In vital resources -- oil, copper, diamonds, gold, timber and more -- the continent is rich beyond imagination. Indeed, Africa is more breadbasket than basket case. The United States is projected to import some 25 percent of its oil from Western Africa in the coming years. While the U.S. media pays Africa little attention, the Chinese leads by far in the mad dash for a share of the continent's natural treasures. Using some of the money it makes in trade with the U.S., China is investing heavily across Africa, building highways, hotels, bridges and dams, seeking to lock up long term access to resources and the good will of African leaders.
The United States is way behind.
The African continent will only become more important in the future. The whole world has a stake in what happens there. For decades, Africa was little more than a pawn in the Cold War, before that the playing field of competing imperialist nations. Now it is a key geographic territory in the fight against terror after al-Qaida blew up embassies in Somalia and Kenya. The continent's mineral resources reinforce its strategic importance. Africa matters. Therefore it is in the U.S.' and the world's best interest that Africa's fledgling democracies succeed so that true democracy might spread across the vast continent.
That is why I recently spent five days in Cote d'Ivoire, meeting with its current President and opposition leaders and addressing youth groups and religious figures, as the West African nation prepares for a crucial Presidential election on Nov. 29 -- a day that will go a long way in determining the future of democracy in the region. For most of its 49-year history as an independent nation, Cote d'Ivoire has been a shinning light of a dimly viewed West Africa. Politically stable, culturally tolerant and economically vigorous, Cote d'Ivoire was and is a regional powerhouse.
As one U.S. Embassy official described the nation of 18 million people to me, Cote d'Ivoire was to its neighbors what the United States is to Mexico and Central America. "This is where people went to find work,'' the official said. "If this economy gets shut down you will see a dramatic impact on the entire region.'' Cote d'Ivoire produces 40 percent of the world's coco and is a major exporter of bananas, coffee, cotton, palm oil, pineapples, rubber, timber and tuna. In recent years, according to U.S. Embassy figures, petroleum exports have risen significantly, and petroleum is now the country's largest foreign exchange earner.
As I toured its sprawling port -- the second largest in Africa -- I saw five cargo ships loaded with fruit and vegetables headed to Europe. Abidjan, its biggest city once known as "Little Paris,'' was a popular destination for tourists from the United States and Europe for years. But then there was a coup in 1999, followed by UN sanctions, another coup attempt in 2001 and a brutal civil war in 2002 that split the country between North and South, pushing Cote d'Ivoire to the brink of disaster. Today, the shooting has stopped. But the nation remains on the brink. A transparent and fair election is the key to restoring Cote d'Ivoire to its place among the family of nations. A world class democracy means world class investment.
That was my message as I met separately with President Laurent Gbagbo and leaders of the two opposition parties who are vying for the Presidential Palace. I had a long and fruitful discussion by phone with Henri Konan Bedie, a former president running for his old job, and I sat down with representatives of Alassane Ouattara, who was out of the country, seeking medical treatment in Paris.
As I made clear whenever and to whomever I spoke, I was there not to support a candidate but to support the process of democracy.
In addressing a pan-African youth conference and a meeting of Muslim and Christian religious leader I asked the people and the candidates to agree to three basic principles.
Number one: Campaign diligently and fairly.
Number two: Use the language of reconciliation and not destruction.
Number three: Publicly pledge to support the winner.
The will to build a great country must be stronger than personal rapaciousness. The winner must win with grace; the losers must lose with dignity. All must support and serve Cote d'Ivoire. I also sat down with the Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro. Three years ago he was the leader of the rebellion in the North. Now he is overseeing the election, working night and day to heal his nation. He invited me back to act as a monitor of the election, which I intend to do.
I reminded him and everyone else I met that we in the United States had once been divided between North and South, locked in our own bloody civil war.
After that war we suffered through generations of American apartheid. It took a century before the right to vote of every American citizen was protected by law. Through the depth of that pain, Americans are learning to live together across lines of class, gender and race.
America rose from the ashes of pain and division. Cote d'Ivoire can rise as well.
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
The United States is obviously going to have a strategic relationship with sub-Saharan African countries. Now that we've passed the milestone of having an African American as president, it should be pretty clear from now on that it's a natural alliance.
I stopped reading as soon as I noticed that the Rev. referred to diamonds as a "vital" resource. Sans monopolistic manipulation diamonds are cheap rocks. Useful, but plentiful and cheap.
