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An Overview of this volume

Modern-day Africa was not shaped by Africans
The m’zungu came and did what they wanted with Africa. After many decades of m’zungu

exploitation & extraction what they handed back were countries that had legal status but

little of the infrastructure needed for a nation state.

*****

Colonial powers left newly independent African nations without the infrastructure
necessary for a nation state.

“ The British ruled us for 43 years. When they left, there were 2 trained engineers
and 12 doctors. This is the country we inherited.”

Julius Nyerere as quoted in "Conflicts in Africa—Introduction."

*****
Whilst the Europeans distorted the development of pre-independence Africa, the
development of post-independent Africa has been distorted by the self-interest of the
USA.
(Author :The following is not an attack on the USA. If that country had not dominated the world economy
during the first 60 years of African independence then one or more other countries would have done)

“ Foreign aid is a method by which the United States maintains a position of influence
and control around the world, ”

John F. Kennedy
President of the United States (1961-1963)
*****

Post-independence development of Africa has been overshadowed by the ‘boss-centric’
relationship adopted by the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWI) towards African nations.

All too often BWI insistence became intransigence in the face of widespread feedback
from all stakeholders about the damage done by BWI policies in Africa. This has been

compounded by BWI policies that have pushed African nations into privatisation

programmes before African nations have had the opportunity to build up sufficient
regulatory capacity.

The USA approach to Africa in the decades following African independence was also

shaped by its super-power struggle with the USSR, and an almost paranoia about
communism and a failure to understand African communitarianism.