Analysis of a huge continent and a fragile situation: Africa
Between ups and downs, the African continent still suffers from a mix of crises that could lead to certain instability
In 1945, at the end of World War II, nearly every country in Africa was subject to colonial rule or administration.
Following decolonization, the process of the revolution began to rev up. Organized and violent movement by which a new social or political order is established. It is normally used to overthrow a political power or a (in the eyes of a few) wrong national system.
Behind a malfunctioning of a state system there are several problems ,one that helps or suppress the other: few resources for the population, few or non-existent social initiatives, hospital system poor in resources or non-existent, high rate of corruption, the exploitation of local resources (by external actors) in favor of a few or a small circle of people, climatic factors and the impossibility of coping with them or scarcity of water resources, etc…
This series of conditions creates discontent in the population and favors the implementation of an effective coup d’ètat, as the population is tired of this particular life situation, any glimmer of freedom to visible (but not effective or tangible) change, goes well.
In most cases they occur due to liberal foreign policies such as giving the possibility to foreign nations to operate in the territory, or the government allowing external non-governmental or non-profit organizations (UN or humanitarian organizations) to operate in the territory or the most famous case is when after a crisis the nation in question receives international aid and large amounts of money for the growth and recovery of the economic-social system.
In remote cases it occurs when the army general apparatuses or high military leaders are about to be torpedoed or questioned by the government or are under the scrutiny of international organizations due to cases of corruption or crimes against the humanity.
Other reasons of coup d’ètat may be:
- Officers’ personal grievances
- Military organizational grievances
- Military popularity
- Military attitudinal cohesiveness
- Economic decline
- Domestic political crisis
In these cases the government is overthrown and there is the beginning of the so-called “transitional administrations” that remain in power for years and years.
After the decolonization of Africa, there have been multiple militaries in power, through atrocities and coups, sometimes coordinated with enemies of democratically established governments (usually pro-Western governments) to create instability in that country and put the allied country in crisis.
See Rhodesia which with the agreements sanctioned a temporary return of the same to the sovereignty of the United Kingdom (former colonial power) and then ceded it to the newly formed Republic of Zimbabwe. The elections of April 18, 1980 ended the British mandate and marked the beginning of the dictatorial regime of Robert Mugabe.
In most cases, these are economic resources: such as natural resources or concessions given to third countries and external companies, as I talk about in the article “What is War Profiteering and how it happens”.
These internal imbalances create instability in the country, a collapse of the internal system (such as public health, public services and security) and create an endless picture of crisis.
The crisis brings down relations with third countries, prevents the progress of the economy, brings down the internal GDP, brings down the exchange of goods and currencies, blocks tourism and investments by external companies, because in order to be able to invest in a country there is a need for system security and stability with few barriers within the public administration.
In recent years Africa on the other hand has recorded progress and successes in some fields of security and economy especially in the south of the continent.
These two unknowns attract investments and consequently resources to be introduced into the social system.
Indeed Mauritius is the safest country on the continent, the 23rd safest country in the world in 2023, with a GPI score of 1,546 and Mauritius follows closely with a GNI per capita of $9,920 (after the Seychelles), consequently it is one countries where foreign investment is concentrated.
South Africa is the fourth richest country in Africa with a GNI per capita of $6,530, even counting its issues related to safety, but as in other large cities of the world, they are limited to certain areas of large cities or city suburbs.
Actually the safest cities in the african continent are the following:
1. Kigali — Rwanda
2. Dar-es-Salaam — Tanzania
3. Victoria — Seychelles
4. Port-Louis — Mauritius
5. Tangier — Morocco
6. Gaborone — Botswana
7. Tunis — Tunisia
8. Nairobi — Kenya
9. Kampala — Uganda
10. Cape Town — South Africa
Cape Town is widely regarded as a gateway to Africa between Asia, South America and Europe (also for its location in the Cape of good hope) and companies wishing to do business on the continent often establish their offices here and international operations. It’s a strategic point like the Panama Canal for America, the Suez Canal for the Middle East or Singapore for Asia.
Recent years have seen economic progress in the following countries nominal GDP: Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa and Libya.
Africa is a resources rich continent and in recent years its growth has been due to sales, commodities, services, and manufacturing services and products. West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa in particular, are expected to reach a combined GDP of $29 trillion within next 30 years. The most powerfull economy in the continent is the Nigeria, with its capital city Lagos as the largest city in Africa.
The majority of the business transactions in Africa occur in cash. Most countries on the continent rely significantly on cash, which is frequently used also in informal economies. Online or card payment are not used so much nowadays as european and asian countries due low trust in bank system, high fees and online financial frauds in the continent.
Excluding the ups and downs, Africa remains a unique continent of its kind, the cradle of humanity and a multi-ethnic territory with a culture and history as unique as any continent on earth.
In Africa there are nations that in the future will have a very high developed cities comparable to our Western standards such as: Eko Atlantic-Nigeria, Modderfontein-South Africa and Tatu City-Kenya.
This article is the synthesis of a personal general African analysis, the information is free to interpret and is based on existing data also collected through the world bank — GINI index, wikipedia, UN. org and statesman.
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03/08/2023 — Lorenzo De Donato
