What We’re Reading 8/13/09

Aug 13th, 2009 11:47 AM UTC
By Grace Lamb-Atkinson

Secretary Clinton in Africa

Reuters: Clinton Says Bad Governance Fuels Nigeria Poverty Gap
Hillary Clinton yesterday blamed failed government for Nigeria’s huge poverty gap and urged the country to toughen up on corruption and fix a “flawed” electoral system. In a speech before civic leaders the Secretary of State said Nigeria — the continent’s biggest energy producer and its second biggest economy — should rank among the world’s most important developing nations, but its reputation for graft undermines its international standing.

AFP: Clinton Heads to Liberia to Show Women Power
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads to Liberia today, in a show of support for President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Africa’s first female head of state has won strong goodwill overseas, particularly in the United States, as she spearheads efforts to rebuild Liberia. But the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission recently recommended that Sirleaf be banned from political activities because of alleged involvement in the country’s civil wars. Johnnie Carson, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said that Clinton “wants to reaffirm US support” for Sirleaf.

Other news

Washington Post: In Nigeria, Sharia Fails to Deliver
The Washington Post reports that Nigeria’s Islamic legal system has turned out in a way few expected. The Post says that the utopia envisioned by backers of sharia law, who believed that it would end decades of corruption and pillaging by civilian and military rulers, has not come to pass. The people are still poor, residents complain, and politicians are still rich. Nigeria’s moderate form of sharia law may not have delivered a Muslim revolution, as many predicted, but it has fueled a growing disillusionment with democracy which could, analysts say, spark religious militancy.

Boston Globe: Global Healthcare Takes More than a Pill
Former Senator Bill Frist writes in an op-ed that as the United States works on a comprehensive global health strategy it must deliver to the poor a system-wide program of rehabilitation to increase the productivity and prosperity of their communities. Frist says that doing so requires a multi-dimensional approach and an effort to move beyond the focus on high-profile diseases to also invest in overlooked, but treatable, diseases.

Reuters: World Bank Pledges More Help for Ambitious Rwanda
World Bank President Robert Zoellick pledged yesterday to boost development aid to Rwanda to help rebuild the country ripped apart by genocide. The east African state is reviving its economy with spending on tourism, agriculture and mining. Zoellick said the World Bank wanted to bolster the areas of infrastructure, farming and private sector development, as after several years of strong growth, Rwanda has been hit hard by the collapse in global trade and commodity prices.

-Grace Lamb-Atkinson

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