Why Does the World Ignore Africa - Essay Example

Why does the world ignore Africa Section Number: Why does the world ignore Africa The continent of Africa is ranked number two amongst the largest continents in the world and ranked top amongst the most-populous ones. Including the island groups, there are 53 states in Africa. The political system includes a federation known as the African Union. Political associations such as the African Union are created with the aim of offering hope for greater co-operation and peace between the continent's many countries. However Africa does not come without its fair share of problems. The economy is Africa's Achilles' heel. Despite the abundance in Africa's natural resources it is still one of the world's poorest and most underdeveloped continents. This economy is often the reason for a number of deadly conflicts, guerilla warfare and genocides within different African states: the Darfur conflict. Human rights are also a cause of major cause as they are brutally violated in states like Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone. Basic amenities like healthcare are also severely lacking with deadly diseases and viruses like HIV/AIDS on the rise. With high levels of illiteracy, African states are unable to emerge from their developing status to provide any sort of contribution to the creation of an industrial or service sector. Poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition and inadequate water supply and sanitation affect the African population. The result is that the situation is severe enough for the last 25 ranks in the United Nations Human Development Report to be African states (Reuters). The reasons given for Africa's backwards condition are diverse and complicated. While countries like the United States swoop in to prevent and curb the spread of AIDS in Africa, little is done for the conflicts ranging in the African states. The civil wars are ignored because the world sees them as wars between the Africans to seize and exploit human rights. Tragedies like the Rwandan genocide were shown by the Western media as just another incident of tribal violence in Africa (Heleta 2009). The weapons used to kill the victims were the most simple and brutal available: men, women and children were hacked to death with simple machetes. The death of nearly a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus by the brutal extremists in Rwanda created not a stir of sympathy or assistance. Instead, the UN Security Council was pressurized by its major components: United States and Britain to cut down the number of UN troops in the region from 2500 to 270, right in the midst of the genocide. The French were no less severe as they were held responsible for training the Hutu troops that attacked the Tutsis, all in the name of retaining their French influence in the region. History today sees Ramada as one of the biggest UN failures not only because of its inability to curb the violence but also because while it drew out troops from Rwanda it increased the numbers being sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina. On a trip to Rwanda in 1998 Clinton did apologize stating "We in the United States and the world community did not do as much as we could have and should have done to try to limit what occurred in Rwanda in 1994" (The Radford Reviews). The question arising is that why did the world not do anything Many claim this to be a move to protect the white man while ignoring the black one. Western governments' were said to be aware of this genocide and yet it did nothing to intervene. So after Rwanda's atrocities why did the developed world not prevent the tragedy of Darfur 300,000 people were killed in this region and no action was taken by any government to intervene. The Darfur Daily News complains and rightly so that the United Nations has been created to prevent such atrocities and has been unable to fulfill its responsibilities (2009). So maybe all the accusations placed on the world for favoring a certain race or ignoring the problems of another country is well-founded in the lack of interest shown for Rwanda and Darfur. It has already been mentioned that Africa has an abundant supply of natural resources. Areas like Nigeria are rich in oil. Yet it is one of the most backwards and underdeveloped countries in the world. The question that arises is why have areas like the Middle East which are also rich in oil prospered and Nigeria suffered The government of Nigeria is disloyal to its people. The politicians step in and after seizing power put all the profits made from oil into their personal bank accounts. Foreign oil companies like Shell exploit the opportunities provided to them by the cheap labor and weak laws. Not only are harmful chemicals dumped into the Nigerians' water supply causing disease but it has also lead to local protests that had led to the involvement of the military (Essential Action). No compensation is provided for the lives, health or resources used in the areas as they are opulently exploited. The force used by the military to bring law and order only results in torture and killings. Thus, the foreign companies maintain their economic prowess at the expense of the local population. So while the world seems to be investing in the development of the poor Nigeria, it actually eats away at whatever economy the locals possess. Another illusion of the world's opulence but evident ignorance of Africa is Sierra Leone. The area suffered because of a conflict of interests: diamonds. A rebel force, the Revolutionary United Front used its power to remove the corrupt government. However diamonds soon turned into the main interest and horrendous crimes were committed to gain them. The UN's intervention is seen as one of the biggest successes on the part of the peace organization as they created a peace deal between the rebels and the government. Though the UN moved in immediately to stop the conflict in Sierra Leone it was still unable to change its position from one of the poorest countries in the world. The abundance of NGOs created jobs for the locals but the international organizations paid more, creating an image of a wonderful Western life. This has led to considerable disillusionment amongst the young generations in the region who wants to escape the poor system and move to areas like America to live the romanticized "American Dream". By helping in Sierra Leone the world helped stop the war but did nothing for the region to survive. The number of prostitutes in the area has increased as the age for the girls involved has fallen (Bright 2001). Also, Kono is a diamond-rich district in the region. Despite the apparent democracy set up by the Western world, the government has no control over this region. It is still dependant on the donations made to it by foreign investors or countries even though it's rich in its own resources. The international