La Stampa July 2009

Africa has had a painful history. Even if we do not consider the evils of slavery and colonialism, independence, some 50 years ago for most African countries, coincided with the start of the Cold War. That period was devastating for the newly independent states of Africa.

While the super powers were locked in a deadly game of chess, African nations were no more than pawns – suppliers of essential raw materials and sites for military bases – but most importantly strategic ideological buffers against the advance of communism or capitalism (depending on which side you were on!).Corrupt and dictatorial regimes were propped up as dependable allies. Dictators were either “our bastards” or “their bastards”.

These policies brought disastrous consequences – we witnessed the rise of dictatorships, the culture of the “big man” and associated corruption. The end of the Cold War was probably the best thing which ever happened to Africa. At last African people were able to address their needs for state and institution building; for the democratic transformation of their societies; and above all for tackling poverty. However negative external perceptions of Africa persisted and, in many cases, continue to this day.

To take a personal example, when we decided to invest in a mobile network in Africa, all of my friends thought we were mad! Then as now, the perception of Africa as a risky investment destination prevailed. Africa seemed to lack infrastructure and a skilled workforce, disposable incomes and above all, the rule of law. This was broad-brush. It picked the failings of some corrupt regimes, and civil wars or genocide in other countries, and created a toxic mix which tarnished all 53 countries in Africa. This is like claiming that all Europeans are guilty of genocide on the evidence of what happened in the former Yugoslavia!

Yes, some African countries are failed states but let us always remember that Africa is 53 countries and most of them are peaceful and pleasant places to live and visit. (more…)

We need aid commitments to be delivered. They can save lives and help poor countries. But ultimately the salvation of Africa will come from within. Good governance, the capacity, to take decisions, implement them and see them through, is the only long term sustainable solution. That is the lesson of the past few decades. The image of Africa as a war-torn continent, plagued by conflict is commonly-held, but in truth this is an unfair simplification.

Nevertheless, conflict has been and remains a pitfall for many African countries seeking to grow their way out of poverty. It not only causes immense suffering, but undermines progress and sets nations on a downward spiral from which it can be hard to escape.

Such conflict is also difficult to contain – take Somalia, where conflict creates a breeding-ground for piracy and extremism that threatens not only its neighbours, but the rest of the world. Given the moral and security imperative, in some cases it may be possible and desirable for international forces to intervene with direct military action to end conflict and restore peace. This is what the world should have done to stop the genocide in Rwanda and it is what I did as Prime Minister in sending troops to end violence in Sierra Leone. In other cases however, peace will be best brought about through other interventions.

But ending conflict is only the beginning of the story. It is essential that enormous effort is focused on helping these countries recover and develop long-lasting stability. The good news is that, difficult as it can be, such recovery is possible. I have recently returned from Rwanda, which for most people conjures up an image of genocide and violence but which under the visionary leadership of President Kagame, has been transformed. The country is stable, health and education indicators are rapidly improving and the economy is booming – GDP growth last year was an extraordinary 10%.

What the case of Rwanda shows is not only that recovery is possible, but that central to that recovery is the role of political leadership – President Kagame has shown single-minded determination and must take much of the credit for that country’s recovery.

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The financial meltdown has translated into a development crisis for Africa. This is revealing its vulnerability not only to economic contraction but also to climate change. Changing weather patterns are already affecting the lives of millions of Africans by reducing food security, facilitating the spread of diseases like malaria, and prompting mass migration. The livelihoods and lives of millions of people are at risk.

Ironically, this crisis also presents a unique opportunity for Africa. The urgency of efforts to address climate change is revealing interesting prospects on the mitigation side, particularly in the areas of renewable energy and low carbon growth.

There is a real possibility to steer countries toward a new development model that will not only benefit Africa but the world. In the meantime, adaptation to climate change is critical. For Africa this means ‘weather proofing’ development by increasing food yields, investing in climate-resilient crops and infrastructure, promoting rainwater harvesting, and expanding medical control measures in anticipation increased vector-borne diseases.

Africa needs additional resources, over and above existing ODA commitments, to adapt to climate change. Financing adaptation to climate will be a formidable challenge, particularly as it involves additional costs above traditional development assistance – when ODA budgets are under pressure. Estimates of the amounts needed by developing countries to help them adapt to these challenges vary between 50 and 100 billion USD per year.

This is why Prime Minister Brown’s proposal last week on creating a fund for climate change is so welcome.

Failing to act now will not increase costs in the future – both financial and humanitarian. We all stand to lose from a reversal of the economic and social progress made across Africa in the past decade. Burgeoning markets might disappear and investment opportunities evaporate, while the risk of political instability will increase. Every percentage fall in growth has direct social consequences whether on nutrition levels, infant mortality or school attendance. Every person pushed back into poverty is another step away from achieving the Millennium Development Goals. For all of these reasons, the continued engagement and support of all of Africa’s partners including the G8 counties is vital.

As this year’s DATA Report from the Africa advocacy group ONE underscores, (more…)

A promise to the poor is particularly sacred. It is an act of grace and great leadership when all efforts are made to keep these pacts, and that is why those G8 countries which are leading the charge for the poorest, especially for those in Africa, deserve such credit. But we who praise must also be prepared to censure where it is clearly deserved.

It saddens me that great nations like Italy and France are going in the wrong direction and falling behind with the pledges they made four years ago at the Gleneagles summit. We must all campaign to encourage the forthcoming G8 meetings to get back on track and do what is right.

Of course African development must be driven by African citizens – from all areas of society – but we also need and welcome international support in our struggle against poverty and injustice. That means support from governments, and from good citizens in countries like Italy.

I expect that most of us tend to be deeply distressed, devastated often when we look at the news and see Darfur, Zimbabwe, the Congo. “When are we going to get good news?” we ask. Well I want to tell you that there is good news from Africa.

When I went to Darfur recently, I was particularly struck by those humanitarian workers who keep going back into an awful situation. I want to stand up and shout loudly for the fact that there are so many young people who are incredibly idealistic, who do believe that poverty can become history, who believe that it is possible to have a world without war.

Evil does not have a free rein. I come from a position that says this is moral universe, and good will ultimately prevail. In Africa, just within the past decade, thirty four million more children are now going to school, having the chance to learn to read and write and escape poverty. This is thanks to the efforts of African leadership, and effective aid, including that of G8 countries. It can be hard to imagine that many children, 34 million.

So imagine just one child who can now go to school and receive the gift of education. Give this child the face of a child you know. Give the face a name. It’s not about numbers; it’s about that child – somebody’s son, somebody’s brother.

It is fantastic that this has happened. There is also good news in the fight against illnesses like HIV/AIDS. There are now an estimated three million people in Africa on life saving AIDS treatment. Imagine if you were in a family affected by AIDS, your breadwinner had received a death warrant and you are watching this person slipping away, and then they get antiretroviral drugs and you see a metamorphosis.

We thought our mother was dying but now our mother is well enough to go to work. There are three million such individuals. Because aid has been given. A promise to the poor is particularly sacred. Not keeping that promise is a sin.