FM LIBERTÉ - Radio of the Togolese Diaspora
Chicago, United States
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Show "Faces of Africa"
Journalist: Bill Emile Davolk on FM Liberty, Radio of the Diaspora
http://www.fmliberte.com/
Interview of the Sunday 16 July 2017 - 14h to 15h.
Interview with Dr. Yves Ekoué Amaïzo, Director of Afrocentricity Think Tank, a group of reflection and action on African problems
Subject: What is the record for African Heads of State following the Hamburg G20 summit in Germany (7-8 July 2017)?
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Introduction by Bill Emile Davolk:
A special initiative under the auspices of Chancellor Angela Merkel on 'The G20 and Africa' was endorsed in Berlin in June 2017. The initiative is part of the marked 'Year of Africa' By a series of projects and announcements. We can cite briefly the Marshall Plan for Africa, a program led by the private sector and the Compact with Africa. The latter initiative should be integrated into the G20 agenda. No less than 9 heads of state of the continent took part in the launching ceremony of this "Compact with Africa" alongside Angela Merkel. Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia have been designated as "Compact Countries". What is it all about?
FM LIBERTY QUESTIONS
Bill Emile Davolk: G20 summit in Hamburg: what is the weight of Africa on the world stage? Are African countries being heard in this kind of summit?
Dr. Amaïzo:
1.1 The very principle of the G-20 is to bring together the world's most powerful countries and is therefore a sort of extension of the G-7 which brings together the most powerful countries in the West. As a result, the presence of Africa is always paradoxical. But as the "absentees" are said to have been wrong and not to have a bad conscience following the criticisms of the African heads of state, the most industrialized and rich countries have chosen the strategy of integration by concentric circles of countries and economies emerging. But it is also in response to the growing weight of the so-called BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. So to see a block of emerging countries take off and poses a threat in the long term, it was better to opt for informal discussions
To avoid epidermal reactions in the military, economic, cultural and other global competition. Currently, the criteria used, only a country like South Africa is a member of "right" in the 20. Yet with another criterion such as economic power (gross domestic product), countries like Nigeria, Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire should be able to join the G20. Indeed, it is necessary to wonder why, a country like Nigeria, has systematically refused to participate in the group of so-called BRICS emerging countries. The answer is linked to a form of dependence but also to alignment with the liberal principles of the G7 countries.
1.2 From this introduction, it is clear that the weight of Africa on the world stage is the same as its economic participation in the world economy, ie less than 3% or even less than 1% for Of its productive and industrial capacity. Militarily, this weight is close to zero worldwide. It is therefore obvious that the African Heads of State invited by the organizing country, have little room for maneuver to be heard in the G20 summit.
Bill Emile Davolk: In reference to the question posed by the journalist Philippe Kouhon 1, Do the African States seem to go to the G20 hoping to "systematically" receive aid for development? Is that your feeling?
2.1 Dr Amaïzo: With heads of state, who for the most part have structural deficits in their budgets and propose to their assemblies budgets, a large part of which must come from the countries and financing institutions known as "development partners" , Yes, African Heads of State are going to the G20 to get a large share of development aid that has become, over time, "aid" to ensure a juicy return on investment And sometimes exclusive, of the so-called donor countries. The inability of African Heads of State to understand this equation stems from the fact that, regularly in their speeches, the argument of slavery and colonization is used to justify their collective or individual demands in order to increase the share of this " Development Assistance ".
The result of the Hamburg G20 is clear. The share of development aid will drop drastically between 30% and 70% depending on the rich countries. Moreover, access to this money will be conditioned by a sort of "right of entry" based on democracy, the rule of law, the fight against corruption, the struggle to end impunity, the option An inclusive economy and, above all, the return on investment for donor countries, which often means in practice, increased and direct aid to enterprises in non-African countries in Africa.
2.2 In other words, the influence exerted on the heads of state. My feeling is that some heads of state, in view of their fragility, dependence, complexity and weakness vis-a-vis the influential countries end, sometimes zealously, to become agents promoting the interests of the rich countries and their enterprises Multinationals and others in Africa. In short, the interests of African peoples often go to the background. The representation of African heads of state must therefore be called into question, and with it the real conditions for the functioning of democracy in Africa.
