Promises to Keep
With some nudging from activists, European politicians try to make good on pledges to Africa
"No Child Should Die if it's Avoidable"
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer is trying to cajole other developed countries into coughing up more for Africa.
The Road to Recovery
Though outside aid and assistance are vital, Africa must find its own path from poverty to prosperity
The End Of Poverty
In a world of plenty, 1 billion people are so poor, their lives are in danger. How to change that for good
GRAINS OF HOPE: Following an airdrop by the World Food Program in war-torn west Darfur, Sudanese women sift the dust to salvage wheat that has spilled from burst food bags
The Road to Recovery
Though outside aid and assistance are vital, Africa must find its own path from poverty to prosperity
Posted Sunday, March 6, 2005; 14.09 GMT
It's a smooth ride from the Rwandan capital of Kigali to the border shared with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Heading west on an immaculate stretch of tarmac, the road winds through hills covered by quilts of carefully tended fields. Where it has ruptured, workers are busy digging in preparation for patching. The only delay comes from uniformed police officers who check driving licenses and safety regulations. Once across the border into Congo, though, it's an altogether bumpier ride. Deep potholes ravage the tires. There are still police at the roadside, but these officers demand bribes for safe passage. To where? Goma, the first stop along the route, is desolate. A 2002 volcanic eruption and almost a decade of civil war have laid waste the town; endemic corruption has siphoned off crucial funds for reconstruction.
Goma is one reason why rich countries are wary of giving more aid to Africa. And the problems that plague this border town — natural disasters, dire poverty, corrupt and brutal leaders — afflict the continent as a whole. Money alone can't banish these scourges. After recent meetings at which the failures of development policy, and possible new approaches, were discussed — the Commission for Africa two weeks ago, the G-7 Finance Ministers' meeting in February — donors were asking why they should now forgive more debt and stump up more cash. Can African governments be trusted to spend wisely? Or are outside nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) a better investment?
Some say that Africa can't — or won't — turn itself around. Yet back at the start of the road to Goma lies a powerful counterargument. Ten years ago, Rwanda was torn apart by a genocide in which 800,000 people died. Now, though still terribly scarred, the country is recovering. The government has tackled corruption and brought order to the countryside. In Kigali, business is booming. Rwanda's own efforts are bolstered by assistance from foreign governments and aid agencies. Its citizens have cause for hope — and so, too, say African leaders, does the rest of the continent.
Africa's horror stories mask real progress. Three years ago, the continent's 54 countries launched the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), an umbrella organization that hopes to attract investment by bolstering good governance. NEPAD differs from ambitious past initiatives, say its fans, because it was created in Africa, is headed up by Africa's most influential leaders — Algeria's Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo, Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade and South Africa's Thabo Mbeki — and because it is matching words with deeds.
The Corruption Cop [Oct. 11, 2004]
Nigeria's first female Finance Minister wants to make sure her country's petrodollars help people
An African New Deal? [Jun. 10, 2002]
South Africa's Thabo Mbeki is trying to sell a plan to encourage both democracy and investment. It could be Africa's last hope for joining the global economy
Look Who's Growing Fastest [Dec. 4, 2002]
One of the world's poorest regions is coming up faster than ever before
Partners, Not Beggars [July 8, 2002]
The rich world gives a mild endorsement to a new African development plan, NEPAD
Love Thy Neighbor [Feb. 18, 2002]
Nowhere is there greater concern about the crisis in Zimbabwe than in the one country that, by itself, has the means to make or break Robert Mugabe: neighboring South Africa
All for One, One for All [
July 14, 2002
]
The Organization of African Unity is dead, long live the African Union. Better luck this time?
To Eat or Not to Eat [Nov. 24, 2002]
As Zambia starves, the U.S. and the E.U. battle over genetically modified food aid in Africa
Mogadishu at 60 Miles an Hour Arms merchants are once again doing brisk business after a rapid change of power in this tough town, but so far the peace has held
The Year of The Nuke A rundown of the world's nuclear powerhouses, and what to expect in the coming months
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