Post Colonial West Africa

[Paul]

Politics isn't something that comes up here very much (I probably should have checked the rules on that).. Anyway I am writing my thesis on on post colonial W Africa, the different paths they took such as the conservative Boigny in Ivory Coast or the radical marxist Sekou Toure in Guinea and of course Nkrumah in Ghana... Its fascinating stuff.. for example Castro was a great supporter of Guinea and provided scholarships to Guinean students to go to Cuba... Im sure this helped in the popularisation of cuban style music such as rail band which has certainly influenced guys like Habib Koite..

Here's a little quote from Ghana's revolutionary leader..

Africa is a paradox which illustrates and highlights neo-colonialism. Her earth is rich, yet the products that come from above and below her soil continue to enrich, not Africans predominantly, but groups and individuals who operate to Africa's impoverishment. - Kwame Nkrumah

[bops]

There are many different systems or styles of governing that would work great if it weren't for rampant corruption.

[bubudi]

that quote still holds truth today.

i prefer the kind of politics played by senghor. also very cool that he wrote senegal's national anthem, which is called Pluck all your koras and beat the balafons.

[michi]

A very good book on the history and politics of Africa is "The State of Africa" by Martin Meredith. Well worth reading, in my opinion.

Cheers,

Michi.

[Paul]

I have read some of that book, its good, unfortunatly with such a heavy work load I have to flick through rather than read cover to cover.

I am interested in the the corruption topic, its certainly prevelant.. The roots of it can be traced back to colonial times and the difference in the styles of colonial rule. The British generally tried to use the existing tribal leadership to control the masses, the French were different in that they they sought economic, cultural and military ties, this has not changed since independence and a large part of independence was that europe was strapped for cash after WW2.. It is a common understanding that the CFA was set up to benefit Africa but the French gained more than they spent and it gave them virtual control over the region...

Development is a common road to take from my studies, but the more I learn the more I wonder who is benefiting, what seems most interest is the legal methods for servitude used by the US and EU.. e.g. the economic loss to Mali suffered by the fact that they cannot compete against subsidised US cotton and EU beef is less (which is against the WTO rules) than the amount of aid they recieve... International organisations turning a blind eye to the super powers.. So who is corrupt again?

[michi]

the economic loss to Mali suffered by the fact that they cannot compete against subsidised US cotton and EU beef is less (which is against the WTO rules) than the amount of aid they recieve...

Yes, it's sad. There are many other examples of countries in Africa suffering despite their potential wealth. Guinea comes to mind. It's the world's second-largest exporter of bauxite, has fewer than 10 million citizens, and is among the poorest countries in the world. Makes one wonder where all that export money is going...

International organisations turning a blind eye to the super powers.. So who is corrupt again?

I'm not sure I'd call that "corruption", which is to seek personal gain illegally by taking bribes, blackmailing people into paying protection money, and the like. I don't think that international organizations (by and large) are taking money from the super powers for turning a blind eye, or that the super powers themselves are corrupt. (Who would be paying them?)

"Exploitation" is probably a more appropriate term than corruption. Not that this would make it any prettier...

Ever since the first white people set foot on Africa, it has been Africa's role to enter into trade arrangements that are to its disadvantage. In that respect, little has changed since colonial times. Having said that (and read Meredith's book), I have to say though that quite a bit of the damage is self-inflicted. By many measurements, many of the former colonies were better off under colonial rule. Things such as literacy, life expectancy, infant mortality rate, and average income have often declined since decolonialization. Little wonder: the history of Africa over the past sixty years is a depressing litany of demented dictator after demented dictator inflicting inestimable misery on the population

There are only very few examples to the contrary, among them Senegal and Ghana. (But even Kwame Nkrumah did some things that were decidedly on the wrong side of democracy and civil liberty.)

The western world clearly has a lot to answer for when it comes to Africa's poverty and human rights problems. But so does Africa...

Cheers,

Michi.

[Paul]

Certainly, I would not think any of these guys flawless, Nkrumah and Toure often let their people suffer for a matter of the leaders pride..

Boigny of Ivory Coast was the one who really stuck to the French, an interesting prophecy from back in the 60's 'if we are naive enough to cut ourselves off from the West we will be invaded by the chinese..' im sure he meant militarily, but with US/EU trade agreements and the fact the chinese products are so cheap (I mean i bought a wrench there for 100cfa) it is firmly kept down.. As I like to say, you dont have to throw a man a life belt if he is drowning, but at least take your foot off his head...

Definatly corruption is ground level (if you have ever had to post some drums home) I believe it also to be a product of an ill fitting western system hastily imposed on a country (as much as greed and big man culture)... And perhaps western democracy is not the be all and end all.. There is a shocking rise in state failure and with loose land borders the problem is epidemic... Would other styles of government work, who knows? they keep assasinating anyone who trys (Lumumba/Congo.. Sankara/Burkina)

I was thinking there the other day how the national ballets are kind of similar to the ideals of other communist states e.g. the levels of sports in China, former USSR, Cuba....
If not for the the policy choice of Toure and resulting desire to showcase culture around the world, would djembe have made it so far around the world..