Ghanaian Parliament that“ The West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants.
Africa doesn ' t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy that is tyranny. We should stop blaming colonialism for our under-development. We really need to address issues of governance, because I believe it is the mediocrity with which Africa has been governed that is responsible for our backwardness today.”
Only a son of Africa can make such statements. Only a United States President with deep roots in Africa can identify with Africa. Moreover, the President has been very much engaged in African issues. It was President Obama that led the charge against Libyan dictator Gaddafi and his ultimate demise. Recently, when rebels overran the Eastern Congo town of Goma, President Obama simply picked up the phone and asked President Paul Kagame of Rwanda who supports the rebels to ask them to withdraw, and the often nonchalant Kagame had no choice but to comply. With four more years in office, President Obama has time to visit more African countries. For now, Africa has to continue to support democratic institutions which will lead it to economic independence, something that will make all Africans, including US President Barak Obama, happy.
Jacob Sax Conteh, M. Ed., Virginia, USA
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