As the curtains fell down on the
US-Africa summit last week, there was a sudden realization of one thing. That
the usual lectures about democracy, governance, and rule of law had been toned
down, and that the United States was even willing to accommodate seasoned dictators
like Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema and Gambia’s Yahya Jahmmeh. That
the United States engaged almost wholly on business and economic matters is
both a good and a bad thing.
It is a good thing in that the US
has finally acknowledged the true potential of Africa aside from the usual aid
towards humanitarian needs. The US now sees Africa as a continent beaming with
opportunities, and one that might serve economic interests of the US well. In
fact, the United States is late to this party, as other
