Outstanding debts by developing countries, now approximating
2,066 billion US dollars require that debtors pay a large portion
of their annual earning to service debt. The present debt crisis
forces the poor to bear the burden of debts which were not
incurred for their benefits. The basic test of economic justice
is what happens to most vulnerable groups in the society. Why
should the poor pay for the consequences of such an unjust
international economic order? African countries are the most
affected by this debt crisis, to the extent that this is the most
significant economic realty affecting their development.
Yet the visiting United States President, Bill Clinton, chose not
to address this problem. His talks of new economic partnership,
liberalisation, free market, sounded ironic or offensive to the
majority of Africans who have a real problem in eating a decent
meal every day, if they at all cared to listen.
Almost all articles in this issue of AFRICANEWS revolve around
the debt crisis and Clinton's visit, but also highlighted are the
problems caused by corruption and mal-governance, which are the
local ugly faces of the debt crisis.
Renato Kizito Sesana gives a brief picture of the debt crisis,
the precarious situation that African indebted countries find
themselves in and hints at what the Church in African can do to
promote the search for a local solution.
Laurenti Magesa writes about globalization and the domination of
the world by one economic system. He says the result is that the
poor South is forced into a system of unequal trade relations,
but he also hints at some possible action.
Corruption is a disease that thrives in most African countries.
The government of Cameroon - as reported by Martin Jumbam - has
decided that it has had enough of the all-pervasive corruption
that has earned the country the title of "the sixth most corrupt
country in the world." The anti-corruption drive, laudable
though it may sound, appears like a lost battle since the most
corrupt people in the land are those who are now loudly decrying
the pervasive corruption. Their net seems to be out to haul in
the little fish, the small man, while the big ones, as usual,
swim away.
In Kenya, four months after the general elections, President
Daniel arap Moi is yet to prove to the electorate that he is
really committed to the promises he made during the electoral
campaign. He vowed to make the life for majority of Kenyans more
comfortable by curbing corruption, insecurity, improve the
standard of education. Political pressure from within continue to
mount while the country's economy is in the worst shape since
independence.
Does Africa matter to the rest of the world? Paul Donohue
reports on President Bill Clinton's visit to the "Africa that
works" from March 23 to April 2. He gives varied opinions of
African-Americans on the US President's itinerary. A columnist
with The EastAfrican, Sam Mwale coincidentally underlines that
"There is a desperate search for something positive to say about
Africa,...until there is concrete economic development built on
African cultural foundations and indigenous realities..."
Crisis creates refugees. Over 2,453 refugees in the Great Lakes
region have camped in Northern Zambia. The number of refugees
continue to increase tells us Johnson Siamachira.
Africanews staff
