What Went Wrong with Africa

What Went Wrong with Africa

by Roel van der Veen
ISBN-10:
9068325485
ISBN-13:
9789068325485
Pub. Date:
08/28/2004
Publisher:
KIT (Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen)
ISBN-10:
9068325485
ISBN-13:
9789068325485
Pub. Date:
08/28/2004
Publisher:
KIT (Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen)
What Went Wrong with Africa

What Went Wrong with Africa

by Roel van der Veen

Paperback

$39.78
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Overview

The last fifty years have seen unprecedented changes in people’s standards of living all over the world. Despite explosive population growth, it has proved possible to dramatically elevate the quality of life. On average people’s lives have improved, all over the world, on every continent. Except Africa. Africa is the only large, contiguous region left out of the worldwide rise in prosperity. Why is that? Why has Africa failed to develop? Roel van der Veen (the Netherlands, 1957) is a historian by training. He deals with sub-Saharan Africa in his daily work. In "What went wrong with Africa" he describes the recent history of the continent and explores the causes of its widespread poverty, the AIDS epidemic and the misrule, corruption and disintegration afflicting so many African states.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9789068325485
Publisher: KIT (Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen)
Publication date: 08/28/2004
Edition description: New Edition
Pages: 416
Product dimensions: 6.75(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Country information11
Introduction13
1.The Cold War21
African independence21
The Africanisation of politics24
International support for the new states27
Anglophone Africa following decolonisation30
Francophone Africa following decolonisation34
From the Belgian Congo to Zaire38
Late decolonisation in Southern Africa41
The strategic importance of the Horn of Africa45
Africa and the shadow of the Cold War49
2.Economic decline53
Colonial influences on economic development53
The rise and fall of the African economies57
The oil crisis and the fall of the Berlin Wall60
Economic decline and externally imposed reforms62
Effects of the structural adjustment programmes66
The CFA: a separate exchange rate, a separate course69
Economic problems in conflict regions73
The social costs of the reforms75
A new danger: the disintegration of the state77
3.Democratisation81
Upheaval in Benin81
Many paths to the one-party state84
The call for social and political change87
Democratisation in Francophone Africa89
Democratisation in Anglophone Africa92
Failed democratisation in the Great Lakes region96
Obstacles to the development of democracy101
The democratisation years: an overview104
4.Renaissance109
A period of promise109
Peace in Ethiopia and Eritrea112
Positive developments in Southern Africa116
Mbeki's African renaissance122
New leaders and a wind of change?125
The United States' new policies on Africa127
Optimism versus pessimism132
Nelson Mandela134
5.Disintegration139
Failing states139
Mobutu and the erosion of the Zairean state142
New threats145
The demise of Somalia148
Liberia's path to revolution152
The battle for Monrovia154
Sierra Leone and the tragedy of Africa's youth158
Proliferation of light weapons162
Disintegration and violence in perspective165
6.War169
The genocide in Rwanda169
Causes and consequences172
Central Africa's Great War176
Ethiopia and Eritrea once again at war180
Continued fighting in Sudan183
Congo and the enemies of Kabila185
Congo and Kabila's allies189
The Lusaka Accord: untangling the web192
Refugees and internally displaced persons196
Conflict prevention on the agenda200
7.Globalisation205
The world economy: a runaway train205
In the grip of the international market207
The devaluation of the CFA franc210
Relative decline in trade and investment213
Slow economic growth217
Regional cooperation and African unity221
Continuing economic dependence on Europe225
South Africa: an emerging market230
Africa joins the technological revolution233
Cultural and religious responses235
8.A new population241
The population triples241
Mass migration to the cities244
The environment ravaged249
A poor outlook for the elderly252
Frustration among the youth254
To the prosperous West in search of a better life257
The rapid spread of the AIDS epidemic260
AIDS and Africa: the progress of a virus263
9.Poverty and aid269
Absolute and relative poverty269
The poor continent272
Strong yet vulnerable women275
The human rights situation: political poverty278
Mounting debts281
The aims and approach of development cooperation284
Money and effectiveness287
Aid and politics292
The psychology of aid297
The Netherlands: a committed partner for Africa304
10.Stability311
A patchwork of weak states311
Rampant corruption and increasing crime315
Reassessing the role of the state318
Attempts at decentralisation322
Democratisation around the turn of the millennium325
Winds of democratisation in Nigeria331
Delayed decline in Southern Africa335
The road to statehood: disappointment and determination339
International uncertainty344
Conclusions351
The slow surge of the past351
Why Africa failed356
Plenty of change, but little progress359
The postcolonial state: a comparison between continents363
An African renaissance?366
Notes371
Bibliography379
Abbreviations393
Country index397
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