CHALLENGES FACING AFRICA Spring 2012.docVIP

CHALLENGES FACING AFRICA COLONIALISM: European powers paid no attention tribal boundaries when drawing borders of countries They sometimes put enemies in the same country, separated tribes in different countries Might favor one tribe over another Gave Africans little voice in government Raw materials were sent to Europe, very little benefit to African citizens Might take bribes, might be corrupt When Africans became independent (mostly after 1945), they set up governments like the colonial powers they had known…corrupt officials, controlling governments, unstable governments, taking resources and returning few services Military coups are common “This affects economic development in Africa because people are afraid to invest in a country with an unstable or dishonest government, because they may lose their money.” CONFLICTS (give one example per type of conflict) Conflicts between two countries Conflicts entirely within one country Tribal conflicts Conflicts over resources Conflicts over foreign companies developing resources Civil unrest Rebel armies continuing to fight after the war is officially over Side effects of conflicts: destruction of infrastructure: destruction of food crops: inability to transport food or medical supplies: loss of population: women and children suffer most; human trafficking, mostly of women and children; female children kidnapped and given to rebel officers as prizes of war; male children kidnapped and forced to become “child soldiers”. “Conflicts affect economic development in Africa because it destroys infrastructure, uses available resources, kills of potential workers and customers, adds costs to any future development, as the infrastructure will have to replaced, and may result in the direct destruction of businesses…no one wants to invest in a war zone.” TRIBALISM The belief that your tribe is better than all other tribes, and that it is okay to discriminate against other tribes. Examples are found throughout Africa;