atakhal's blog

It’s been argued that globalization per se does not produce poverty and inequality. The main obstacles that entwined with globalization are the rules and regulations that govern it. These rules are fundamentally unjust since the rich-states’ interests can not be reconciled with those of the poor and weaker developing countries. Hence, this is why many in Africa believe the current world order is nothing more than new form of colonization. As Africa is rising, particularly in the economic and technological sectors, its power and influence should increase alongside.

It is true that most of African nations are run by undemocratic, incompetent, and self-serving tyrants, which consequently resulted, in part, Africa’s exclusion from discussions of the key global issues. But, the West’s denial of Africa’s rightful democratic representation in the decision-making process within the international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization (WTO), all of which are the cornerstones of the current trend of the globalization, are seen more of a rejection of Africa then cooperation with the continent as some suggest.

This negative feelings among Africans is confirmed by a recent survey done by UNECA (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa) that shows majority of respondents (57%) believe the current economic governance structures as not fulfilling their effective participation in the global economy. According to the study, African Least Developed Countries are even more skeptical, with staggering two-third of respondents expressing the view of the current global governance does not allow for their effective participation in norm setting in the key financial, monetary and multilateral institutions.

For instance, almost a quarter of the IMF’s member states come from sub-Saharan Africa (45 countries), yet the total voting power of this bloc is estimated to only 4.4%. Even in the decisions that directly affect them, Africans lack the power to sway votes toward their direction; instead, they rely on other developing countries to help them secure sufficient support for their position. Such humiliating treatment of the African states is, in part, why Africans believe the developed world are keeping them to be reliant on them, rather than see a self-reliant Africa.

Considering Africa’s growth in economic and technological areas, the continent should be rewarded its rightful seat on the table—global leadership stage. The main reason that Africa should be an important stakeholder, not just important follower, of the world affairs is its impressive economic growth. This is evident in the finding of The Economist that over the ten years to 2010, the top six of the world’s ten fastest growing economies were in sub-Saharan Africa. The Western African nation of Angola, a country devastated by civil war and violence against women and children in the 1990s, now tops the list, while Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, was forth fastest growing economy. Even more impressive, during the same period, the African countries outpaced economically their Asian counterpart—a trend that will continue at least through 2015.

Moreover, Africa‘s economic outlook is even better than its current trend of economic growth. On IMF forecasts “Africa will grab seven of the top ten places over the next five years”. This phenomenon was taking hold in the continent while most of the global markets, particularly those in the developed world, were contracting below 4 to 8 percent in 2008 and 2009; Africa was enjoying a modest economic growth. According to the African Economic Outlook 2008, a collaborative project between the African Development Bank, the OECD Development Center and the UNECA, the continent continued economic growth with the rate of GDP growth averaging about 5.7 in 2007 and 5.9 in 2008 and 2009.

Therefore, the alienation of Africa – a continent with abundance of both natural and human resources – from discussions of key global issues is indicitive of how much the developed world would rather cling to their traditional leadership role than to embrace a new world order of which the decision-makers are diverse and representative of the twenty-first century’s world, not the Cold War’s “first, second and third worlds”.

Despite Africa’s exclusion from global institutions as a decision-making stakeholder, something wonderful is underway across the continent in the technological front. For instance, in Africa, the utilization of the modern technologies such as the mobile phones and the broadband internet is going at a speed faster than any other time in the history. According to recent report by GSM, Africa is the second largest user of mobile phones after Asia; Over 650, 000,000, or 50 percent of Africans, are subscribed to mobile phone services.

On the other hand, the growth in Africa’s internet and broadband sector has accelerated in recent years due to improved infrastructure coupled with the arrival of wireless access technologies and less regulations, which resulted lower tariffs. In an effort to meet the Millennium Development Goals in Africa, for example, broadband internet is rapidly replacing dial-up as preferred access method, according to a recent report by the Internet World Stats, an organization that tracks the usage of the internet globally. The reason of the growth of the internet usage that is taking place in Africa is because many Africans have gained access to international fibre bandwidth for the first time via submarine cable in 2009 and 2010. Though the growth in this sector is slow, almost 15% of Africans (118 million) do have internet access; 30 million of them are on facebook. Nigeria, with more than 40 million users, leads the way as can be seen below:

In conclusion, while Africa’s shortcomings — lack of good governance, corruption, incompetent head figures, etc — can not be ignored, yet the continent’s dynamic and fast paced economic growth must be taken into account as basis of elevating Africa’ world status from the current subservient role to an active participant of the debates regarding the international key issues: economic, technology, peace and security, poverty, climate change, and other important issues borne out of the current trend of globalization. Africa is not asking for a century of its own. But all Africans want is their fair share in the 21st century. Is that too much to ask?