Bill Emile Davolk: Does not this approach to economic partnerships shed the paternalistic tone of Westerners? ". Is it really a Marshall plan as was the case after World Wars?
3.1 Dr. Amaïzo: The exact title of the document proposed by Chancellor Angela Merkel is entitled "Africa - Europe. A new partnership for development, peace and a better future. Angular stones for a Marshall plan with Africa 2 ". The reality is that this document was designed unilaterally by Germany and without the African Diaspora. The African Heads of State were not mistaken and entitled it: The "Merkel Plan" and not the Marshall Plan of 1948 which would have cost about 150 billion US dollars (at present). Moreover, it is not a question of reconstructing Africa in reference to what happened after the Second World War between rich countries but accomplishments for the development and improvement of the business environment and a brake Corruption. This unilateral approach, by denying the contributions of the African Diaspora and also the most enlightened African leaders, has led to a veiled criticism of an outdated Western paternalism. This in no way removes the responsibility of African Heads of State.
3.2 On another level, the Africa-Europe partnership actually hides a genuine German strategy to regain a foothold in Africa. It was therefore not surprising that French President Emmanuel Macron vehemently opposed it and rejected the so-called Marshall plan. Moreover, Germany, by seeking to endorse this proposal to the European Union, seeks to convince the 28 Member States (including the UK, notwithstanding the Brexit) to redefine the basis for cooperation between the EU and Africa in Replacing the Cotonou Agreements and the various economic partnerships with Africa that do not work for Africa. Merchandise trade in Europe and the signatory countries of the Cotonou Agreements have steadily deteriorated to the point where the African continent has become a net importer of European products.
3.3 Germany has nevertheless helped by offering a budget of EUR 300 million in additional aid with the Merkel initiative adopted on 12 and 13 June 2017 in Berlin before the G20 under the title ' Compact with Africa ". It is a kind of "club" of responsible heads of state, champions of the improvement of the business environment and who defend a liberal option of the economy and are committed to improving the environment of Business to attract foreign investors, but also to inject some of their own money into the project before they can benefit from Germany's contribution. Of the nine (9) African countries present at the launching ceremony, only some were selected by Germany as countries worthy of the so-called "Compacts" group. These are mainly Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia. He wonders why President Guinea's Alpha Condé, the current chairman-in-office of the African Union for one year, has not been chosen, nor Mali for that matter.
3.4 For Togo - uninvited and for good reason - it has not been chosen, it must be believed that this country no longer has the results that it displayed as a model German colony in the 1900s. Falsified democracy in Togo, the untimely and unilateral modification of the 1992 Constitution accepted by the Togolese people, false reforms in order not to leave power, false purifications of the country to validate impunity, violations of human rights, Of the media, beatings against students with disrespect for "academic frankness", non-compliance in practice with commitments made to improve the business environment, and shunning investors and boats The autonomous port of Lomé and the financing of an opposition and a Togolese Diaspora aligned with the system in power do not allow to integrate the To Go as model countries included in the "Compact with Africa" group, which should benefit from more institutionalized funding, especially for infrastructure projects (energy, roads, communication, etc.).
3.5 Attempt to have the Compact with Africa included in the wider Marshall Plan and thus benefit from the contribution of other European countries, or even a form of trilateral cooperation, to charge China with German In Africa, do not seem to have attracted much support. Then, the private sector had to focus on the social responsibility of multinational enterprises, among other things, while ensuring that the publicly funded component seems to be concentrated, again unilaterally, on Stop the flow of young African migrants arriving in Europe. It is therefore proposed to review the non-functional concept behind the Marshall-Merkel Plan based on the unilateralism of the concept of return migration for an innovative concept of circular migration.
3.6 The reality is that what is proposed in the "Marshall Plan for Africa" must be mainly financed by the private sector and African Heads of State must organize themselves to improve the business environment and Urgent repatriation of African economic migrants in Europe. For this last point, some European subsidies could be released.