community came to stop a war that had been raging for ten years, 8 years too late and moved in with such force that it took over all the valuable resources that were in abundance in Sierra Leona. The economic aspect in this African region did not even spare the children. Gun-traders and bandits use the children for smuggling arms and drugs without any prevention from the world that otherwise plays a huge role in protecting its own children and their rights. Zimbabwe is another black mark against the world's name. The ignorance and lack of care shows when Mugabe seized power more than a decade ago the world did little to stop him. In fact, Mugabe rules Zimbabwe till this very day through a coalition government. Ever since its independence Zimbabwe was drained of all its economic and political vitality (Hoey 2007). Anyone who dared to speak against Mugabe's dictatorship saw their houses bulldozed and their families starved. All political organizations were shut down as Mugabe ran a strict regime with dictatorial qualities. The world which preaches the advantages of a democratic system refused to intervene. When it chose to take action against Iraq's lack of democratic system when not finish the inhumanities in Africa. Mugabe would use troops to terrorize and prevent the meetings of any opposition force. Apart from this Mugabe did little to provide for the people he ruled over. Basic amenities like clean water were so greatly lacking that it led to a cholera epidemic: one that was denied by Mugabe. Human rights were violated and oppression was rampant in Zimbabwe's tortured yet heroic population. Only recently did the European Union and America force enough pressure on Mugabe to turn his tyrannical government into a joint coalition with Prime Minister Tsvangarai. Before this, no boycotts or sanctions were placed on Zimbabwe who was carried on as the mere threats did little to disable the oppressive government. Thus once again the world took no notice of the torture and pain of the suffering Zimbabwe. The resources are rich and the money plentiful in Zimbabwe. Corruption is also rampant under the government's dictatorial status: why would any country in the world lose or give up such a chance. The World Bank made a statement asking countries not to cut down on the foreign aid they are providing to Africa as this would lead to an ignorant move on part of the rich countries (2009). The World Bank stated that if investments are made in Africa and resources tapped, these are sure to pay back once the economy is back on track. Though this seems like a move made to protect Africa's economy, it is also a way for the world to take away and exploit Africa's resources and labor for their own profit ventures. Slave houses were created in Africa for the slaves to depart from their homeland to America. Some of these areas like Goree is located in the capital of Senegal and is visited by tourists from all over. Archives show the number of slaves that have left this region to be numbering almost to 12 million: more than half of who could not survive the journey to America (Horowitz 2001). The Pope himself visited the grounds in Goree and made an apology to the Africans for the horrendous torture that had been meted out to them. But apologies are not what the Africans want. Instead their leaders search for economic and political stability: something that was torn and exploited ever since colonialists set foot on the land. Africa is constantly torn apart by civil conflicts, wars, genocides and guerilla warfare. It might be one of the biggest areas in the world, but the attention given to it by the rest of its fellow continents. Constantly hit by famine: Africa despite its abundant resources is unable to provide the most basic amenity to its people, food. The media and internet is overflowing with images of starving Africans suffering from malnutrition, yet these pictures have been repeated over the years with no consolation. The media has played its role as a watchdog to assist these people but to no avail. Individuals have seen the pictures so often that many have become desensitized to the pain and isolation of these people. The world has always followed the rule of the strongest being the supreme power responsible for all important discussions. In the 21st century, this power resides in the hands of the West: mainly America and the European states. With diseases on the rise, the West steps in with its basic gestures of humanity, trying to eradicate AIDS or HIV. The Africans have seen independence and survived civil wars but to combat this deteriorating death is quite another challenge. But to what avail, the basic problems still remains the same. The essay proves that the world has not cared for Africa. The slight efforts it has put in trying to eradicate the problems is so overridden by ulterior motives that the entire concept of helping is removed by their actions. Africa can prove to be one of the richest and most powerful regions if allowed to grow to its full capacity. Yet, the world, despite the various wars and pain has still not learned its lessons. Economic and political power is still foremost in the entire world's mind. If this power comes from exploiting another country or killing its people, then so far nothing has been able to stop them and maybe nothing will. Works cited Bright D, 18-20 June 2001, Sierra Leone, the conflict and the world, viewed June 16 2009 http://www.c-r.org/resources/occasional-papers/sierra-leone-conflict-world.php Darfur Daily News, May 27 2009, Darfur remains a UN disgrace, viewed June 16 2009, http://darfurdaily.blogspot.com/2009/05/darfur-remains-un-disgrace_27.html Essential Action, Expose the Shell game, viewed June 16 2009 http://www.essentialaction.org/shell/rapsheet.html Heleta, S, April 07 2009, Rwandan Genocide: The world watched and did nothing, viewed June 16 2009, http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.actionarticleId=281474977648895 Hoey K, September 21 2007, Zimbabwe: An outrage the world can no longer ignore, Yorkshire Post, viewed June 16 2009 http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/opinion/Kate-Hoey-Zimbabwe-an-outrage.3221345.jp Horowitz N, January 09 2001, All to happy to ignore Africa's double holocaust, viewed June 16 2009 http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtmlitemNo=69949 Reuters November 27 2007, Iceland best place to live, Africa worst: UN, viewed June 16 2009 http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2642096720071127 The Radford Reviews, February 12 2005, Rwanda revisited, viewed June 16 2009 http://www.radfordreviews.com/cgi-bin/rview.cgirm=mode2&type=article&name=RwandaRevisited World Bank, February 04 2009, Developed Countries Ignore Africa at Their Peril, World Bank Warns, viewed June 16 2009, http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22056632pagePK:146736piPK:146830theSitePK:258644,00.html Read More