Now it is the turn of The Economist. We now wait to see if the sometimes rosy pictures being painted will materialize.

St. Augustine's Country and Its Enormous Cathederal

St. Augustine would have been proud of Algeria and, I think, in the spiritual world, he is frolicking with excitement:  An enormous 19th century cathedral, Our Lady of Africa, has been renovated and re-opened  with pomp and pageantry,  in Algiers - a place with which St. Augustine would have been familiar. The cathedral is a magnificent symbol of religious unity. See pictures and videos of the cathedral.

African Football and the Emergence of China

It seems to be a strange connection but there is actually a link between African football (soccer) and the emergence of China as a global economic and political power. This link was recently manifested during the Club World Cup competition that took place in Abu Dhabi and that saw that rise of TP Mazembe of the DRC. The team reached the final of the tournament and was defeated by Inter Milan of Italy. Some fans thought, wrongly in my view, that the referee had a hand in the defeat of their team. That is where China comes into the picture. Mistaking the Japanese referee for a Chinese, some fans who were already disgruntled with the economic presence of China in DRC went on the rampage in the city of Lubumbashi, destroying Chinese property. And so football and globalization interact in an African city and Africans do not appear to be the winners.

Dick Cheney's Firm Reaches Out Of Court Deal

The corruption charge against Dick Cheney, filed in a Nigerian court, has been dropped after his firm reached an out of court settlement. Now we will never know what really happened, as it was supposed to be. However, we now know that Africa's corruption, just like its politics and economics, also has foreign dimensions. And we now have at least one name that stands for that foreign dimension.

Sudan's Bashir In Heist Row

According to WikiLeaks documents, ICC chairman has information about Sundanese president's stolen money. Bashir is believed to have stolen as much a $9 billion from his country. If this is true, it will be one of the biggest heist ever carried out by an African president. I wonder how much information WikiLeaks has about other African leaders' stolen wealth!

Modernizing Africa's Markets

The case of Dawanau International Market in Nigeria, the largest grain market in West Africa. This is an important market that needs to be modernized.

"Klingon Election"

BBC's Andrew Harding draws inspiration from the film Star Trek to describe a political phenomenon that seems to be gaining ground in some African countries. This is the phenomenon where incumbents reject election results that do not pronounce them victor and orchestrate a situation of power sharing in which they still retain power. It happened in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and now Ivory Coast. Harding does not find the phrase to be very compelling but I believe it should stick - just like those politicians who do not want to go even after they have been booted out of office in an election. They are Klingons.

Important Links

I got these links from Chris Blattman's and William Easterly's blogs:

Africa's Export Successes, Easterly.

What Wikileaks is saying about Africa's failed states.

A Name For African Football

A relatively unknown football (soccer) team in the the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), T. P. Mazembe, today beat Brazil's mighty Internacional to qualify for the final of the Club World Cup currently taking place in Abu Dhabi. This is an important day for African football given that no team outside South America or Europe has ever reached the final of this tournament. See the goals here.
The Club World Cup is a tournament for football clubs that are the champions of their respective continents. T. P. Mazembe is representing Africa. Samuel Eto'o, the versatile Cameroon striker who plies his trade for Inter Milan, could not conceal his joy, even though his team will be meeting Mazembe next.

Nigerian, First Black Member of Poland's Parliament

After a Nigerian was elected as first black mayor in Russia early this year, it is now the turn of Poland to elect a Nigerian as its first black Member of Parliament.

The Plight Of Some Displaced Somali Women

We have heard much about the rape of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but focus has not been placed the fact that some displaced Somali women are undergoing the same fate in their shattered country.

The Ethics of Big Drug Companies In Africa

It is customary for drug companies to do drug trials in developing counties, especially in African countries. With the recent HIV and AIDS pandemic, some African countries have become important sites for such drug trials. The problem, however, has been that such trials appear to manifest dubious ethical standards. Such ethical would hardly be tolerated in the West.

