Nations in Africa

Ancient Kingdoms of Africa

The Spread of Islam in Africa

African Colonialism

African nations and states

African Economics

• 50% Africans live in extreme poverty• Only 15% in “sustainable environment for

economic growth”• GDP growth:

– 1970’s 14%/year: resource exploitation– 1980’s –5% year: global recession/debt – 1990’s 3%/year:collapse of USSR/cold war conflicts

subside

• Some fast growers, 1999-2003– Mozambique, Uganda, Angola, Congo-Brazzaville

Human Development Index (HDI)

• Longevity is measured by life expectancy at birth;

• Knowledge is measured by a combination of the adult literacy rate and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrolment ratio; and

• Standard of living is measured by GDP per capita (PPP US$).

Human Development Index (HDI)-1995/2001

1 Norway 0.924 0.9442 Iceland 0.918 0.9423 Sweden 0.924 0.9414 Australia 0.926 0.9395 Netherlands 0.925 0.9386 Belgium 0.923 0.9377 United States 0.923 0.937

Lowest HDI Countries1995/2001

161 Côte d'Ivoire 0.405 0.396162 Malawi 0.404 0.387163 Zambia 0.414 0.386164 Angola .. 0.377165 Chad 0.342 0.376166 Guinea-Bissau 0.347 0.373167 Congo, Dem. Rep. of the 0.380 0.363168 Central African Republic 0.370 0.363169 Ethiopia 0.322 0.359170 Mozambique 0.325 0.356171 Burundi 0.317 0.337172 Mali 0.308 0.337173 Burkina Faso 0.313 0.330174 Niger 0.270 0.292175 Sierra Leone .. 0.275

African Debt• $300 Billion• Payments are $15 Billion annually

– (v. $10 Billion which would go far to solve AIDs epidemic)

• Origins of debt: – Petrodollars, 1970’s– Structural Adjustment

• Loans made to dictators not elected by people• S. Africa $18 billion used to support apartheid• Mobutu in Congo: more aid from US than the rest of Africa—

diverted to his Swiss bank accounts

• Loans have grown: • Nigeria’s original $5 Billion now $32 Billion, already paid back $16

Billion

• HIPC: only a small dent in the numbers

Conflicts in Africa: 1990-2002

Rwanda

Democratic Republic of Congo(formerly Zaire)

                                       

Background to today’s war

• “Congo Free State” –personal property of King Leopold– Extremely cruel and rapacious– “Heart of Darkness”

• Belgian colony 1908 until 1960– Belgians decide to leave along with the rest of the colonial

powers– Democratic elections: Patrice Lamumba

• Uprising in south appealed to USSR for help

– US CIA sponsors coup d’etat and installs Joseph Mobutu/supports assassination of Lamumba (“Poisonwood Bible”)

Background to today’s war• 1965-1997: Joseph MobutuMobutu Sese Seko

– Despotic ruler:“Kleptocracy”• Built palaces and took wealth while country plunged deeper and deeper

into poverty

• 1997: Laurent Kabila, a rebel fighter, installed by Ugandan and Rwandan troops

• No better than Mobutu in leadership• Among others, Hutus fighting for him, killing ethnic Tutsis

• civil war – About face: UG and RW try to dislodge him together – But start to back different rebel groups start fighting with each

other– Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia send troops to defend Kabila

Background to today’s war

• Two issues:– Control of Diamond mines at Mbuji-Mayai– Rwandans want the Hutus back to retaliate

• Economy tanks, ignored peace agreement (Lusaka accords), Kabila assassinated

• Son: Joseph Kabila succeeds father– Develops relations with west/US, gets aid,

talks about human rights, but opponents fear a repeat of historic US support for Mobutu

Background to today’s war

• 2002: Peace agreement in Pretoria, SAsort of sticks– Rwanda pulls out 20,000 troops in Oct. 2002– Seeming peace, then

• May 2003: trouble flares up in Bunia, eastern Congo– Vacuum of power– Mineral rich: gold, diamonds and coltan – Lendu and Hema

• French, then UN peacekeeping forces: – Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Uruguay

News Story Congo

• News Hour/Salih Booker (Africa Action) interview

• http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/africa/jan-june03/congo_5-28.html

AIDs and War

AIDs and Economic Development for Africa?

• Africa within global economy: history of external intervention-– Most recent: External Debt and SAPs have:

• devastated health care gains made during the 1960’s/1970’s --

• Reduction in public health care and forced privatization benefiting elites;

• privatization of water

Debt reductions?

Economic Development for Africa?

• US Africa Policy: AGOA (Africa Growth and Opportunity Act): US Vision not Africa’s– Imposed “Free Trade” Agenda

• Open African markets/Minor access to US market• US and other rich countries subsidize farmers $1 Billion/day!

– Prioritizes oil (Nigeria) and resource extraction– ignores human rights abuses v. healthy open free trading

initiatives

• WTO rules protect pharmaceutical corps, not people-AIDs, GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)

African Initiatives

• NEPAD (New Partnership for African Development): encourage external investment on equal terms

– Problems with this, but seems to be addressing some of them

• “African Model Law for the Protection of the Rights of Local Communities, Farmers and Breeders, and for the Regulation of Access to Biological Resources."

• African Union?

© 2003 Population Reference Bureau

HIV/AIDS Demographics, Africa

Composition of the Infected Population, 2001

Men38%

Women53%

Children9%

Sub-Saharan Africa

Men66%

Women30%

Children3%

Rest of the World*

* Total does not equal 100 percent due to rounding.Source: UNAIDS, Report on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic, July 2002.

A I D S ’ E ff e c t o n A f r i c a n A g r ic u l t u re

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