contemp. africa final

-one begins in 18th century, there was a hierarchy of power & people who were herders had most access to political power, violence against cultivators.
-standard explanation- colonialism. colonial pd made the extreme ethnics ties. Germany and then Belgium strengthened the hierarchial structure. Belgians decreed that only tutsi could hold gov't position.

In rwanda. little house. the party is in control. patronage system personal. Habyarimana's personal family in control. instigators of genocide. long history of people being excluded, who want to take over.

1993. other african countries and US put pressure on Rwanda to negotiate peace with Paul Kagame. attempted. signed agreement to integrate RPF army and gov't army. also to hold democratic elections.

key factor: propaganda, radio, racial, legitimacy of gov't

long/short: short, 90s

solution: conflict resolution, getting elites from different parties together or trials.

why did people respond? see peasant obedience.

key factor: culture. obedience, apathy. explains manipulation. they have culture of fear..

long/short: long/short

solution: educate. tell them cultural difference.

problem- peasants aren't apathetic. rich history of disobedience. and this still doesn't explain why they did it.

not explanation but intervention may have helped.

key factor: US, UN, France

long/short: short

solution: we need triggers that help us discern levels of violence to know when to act. africa cannot be marginalized. But this doesn't consider dynamics in Rwanda.

key factor: soil erosion.., decline of Rwanda economically

long/short: varies but mostly short

solution: conservation of resources, abortion clinics.

this is a powerful argument, NGO's have responded. they think less people means less conflicts.

problems deep and longterm. looking at it short-term limits the solutions. POVERTY is a big reason- creates food deficits. also political and economic exclusion leads to frustration- more reason to be violent. lack of communication from top to bottom. lack of dignity.

not one reason.

New Partnership for Africa's Development.
response to economic problems, AIDS... (african solutions to african problems)

-accept responsibility for economic woes
- one package of development. deal with everything at once.
west likes them to take responsibility.

the idea of "take off".
progressive idea. incredible development at one point (historically, there are explosions in all economies at one point). and germany industrialized after Britain but exploded more.

and then.. no take off in africa..

it assumed africa is like west europe. it has only one abstract universal model. ignores colonialism and history of africa.

rodney said europe underdeveloped africa by sucking out wealth. left a structure of the world in which inequalities are reinforced. western power rests on poverty.

huntington- said economics and politics not connected. military should be used more often. ?

-no connection to world. landlocked.
-resource curse (minerals don't help the people)
- governance
-conflicts
- trade preferences (no one wants african goods?)
- security (if we have to violate sovereignty to put in military, fine)
- west has hand in african economic woes.

homelands created during apartheid. late 1950s. south africa denied citizenship to all non-whites, so they were forced to go to these homelands, far removed from white cities.

1960 famous event. In sharpeville, people went to police and tried to hand in passbook peacefully, but police shot several in the back. marked the end of an era- ANC goes underground and stops fighting peacefully, but guerrilla style.

1995. Desmond Tutu (TRC) tries to bridge racial divide by saying we're all victims, all traumatized. so we will all confess our crimes and get amnesty by confessing.
Backlash- victims don't want to accept confessions. not successful, just more irritated (economy doing poorly, no jobs, crime..)

When politicians use these words (in the US), it means we will use military force to protect a national interest abroad.
.. sometimes 1/4 of Nigeria's oil is stopped by protests, so US uses military force..

environmental activist in Nigeria protesting oil companies. head of the movement, they were able to elevate above other groups and gain international recognition. despite intervention of international community and Mandela, he was hanged.

"oil rich, dirt poor"- the more oil countries have, the worse off they are.
- more spending -> inflation
- unrealistic expectations of building
- corruption, useless projects
- unstable prices and planning difficulties
- debt rises
- other goods become uncompetitive because exchange rate rises.
- funds wars.. angola- billion siphoned off in one year

US would use military force to secure national interests.

linked oil with the phrase "clear and present danger"- meaning could use military. "strategic national interest"

Bush made AFRICOM in wake of 9/11. Trains african military troops to support US in securing US interests (meaning oil). not to protect own nations.
suggests strategic seriousness of africa.

Dowden links AFRICOM with rise of china (maybe its US response to china's engagement with africa?)

1. china trying to catch up with the west. not trying to threaten west. but west scared b/c china engaged with Sudan and Zimbabwe with seemingly no conditions.
2. relationship more complicated. china has passed resolution on Darfur, criticized regime, sent peacekeepers. in zimbabwe, mugabe doesn't uphold property rights so china hasn't invested that much.
3. china is new colonizing force... but china isn't a land grabber. africa has been successful negotiating- trade unions have won concessions in south africa. zambia got china to reform with safer mines.

Ferguson. elites developed it.
Struggle for liberation and democracy with advocacy of neo-liberal "free-market" economic policies.
promoted "african responsibility", ironic because economic restructuring showed how african economies were at the mercy of market forces (prices) and international institutions (IMF). elites had no control.

created by elites in Zambia. Ferguson.
sought to reinvent zambian nationalism. abandoned. elites lost faith.
Meant to build a zambian identity that would conform to economic/ political conditions.
meant to show economic solutions and invent a modern zambian culture to allow national pride and economic progress.