Beyond Moral 'Suasion

African countries don't like having their collective feet held to the fire. The accusatory fire of condemnation has the nasty effect of contaminating the collective reputation for the sins of a singular few. But in the final analysis, the entire continent's success in establishing credentials as credible, reliable, fair and just political entities has collapsed in the cool light of international scrutiny.

One African country after another succumbs to some level of ineptitude, corruption and failure as a provider of security for its population.

Africa has no monopoly on inadequate or corrupt governments. They exist everywhere to some degree. After all, countries are governed by human beings and those animals have proved time and again how unprepared they invariably are to demonstrate those proclivities that produce sound judgement impervious to corrupting influence.

Simply because, even with the best of intentions, power has a habit of encouraging people to alter their ethical and moral compasses.

Yet it is with Africa that so much of the developed world has been pre-occupied, because Africa has suffered the degradation of imperialist occupation throughout so much of its modern history. Diverting its progress from tribal antiquity to a spirit of enlightened pluralism, its ancient ethnic grievances against one another in the continual push-and-shove of territorial advantage and entitlement to responsible and population-responsive governance.

But the ghost of colonialism and all of its inherited grievances by populations that were disadvantaged and vulnerable to atrocious and unforgettable experiences at the hands of their occupiers can only account, for only so long, for the continued inability of a succession of African politicians to be accountable for their actions.

It's past time for Africa, the continent, and African leaders of its multifarious countries, to seriously account for themselves.

In hesitating to collectively condemn Robert Mugabe, the latest and most egregiously-baleful failure whose torment of his own people - and deliberately obtuse political moves have beggared a once-prosperous country - that same collective of African leaders have besmirched themselves.

The conscience of the countries with advanced economies who have pledged unremittingly to continue to bear the burden of supporting Africa has been eased by Africa's own failures. At the G8 conference taking place on Hokkaido in Japan, the leaders reached consensus that more, much more is now expected of African leaders.

The criminally illegal regime of Zimbabwe presents as a powerful symbol of the overall failures of African countries to take their own responsibilities to their own populations and the furtherance of their social and economic futures seriously. No bank recklessly bestows cash gifts in perpetuity on clients who consider it their just due, with the intent of throwing it to the winds.

It is being noted and stated publicly now, that African leaders are required to demonstrate some level of progress on governance issues and corruption. Aid monies are regularly siphoned off by corrupt regimes. Those who have unstintingly provided aid to Africa over the decades have seen countless billions result in no progress whatever.

They can see that too little of what they give to assist African countries makes any kind of impact on the lives of Africans.

"The evidence is clear that foreign aid has failed to stimulate economic growth in Africa. Instead, it has fuelled corruption and contributed to increased levels of government debts in Africa", according to Dr. Marian Tupy, from the Cato Institute. And according to Nathalie Elgrably, senior economist for the Fraser Institute, "If we look at the last 50 years, phenomenal amounts of aid has been given to African countries and it didn't help them to get out of misery".

Predictably, Robert Fox from Oxfam Canada claims those complaints are invalid. "There wasn't enough aid to make a difference, not properly focused on health and education, the basic building blocks." Needless to say, Oxfam, along with all those other international charities - industries unto themselves - depend upon aid themselves to ensure their longevity - as providers of aid.

We're between a rock and a hard place. To resist pledging aid to countries in dire need of it, is to deny our humanity. To continue presenting countries which demonstrate an incapacity for integrity in the use of that aid is to do nothing practical but to assuage conscience. Indigent, desperate people deserve better than all of this useless posturing.