Abdirahman Takhal

atakhal@aol.com

Bibliography:

International Monterey Fund Governing Document
“Can Globalization Work for Africa” by Carin Norberg, Director, and Fantu Cheru Ph.D. Research Driector, The Nordic Africa Institute, March 2011
“ Africa—Internet, Broadband and Digital Media Statistics” by Peter Lange, February 2011(9th edition)
The United Nations Millennium Development Goals Progress Report, March 2011
“Africa’s Impressive Growth” The Economist January 06, 2011(Online version)

Sheikh Sharif’s Hypocrisy

“If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then
it probably is a duck.” Indiana poet, James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916)

Center for Somali Peace and Justice (CSPAJ) congratulates the election of Mr. Abdi Maxamud Cumar as the next President of the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia. At this difficult juncture, no one is more suitable to lead the region than President Abdi Maxamud Cumar who as a former head of the Security had dealt with the security issues in the region, which is believed to be one of the most unstable regions in Ethiopia.

Press Release
July 14, 2010
_______________

Center for Somali Peace and Justice ( CSPAJ) strongly condemns the cowardly terrorist attacks which caused the loss of 74 civilian lives in Kampala, Uganda, while watching the finals of the World Cup on the night of July 11, 2010.

Press Release
July 14, 2010
_______________

Center for Somali Peace and Justice ( CSPAJ) strongly condemns the cowardly terrorist attacks which caused the loss of 74 civilian lives in Kampala, Uganda, while watching the finals of the World Cup on the night of July 11, 2010.

Sh. Shirif would do himself and the people of Mogadishu (he controls Villa Somalia and its surroundings) a great service in resigning after the 12/03 attacks on Shaamow Hotel, which claimed the death of scores of civilians and members of the government alike.

At the end of last week, a familiar but traggic news came from the Danood region of the Somali State of Ethiopia. Once again, the “Ogaden National Liberation Front" (ONLF) collaborated with the Abrahim Sub Clan of the Ogaden tribe to wage an attack against Reer-Sheekh Abbayonis Sub clan of the Geri tribe”. In what is refered by some as a silent civil war in the heart of Eastern Ethiopai, as many as twenty people were killed from both sides, and more than ten were wounded. By some accountsn the wounded figures were even higher. The tension between the two neighbors is at its highest. No efforts to stop the conflict are currently underway by neither the government nor by the traditional elders of the region.

Center for Somali Peace and Justice, condemns the recent violence which broke out between Abrahim and Reer Sh.
Abbayonis in the village of Cellma-xidha, in Wardheer region.

The first decade of the 21st century proved to be a dangerous one. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the violence in the Middle East, fear of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling in the wrong hands, the rising of the Iranian power and the aggressive behavior, when it comes to foreign policy, in the part of the Unites States. among others, cause or, by far and large, contribute the global insecurity.

Recently, I wrote a short, but meaningful opinion piece on various Somali web pages, titled: Recent Massacres Committed by ONLF. Few days following the postage of the mentioned article, I received considerable amount of responses regarding my writing. To be honest, most of them were negative, while many of them were supportive and encouraging. Some e-mails were filled with hate and ignorance, others were simply misguided while many others got exactly that kind of message I aimed to convey to my fellow peace loving and inhabitants of the Somali Region.

It’s been ten months since the Somali National Army, backed by Ethiopian troops, swept into the country’s capital, Mogadishu, forcing Al-itixad militia into hidings. Following the swift victory of the TFG, the hopes of the Somalis were raised at the highest level since the fall of the internationally recognized administration of Siyad Barre in 1991.

In this writing, I will highlight some, not all, of the shocking and inhumane acts by ONLF (the terrorist group who cowardly operate in the Somali region in Ethiopia) against the very people whose independence they claim are fighting for. The ONLF’s aims have varied over time, fighting against uniformed troops, to killing members of their own community as well as other inhabitants of the region.

Eritrea declared independence in May 24, 1993 from Ethiopia. Upon Eritrea’s declaration of independence, the leader of the EPLF, Isaias Afewerki, became the first Provisional President. And the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (later renamed the People’s Front for democracy and Justice, or PFDJ) created a government. As agreed by Ethiopia, Eritrea held and internationally supervised referendum dubbed UNOVER which ended in April 1993 with overwhelming vote by Eritreans for independence.