Aside from the controversial HIV and AIDS trials, the trial that has to do with developing Meningitis antibiotics carried out in Nigeria by Pfizer raised eyebrows when it was alleged that the trial led to the death of children. When the company was sued by former Nigerian Attorney General, Michael Aondoakaa, the company attempted to blackmail him. We now know this, thanks to WikiLeaks via New York Times. The big drug companies apparently think that in Africa anything goes.

Speaking of Miracles in Africa

One of my students sent me this article which is the cover story of Foreign Policy magazine. This is, at least, the third significant magazine to take note of the impending economic transformations of Africa. One was from Newsweek and the other was from The Economist. Here is part of the judgment from Foreign Policy:

"Pockets of great risk and instability certainly remain, but the long-term trends look good. Global demand for commodities is rising, and Africa is well positioned to profit. The fastest-growing demand for these raw inputs comes from the world's emerging economies, with which sub-Saharan Africa now conducts half its trade. Africa's production of oil, gas, minerals, and other resources is projected to grow at 2 to 4 percent per year for the next 10 years. At current prices, this will raise the value of resource production to $540 billion by 2020 -- and possibly much higher depending on how commodity prices rise."


Update: The Economist concurs again!

Migration and Poverty Alleviation

Economists are now saying that facilitating migration should be a top priority in fighting poverty in developing countries. The case of Tongan migrants to New Zealand seems to have prompted this view. The same could be true in the case of Africa, especially given that remittances have been shown to have some promise.

The Suspicious Silence of the AU

The current situation in the Ivory Coast is a testament to how far the African Union can go to address a pressing crisis on the continent. The first move that the body made was to send Thabo Mbeki to mediate rather than putting pressure on Gbagbo to step down. Everyone else around the world seems to be putting pressure for Gbagbo to step down but the African Union has been mute. On the Web site of the organization, there is no statement on the Ivorian issue. It is like nothing is happening in Ivory Coast. But there are statements and pictures about a summit in Cancun, a donation from China, etc. Ecowas considers the situation of Ivory Coast to be more pressing the the African Union, a continental body that seems to be busy begging from everyone else around the world rather than serving their people. The body is just as pathetic as the individual states of which it is comprised. I am not sure that Africa needs such a body that does not even have money to run its own affairs and that cannot put pressure on one of its wayward members who is clinging to power at the detriment of its populace.

Update: AU Suspends Ivory Coast. The Ivorian situation is still not central to current AU deliberations. Ecowas, rather than the AU, was the first to suspend Cote d'Ivoire. AU has to be make this matter central to its current deliberations. This has to be reflected on its Web site.

Colonialism and Development Outcomes

A recent study in Cameroon shows that British colonialism had better outcome for economic development than French colonization. This confirms what many ordinary people in Africa already know. French speaking African countries are among some of the most impoverished and conflict-ridden than English-speaking ones. See Chad, CAR, DRC, Ivory Coast, Niger, etc. Compare these to Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, etc. No wonder Paul Kagame of Rwanda had to cut the French umbilical cord in order to work for the development of his country. France sucks the blood of French-speaking African countries. It has not had much luck extending its rapaciousness to English-speaking African countries.

No Power-Sharing in Ivory Coast

There should be no power-sharing in Ivory Coast in the aftermath of the stolen presidential election. It will serve as incentive for future stealing of elections since incumbents would think that if they steal elections, it would lead to mediation and power-sharing deals. This is what happened in Zimbabwe, leading to the current intractable deadlock in that country. Gbagbo, like Mugabe, lost the election; he must vacate the presidency. Period. Talk of power-sharing deal should be off the table and the appropriate pressure must be put on Gbagbo to leave the presidency.

Updates: African press calls for Gbagbo to go.

In Pictures: Era of Humiliation

Here.

For-Profit Philanthropy: A Contradiction?

