Africa needs all the media attention it can get.
This week, NPR is broadcasting a series on "Africa's Lagging Development."
Also, CNN's Anderson Cooper has been reporting from Africa in recent days.
Of course, troubles in Sudan have garnered the world's attention.
The more aware we are of problems in Africa, the more we're likely to help.
Or are we? I wonder.
The problem is, death, destruction and disaster are so continuous in Africa that it's hard to sustain interest in Western countries. Genocide in Darfur? Horrible, but worse has happened in Congo in recent years. But the slaughter in Rwanda was worse than that. But similar atrocities, on only a slightly smaller scale, have occurred in Burundi and Uganda. The fact is, almost any African country you could name has experienced terrible tragedies, usually attracting belated and inadequate responses from the West, if that.
I just finished reading one of the most impressive but depressing books I've ever picked up: "The Fate of Africa/ A History of 50 Years of Independence" by Martin Meredith.
This is a comprehensive accounting of the experiences of dozens of African countries since the end of colonialism a half-century ago. It is a record of slaughter, plunder, corruption and despair.
The European powers exploited their African colonies, leaving populations that were poorly educated and ill-prepared to lead 20th century nations. Yet many of those new nations were rich in resources and inherited decent infrastructure and other tools that should have given them a chance to succeed. Yet, almost invariably, their governments were seized by ruthless dictators whose priorities were personal wealth and power. They protected their positions by barbaric repression. In many cases, their strong-arm tactics provoked bloody revolutions and civil wars in which tens or hundreds of thousands were killed, millions fled and economies were wiped out. Within years, countries that had been self-sufficient in food or even exporters were forced to import food until they couldn't borrow more money and then had to rely on relief from outside. Meanwhile, rulers stashed billions into foreign bank accounts or wasted fortunes on palaces, personal jets, limousines and countless other extravagances. Roads, rail lines, power plants deteriorated. Clean water and other services were neglected. Hospitals ran out of supplies.
These conditions are still prevalent throughout much of Africa.
The United States and other Western nations must help, and do. Private relief organizations are very active in Africa. After my trip there this summer, I wrote about some of the North Carolians working in East Africa, and since then I've heard about many more.
But, tragically, much of the foreign aid flowing to Africa -- maybe most -- has been mismanaged, stolen or used for weapons to continue wars, suppress rebellions or to carry out genocide. Until these countries gain stable, honest, competent governments, any help offered won't be fully effective.
Action is urgently needed to help people in the Darfur region in Sudan, but they'll remain in jeopardy as long as the current leaders in Khartoum hold power. Yet, African history suggests that one bad government is usually replaced by another, and the problems persist or get worse.
There are safe, stable countries in Africa, like Tanzania, where I visited. Even there, however, despite the country's vast resources, the people are desperately poor. So who benefits from those resources?
By all means, we need more news out of Africa. Generally, the news is bad. We also need answers: How can Africa change its fate?
I was so impressed with the little part of Africa I saw and the friendliness of the people I met. I've developed a keen interest, and I hope that life there will get much better. But hope is hard to sustain in the face of so many troubles.