Bill Emile Davolk: According to French President Emmanuel Macron, the Marshall Plan was adopted in Europe in countries that had their balance, their borders and their stability. Is that really the case?
Dr. Amaïzo: I do not think that the European countries were in a situation of equilibrium in 1948 at the end of the war when their infrastructure was totally destroyed. As regards borders, there have nevertheless been some discussions here and there and on the political level, the stability of the 4th French Republic is not an example that has been renewed since General de Gaulle put an end to it With the Constitution of the 5th Republic. Comparing Europe and Africa is still a form of Eurocentrism that Mr Macron's advisers should avoid so as not to fall into generalities far removed from current realities. But that these arguments are used to justify the refusal of the French President to increase development aid and especially to support the Europe-Africa plan of Mrs Merkel is more understanding.
Bill Emile Davolk: Macron later claims that Africa's challenge is civilizational. Does African civilization explain the economic backwardness of Africa?
5.1 Dr. Amaïzo: We must put into context what the French President Emmanuel Macron said, who did not hide that he would not finance the Marshall Plan for Africa but accepted the principle that this allowed reconstruction from Europe. It is a logic to "bring together all the financing, to be able to associate with partner countries, international organizations and to work on concrete projects to avoid waste of time, useless intermediaries and institutional waste". He wants development to work with "the field actors and projects", which seems to exclude the African Diaspora as a liaison actor. Also for the development of Africa and the Marshall Plan of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, he recalled that "There have been several envelopes that have been given. Either we change our target with the addition of billions. We have been deciding to help Africa for decades and we did. If it were that simple, you would have noticed it. The Marshall Plan is a plan for material reconstruction, in countries that had their equilibrium and stability. The challenge of Africa, it is totally different, much deeper and civilizational today ".
5.2 His argument was based on that of his advisers, probably the most mediocre ones on Africa, and probably ignorant of the civilizational role of France during the slavery raids, the colony and the post-colony, France-Africa and Post-France-Africa, which was never discussed, despite the speech of President Alpha Condé on the issue as one of the sources of Africa's current difficulties.
5.3 The link between African civilization and economic backwardness is a shortcut that could be summarized in a similar sentence closer to reality: the fact of continuing to want to promote, sometimes impose, a French civilization in Africa has become the primary cause of the African economic backwardness, particularly in the francophone zone. This kind of affirmation is only a generality that a non-autocratic President could have avoided pronouncing. For it is precisely the fact of not considering the African Diaspora to refuse to implement avant-garde concepts of circular migration that the Diaspora promotes precisely that leads to misunderstandings and impasses. In reality, the problem is to justify major budget cuts and to avoid talking about the ineffectiveness of development aid and the return of more than 90% of this aid in the form of a return on investment for France with a These issues should be debated with the independent African Diaspora so that the solutions proposed and coming from above will not face realities on the ground and the censorship of African Heads of State.
Bill Emile Davolk: Mr Macron specifically cites African fertility with 7 or 8 children per woman. Does the weight of demography hinder progress?
Dr. Amaïzo:
But when it announces erroneous figures on women's reproductive rates in Africa, as is the case regularly by representatives of extreme right-wing parties in Europe, there is a form of exaggeration Can not be attributed to bad advice or to the ignorance of these advisers, but could amount to a mere contempt, coupled with a misunderstanding of the "civilizational" history of France in Africa. Emmanuel Macron said: "When countries still have seven to eight children per woman, you can decide to spend billions of euros, you will not stabilize anything. "The reality is that the rate is estimated at around 4.7 children per woman in Africa on average 4 and that this figure is declining in the context of poverty, ignorance, lack of freedom And the organization of family planning worthy of the name in Africa.
Between 2010 and 2015, according to the United Nations, the average fertility rate in the world is 2.5 children per woman. For the African continent, this rate is 4.7 children per woman. Asia and South America-Caribbean have a fertility rate of 2.2 children per woman. Europe is the continent with the lowest fertility rate, with an average of 1.6 children per woman. The world average fertility rate is expected to decline to 2.4 children per woman in 2030 and to 2.2 children per woman by 2050. This rate is expected to decline in Africa around 3.9 children per woman in 2030 and 3.1 children per woman in 2050 5.
