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The Great Lakes region of Africa reveals the
continent's challenges. I went there recently to see
the effects of the economic crisis, countries coming
out of conflict, and integration. In the Congo, I
crossed paths with Secretary Clinton. Now we need to
translate impressions into action.
The financial crisis has wounded Africa. But
Africans' vision for the future has remained
resilient: They seek energy, infrastructure,
agricultural development, regional integration
linked to global trade and markets, and a dynamic
private sector. It is a list one might have heard in
Europe 60 years ago, as that continent sought to
rebuild and develop.
For states coming out of conflicts, the challenge is
"securing development" - through a reinforcing mix
of peace and order, governance, economy, and
legitimacy.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and
Uganda, only six per cent to 10pc of the public has
access to electricity. Rural electrification, as
experienced by parts of the United States in the
1930s and by Vietnam in the 1990s, would transform
lives and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of
Africans, especially for women. The means are there
for Africa: In the Congo and Uganda, hydro projects
could eventually multiply low carbon energy some
15-fold and supply Southern and East African power
pools.
Approximately 80pc of the people live off the land
in these countries, so agriculture development is
critical. In Uganda, I visited a rice growing and
processing operation - built by Indians who once
fled Idi Amin - that processes about 15pc of the
country's rice, a third of which is supplied by
smallholder neighbours. Rwanda is developing the
full value chain of agriculture - land tenure,
seeds, fertilizers, infrastructure, storage,
transport, and finance.
New roads, river transport, and railways are vital
to building national cohesion and regional
integration, as well as access to the sea for
land-locked countries. This "hardware" needs to be
complemented by the "software" of systems for
maintenance, pricing and financial management, and
clean administration. It used to take two days for
trucks to clear the border between Kenya and
Uganda. Today, a one-stop border post has cut down
the transfer time to two hours or less. Officials
who used to exercise petty powers to delay now take
pride in moving more cargo faster.
Secretary Clinton's stop in the eastern Congolese
town of Goma illustrated the human and physical
destruction of ongoing conflict. But literally one
step away, across the border, is a peaceful, clean
Rwandan village. President Kagame of Rwanda
highlighted that a core problem with the Congolese
troops [a mix of army and militias] is they often
are not paid. As Rwandans started again after
genocide, they built a relatively small military of
about 20,000 troops, which is among the best in
Africa.
If outsiders want to stop lawless rampages in the
Congo, they do not need foreign interventions - they
need to help pay and train a smaller army while
assisting demilitarization and reintegration of
others.
Rebuilding security - and a country - requires
restoring dignity. In Rwanda, I visited a housing
project for disabled veterans. The retired officers
who serve as trustees and the men in wheelchairs
were from different sides, but they all contribute
to one Rwanda.
Later this year, the United States will host a G-20
Summit, and Denmark will convene the U.N. Conference
on Climate Change. Both the economic crisis and
climate change have highlighted the importance of
developing countries: Africa needs to be on the
agenda of these meetings.
The G-20 should be building multiple poles of global
growth as part of the "New Normal" for an
international economy that has been too dependent on
the American consumer. We can look to growth from
China and India, but need to reach beyond. Over
time, investments in Africa can also expand sources
of demand, including for the capital goods and
services of developed countries. IFC, the World Bank
Group's private sector arm, is finding interest
among sovereign and pension funds to invest with us
in equity in Africa.
Major developing countries - China, India, and
Brazil - are also now investing in African
infrastructure, resources, agriculture, and perhaps
basic manufacturing. The G-20 Summit should push
this transformation ahead by ensuring that poor
countries get financing, backing private sector
investments, and opening markets to African goods.
The Summit could also operationalize the 20 billion
dollars pledge for food security made at Italy's G-8
meeting with President Obama's leadership.
The Copenhagen Climate Change negotiations should
support Africa's hydropower, clean energy
development, and forestation. The forests of Africa
offer lungs for the world - or more smoke to the
skies.
Globalization needs to be both inclusive and
sustainable. The Summits this fall should connect
globalization with an African Opportunity. |