While Rev. Jacksons point about the investment of China into Africa's infrastructure is factual it convieniently overlooks the other side of the coin. The United States has been the leader for decades in the fight against Aids and other diseases that adversely affect the ability of the African people to propel themselves forward in the 21st century, not China. We give a tremendous amount of food to combat starvation in war torn areas of many African countries. We help build schools, hospitals and send doctors and medicine into those same areas and have done so when China was still struggling under Mao. We are the most vocal about the genocide in Darfur ( China is almost mute on this issue) and been criticized by many in Africa and China as being colonialist for our efforts. China's ambitions should be understood for what they are, which is solely their concern with the future revenues they can extract from this continent. That is the difference between America people and the Chinese. To compare these values fairly and the differences in our efforts for the people of Africa is to compare apples to oranges. China, who's own human rights record within it's own borders is abysmal, can hardly be confused by anyone as a caring nation. Rev. Jackson should know the difference and quit blowing smoke.
But those wars in Africa are caused by the opposition leaders supported and financed by the USA, from Zimbabwe, to Congo, and Sudan to say the least. Take a blue pill and stop believe what the USA media tell you. Go in the internet and do research and you will finally have a different persepective and the really truth about Africa and USA foreign policy.
You are naive if you believe all the woes of Africa can be attributed to America. Most of the continent was colonized and exploited by the European countries long before the the Americans came into the scene. Do you think it's just Americans that wear diamonds, use oil, and precious metals? Americans, as a whole, have been far more generous in their help to Africa than any other single nation on earth. If you believe otherwise perhaps you should be taking some kind of pill and stop bashing America for it's generosity.
Nightwind928, you are exactly right. I was thinking just on what you stated. What africa needs honestly is good leadership. Whenever leaders are out of order then the people become bait for anything. Americans have not forgot africa we give and give to africa and as an african american I know first hand had it not been for america some of the precious people of africa would not be here today. Missionaries from all over america are there, as well as missionaries from other countries, letting us know the needs of the poor people, yes diamonds are there but if you don't know how to utilize what riches you have your still poor. Africa is in desperate need but I know we are helping but their government continues to keep them hungry and desolate, we come to give a hand up not a hand out to africa, these precious people need good leadership who will put the people first. Just my view.
Giving for AIDS treatment, while noble, is nothing more than a handout to the pharmaceutical companies. The same can be said for disaster relief, funneling tax dollars to agribusiness for their surplus foodstuffs. All the while, AIDS and starvation continue to run rampant over the continent. When you give away aid, you put a band-aid on a gunshot wound. When you invest, not only are you developing, you're buying something. So at the end of the day, there will still be plenty of AIDS and starvation, but China will own the place. It's not comparing apples and oranges, it's comparing fruit and orchards. Don't pat yourself on the back for something that will have a negligible effect and nothing to show for it in the end.
Mr. Jackson, The USA never ignored Africa. Without coltan, a product found only in Africa, 80% of it, you chose to ignore, USA Citizen could not have used now a cell-phone or a computer. All usa multinationals from VERISON, AT&T, CISCO to just name the fews could not prosper without coltan. USA never ignore Africa, rather it uses IMF and Word-Bank to continue enslaving Africa through it fiat money that are even payed by Gold and Diamond from Congo. While China has chosen to empower Africa and prosper herself, the USA elites never thought it's a good idea to create an African middle class.
Interesting
Co-sign!
Good argument but Africans shld know that China is doing exactly what many colonialists of the did to the African Continent. After Arab colonialists, came the European in the 18th Century invasion of Africa...Arabs have never left Northern and Eastern Africa regions. China is currently in the baiting stage in Africa. Once Africans are hooked, true colors will reign and watch their iron fists (Chinese) force Africans to learn Cantonese, Mandarin and acculturate them, otherwise, no more Mr. nice guys. Anyway, when Britain so-called left Africa, they did exactly what China is doing right now in Africa. Britain created middle-class citizens (in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia) and built several Educational institutions, infrastructure (hospitals, airports, railway) and judicial and govt systems (to correspond with their post colonial ties). Other former colonies e.g., DRC (Zaire), Rep. of Congo, Cameroon, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, etc. did not benefit much from indirect rule in infrastructure, educational institutions, etc.
FACTUAL ERROR: "Now it is a key geographic territory in the fight against terror after al-Qaida blew up embassies in Somalia and Kenya. " Blew up the embassy in Somalia??!! They blew up the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
While it may be questionable the reasoning and altruism behind the new focus on the continent of Africa, we can not deny that it is a focus that's long overdue. This is a thing that may and should benefit all parties in the long run, Americans as well as those in various African nations. The Continent of Africa spells expansion for the American economy, and America can help spell overall domestic development and stability for African nations.
Read Full Article »