Let’s make Africa beautiful
Alice Musabende in Rwanda
I welcome
the Africa Commission. It gives me a warm feeling to see that the world
wants to show responsibility towards the most distressed, bruised
continent on the planet. This is not the first time a western country
has set up a special committee for Africa. The UN, the US and France
have all had committees looking at African questions. The intentions
were certainly good but they seem to have made little difference, when
I look at our current situation: ceaseless conflicts, hunger, political
dictatorship....
Africa is living through one of the most crucial moments of its history, I believe the most important thing the Commission must do is to change the way western countries see Africa. Africa is not as poor as the media says. We are young, strong and our continent is full of natural resources. We miss only guidance to exploit this force, this youth. Due to our history, we have always walked far behind the promoters of modernisation and development, but it does not mean that we do not have the strength and will to change things today. That’s why I want the Commission to consider us as actors not just observers.
I want the Commission to address the conflicts which never end in the Great Lakes region, of the crimes against humanity which remain unpunished. It must promise that, under the eyes of the European community, genocide will never again take place in Africa – that it will intervene to support oppressed people.
I would also like the Commission to help us to judge war criminals who still stroll in the western countries. We want a fair return of justice and recognition to those who lost and still lose their close relatives in Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Sierra Leone.... We want an internationally recognized penalty strictly applied to the governments and dictatorial leaders who oppress their people.
But we also need conflict resolution. It would be good if the Commission could encourage methods, to assist reconciliation in and between countries where there have been big conflicts. We need to create units of cohesion and sharing between ancient enemies, to establish the basis for tolerance and forgiveness.
The biggest problems that Africa faces – conflicts, hunger, poverty – are partly due to widespread ignorance. The Commission should focus on how to promote education in Africa. We need schools to be built in the most neglected parts of the continent. There must be a major mobilisation campaign to get girls into school. There should also be a plan to set up partnerships between African and western universites so they can benefit from educational, research and logistic backup.
Africa is the least advanced continent in terms of new communication technologies. It is very important that the Commission sets up a special programme to introduce the use of new technologies in Africa, beginning in elementary schools. Also the access to the net should become more available in colleges and universities, in order to facilitate research.
Hunger is one of the major causes of our problems, but don’t give us rice or corn in boxes. We don’t want vitamin supplements. Teach us how to cultivate more rice, corn and vegetables so we can feed our own families! Most of us still cultivate with hoes. Teach us how to do it with machines, but also show us how to make them – I get the impression Europeans see us as a potential market, not people who can learn to make things ourselves.
If we are to reduce the poverty, it is also important to value African products. The Africa Commission should be saying that, from now on, African products will be treated fairly on the international market, and offer help with techniques for producing and selling of our biggest products like coffee, cocoa, and petroleum.
But if I were to ask just one thing, it is that you invite Africans to participate. It’s our development we are talking about. Allow us to say what we need, let us work for it. Teach us modern production methods in order to raise our economies, so that we can become more competitive on the international market. I believe that if we join our strength and our ideas together, we will make Africa the most beautiful continent.
Alice Musabende is a journalism student in Rwanda, about to embark on an internship with Radio France