ARTICLE: Some African countries are just not viable, says philanthropist, By Daniel Howden, The Independent, 17 November 2009
Some truer words were never spoken:
A month after withholding a $5m African leadership prize because there was no suitable recipient, the wealthy philanthropist Mo Ibrahim has caused another stir by saying that some countries on the continent are too small to survive.While most African leaders shy away from criticising each other, the telecoms billionaire, born in Sudan, has used his fortune to puncture this cosy consensus. "Something is drastically wrong. I think we have the right to ask our leaders: are they really serious?" he told a conference on good governance in Tanzania. "Who are we to think that we can have 53 tiny little countries and be ready to compete with China, India, Europe, the Americans? It is a fallacy."
Addressing an audience that included the Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and the Senegalese singer Youssou N'dour, he added: "Some of our countries, and I'm really sorry to say this, are just not viable."
For Africa to thrive as it's progressively integrated into globalization's buyer and producer networks, countries there will have to avail themselves of opportunities for collective bargaining, meaning some sort of multinational architectures will need to be pursued. Forget the "state" concept, I say, and lead with the economics.
(Via WPR's Media Roundup)
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Comments (4)
It could be easier than expected. Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania have talked about reforming an East African union. Many of the West African nations -- perhaps the most nonviable small economies -- use the same currency.
Posted by Scott | November 28, 2009 11:57 AM
Another issue is the intense ethnocentrism and tribalism that still exists in much of the African Continent. Europe is an excellent example that has come out the other end, but there are still ethnic issues in the Balkans, and lingering issues in N Ireland, and parts of Spain, but those problems are magnitudes less severe.
Posted by Petrer | November 28, 2009 10:56 PM
I'd be curious to know if there were more major tribal grouping that current African states. As that could be an ideal way to go. so much of the conflict in Africa seems to stems from straight line borders, so a return to tribal grouping may actually assist not just with a downsizing of the number of states but also with restoration of tribes split by borders
Posted by David Sutton
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November 29, 2009 7:10 PM
I think willingness will be easier than expected. I think execution will be worse.
But that is the course of human affairs....
Posted by Tom Barnett | November 30, 2009 10:23 AM