Title:
The New Scramble for Africa
Author:
Padraig Carmody
ISBN:
978-0-7456-4785-2
Publisher:
Polity Books
Year:
2011
Softcover
Pages:
244
Photographs/maps:
0
Africa
is a continent that has almost unlimited potential. Rife with both resource and
human capital, it has however been limited in its realization of said potential
due to the legacy of colonialism, rampant and systemic corruption within a
majority of its governments/institutions and a resulting failure to translate
its resource based economy into manufacturing. African leadership and its
wealthy elite, looking to draw financial advantage from the potential of their
countries, have now embarked upon a comprehensive sacrifice of their nations'
birthright through the selling off of their resources to resource hungry second
and first world nations. Carmody's book has undertaken a study of the history,
causes, effects and potential outcomes of this new pillaging of Africa at the
hands of a few for greed and short term gain.
The
author commences his review by setting the stage through an analysis of the
history of Africa's engagement with the east and west. Following the end of
colonialism, the continent was a battle ground of proxy wars between the West
and Soviet Bloc. During this time, governments were supported not for their
effectiveness but for their willingness to undertake operations for one side or
the other. However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a gradual
change transpired whereby western support and investment for governments became
more closely aligned with accountability and transparency. Ironically, it was
this insistence upon openness that created the opportunities for a resurgent Russia,
emerging China and the EU to create markets for themselves. Unlike a majority
of the west, which, concurrent with its demands for more accountability
suffered a reduction in economic clout, cash rich China et al jumped into the
breach with an approach that precluded any demand for change in the corrupt
national leaderships. Their realpolitik approach sought advantage wherever it
could be found for the betterment of their national goals. Carmody's overview
of this is comprehensive and disturbing.
He then
goes on to look in greater detail at the kinds of exploitation that are being
undertaken with a specific emphasis on the role that China is now playing on
the Continent. Attention is paid to the economic interests being sought after
with a focus on timber, fishing, uranium, cobalt, food products, fuels and
biopiracy. In each case, advantage is being taken over weak central governments
and deep corruption in order to feed and furnish domestic demands. Carmody
identifies not only the methods undertaken by these foreign powers but also the
secondary and tertiary impacts on the African domestic markets and populations
of these actions. As an example he discusses the impact of rampant illegal
fishing within the EEZ of Somalia. Foreign factory fleets have, as a result of
Somalia’s inability to enforce its territorial waters, been able to not only
pillage this resource but also to undermine the domestic fishing industry of
Somalia. Desperate fishermen have then turned to piracy to try and recoup their
losses.
Carmody's book is an extremely disturbing
insight into the present day "Scramble for Africa" and its impact
upon indigenous populations. Western powers especially are quick to jump on the
symptoms of this malaise (such as piracy) but very slow to respond to the
underlying causes of these behaviours. Well researched and logically presented,
Carmody's book, while five years old, identifies the pattern that has been
followed since then with predictable results. An extensive bibliography and
notes section provide ample additional reading options.
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