There is a series that is running on CNBC in United States called Executive Vision. It is a series where business leaders and academics meet to discuss some of the pressing economic issues of our time. Today's program centered on philanthropy and one of the issues raised was the possibility of for profit philanthropy, a phenomenon that has evolved out of the Grameen Bank of Muhammad Yunus. The matter of those who have used Yunus' micro-finance idea to evolve banks that now charge poor people up to 90% interest on loan was raised. It was within this framework that the idea of for profit philanthropy was discussed. If I understood the matter well, the argument was that profit could be made from philanthropic ventures. In fact, some even argued that philanthropy may work better within the framework of profit-making.

The argument that philanthropy may work well within the framework of profit-making made me to go to the dictionary to look for the meaning of the word "philanthropy." I saw that the word has a Greek background that means one who loves humanity NOT one who loves profit. In fact, descriptions of philanthropy connect it to "gift". Seen from this background, it appears that the very idea of philanthropy militates against profit making, especially the kind of profit made by big businesses. The profit made by big businesses seems to have more to do with love of self or shareholders than love of humankind. That is probably why Yunus refrains from endorsing those who are striking it rich through exploitation of the poor in the name of micro-finance. The idea of for profit philanthropy seems to be just a means by which greedy business people want to hijack Yunus' idea for their own benefit. For-profit philanthropy is a contradiction since philanthropy seems to be about gift giving rather than profit making. Those who make exorbitant profit out of micro-finance are no longer doing micro-finance. They are now bankers not for the poor, as Yunus envisaged it, but against the poor.

Ivory Coast: Africa's Current Sore Spot

The crisis that has ensued from the Presidential election in Ivory Coast has led the African Union (AU) to step in to mediate the situation. The former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, has been asked to lead the the mediation. In yours truly's view, there will be no happy outcome to this mediation, especially considering Mbeki's dismal record in Zimbabwe which is still in crisis today. What this requires is pressure. For AU to show seriousness, pressure has to be put on Gbagbo to step down with immediate effect. He lost the election and, in a democracy, those who lose elections normally leave office. Ouatara is Ivory Coast's rightful president. Period. There is nothing to negotiate. African leaders must reject Gbagbo if they are serious about promoting democracy in the continent. Because most African leaders are used to stealing elections themselves, they simply want to help Gbagbo manipulate the situation as they love to do. This is an awful and sickening situation for a continent that is struggling to lift itself out of international ignominy. Such a brazen act of banditry must not be allowed to ruin the continent.

Engineering Electoral Mess In Ivory Coast: Ask France

First, the opposition candidate was declared winner of the current Presidential election in Ivory Coast, receiving congratulations from both the United States and the United Nations. But the United States and the United Nations do not pull the strings in Ivory Coast - France does. No one  whom France does not like can be president in Ivory Coast. That is why France's preferred candidate, the incumbent president, has now been declared winner by the government rather than the independent electoral commission. It is a shame how foreign powers still pull the strings in Africa. And when all is said and done, Ggagbo will remain president, the mess will continue, and the country will keep descending into the abyss France is designing for it.

Update: It was reported today that French President Sarkozy congratulated the Ivorian opposition candidate for winning the election. But his statement does not seem to be against the incumbent president who has already been sworn in. Perhaps this is just a public transcript to mask a private support for the incumbent president who has stolen the elections already.

What Does WikiLeaks Have For Africa?

The recent release of secret US diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks also throws lights on US-Africa relations, among others.

Giving and Taking Bribes in Nigeria

See the international companies and individuals who contribute to the epidemic of bribery in Nigeria. Hint: a former US vice president is being accused. Giving bribes to enhance chances for contracts in Nigeria does not only violate the law in Nigeria; it also violates US laws.

Update: Dick Cheney sued in Nigeria.

Today Is World AIDS Day!

The issue of HIV and AIDS is still an emergency is many African countries. Listen to a heartbreaking but inspirational story here and see the advise of some medical practitioners in the United States here. See the story and work of Magic Johnson here.