Bill Emile Davolk: Some Internet users have replied that there is "wealth only men". What is the economic expert's view of this assertion, especially in the African context?
7.1 Dr Amaïzo. It should be pointed out that there is no wealth except women and men, and therefore humans. It is this human capital that is at stake. But in the African context, what is the value of human capital without training, technology, entrepreneurial spirit, incentives and business environment conducive to their development, and with untimely intervention by the State and the uncontrolled security forces that have become Sometimes vectors of proximity corruption?
7.2 Of course, it is human resources that are the wealth of a nation. But between the rates of success in general and vocational training ranging from 80-85 per cent in the West to 20-45 per cent in Africa, it is likely that development gaps could widen further. Therefore, emphasis and priority must be placed on the acquisition of knowledge, knowledge, technology and know-how for the development of the human community of Africans. It is not always the priority of some heads of state, still stuck in the satisfaction of the conditions of foreign multinational enterprises, or even states outside of Africa, when it is not a question of satisfying their own need by abusing Of their position as leaders, this in non-transparent.
Bill Emile Davolk: In your opinion, what really explains the economic backwardness of Africa and what do we need for a real emergence?
8.1 Dr Amaïzo: I refute the association between the word economic backwardness of Africa given its colonial and slavery history that France-Africa has helped to perpetuate ... It is more rhythm of development towards a form of happiness Individual and collective. These notions must first be appropriated by Africans in order to deconstruct the complex of cultural catch-up and the associated goals of maldevelopment. It is therefore a cultural change of a return to Afrocentricity to solve problems according to the interests of the African populations that can create the conditions for cultural emergence first, economic and social.
8.2 As long as the African people continue not to value their own culture based on the valuation of the Human according to God's plan (whatever its name), African awareness and emergence will not be able to progress. Delay is a concept of one that is "before" you on the basis of its rules and concepts. It can not be concluded that the bad food of the MacDonald Hamburger that the Americans love is good for them, that Hamburger is good for other parts of the world. The problem is that if Africans were culturally proud of their music and dance as well as their culinary culture and tomorrow their culture would emerge faster than expected. But in reality, it is this complex of inferiority that leads to the setting of erroneous objectives of happiness. By relying on the independent African diaspora and free spirits in Africa, these changes in mental software and behavior could lead to an acceleration towards alternative development, putting humans and nature at the center ... in short, a circular economy ...
Bill Emile Davolk: To conclude, is the honeymoon between Macron and the Africans already over?
9.1 DDr Amaïzo: I do not think there was a "honeymoon between Candidate Emmanuel Macron" and "Africans from France or elsewhere ... There was a phenomenon of" degagism "of women and men Politicians stuck in lies and in business. They were largely rejected by the French people who opted for an original and unprecedented recomposition of political space. Moreover, Mr Emmanuel Macron is not immune to this phenomenon of degagism as soon as the period of communication of the type "Jupiterian" ends even if it gives the impression of wanting to resemble Louis XIV or Napoleon.
9.2 But it is his success that will determine whether the Africans of Africa will expect of him something like they and they waited a lot of President Barack Obama ... in vain. So it is a matter of organizing negotiations on a more structured basis with the Macron power in order to advance on a "win-win" basis and not unilaterally opt for the choice of "lobbies" and "lobby groups" Which have funded the candidate Macron and are waiting, in any case impatiently - the return on investment. It is hard to believe that the Africa of the Heads of State who continue not to take responsibility, will be able to make the weight.
9.3 To return to Germany's initiative for a new form of bilateral and regional cooperation between Europe and Africa, it must nevertheless be concluded that without an official, institutionalized and budgeted role for the independent African Diaspora The so-called "Marshall Plan" rejected by Emmanuel Macron could become a "Merkel Plan" for European employers investing in Africa. The assessment for the Heads of State will depend on their commitment to truly improving the business environment and working in confidence with the African Diaspora for projects that create purchasing power, knowledge transfer, Employment, especially for African youth.
Thank you for the invitation. YEA.
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