What’s wrong with Africa

"Just don’t do it (times five)
I was delighted when Bob Geldof said he did not want western citizens’ money – only their support – because there are things the west can do for Africa apart from giving it money. Or rather there are damaging things the west can stop doing, barriers it can remove to give Africa a real chance to earn its living in the world and develop.
First, the west can fight to end two kinds of subsidies – the agricultural subsidies for farmers in Europe, America and Japan that keep world prices low and squeeze African commodities out of the global market, and the export subsidies that allow cheap food to be dumped in Africa, destroying African markets. High tariffs keeping out African goods need to be cut but African countries need a bit of time before reciprocating the removal of trade barriers as they have no safety-nets to protect workers who lose their jobs.
Second, the west should look closely at the “external” dimension of corruption in Africa. Britain has resisted signing the United Nations Convention on Corruption and British companies are fighting regulations that would make them responsible for corrupt practices by their agents as well as their own staff. London seems to be the favourite city for laundering African corruption money; although reporting regulations have been tightened, the Financial Services Authority pursues reports from banks about suspicious funds only when they are related to drugs or terrorism.
Third, the west must stop encouraging the brain drain from Africa. There are said to be more Malawian nurses in England’s second city of Birmingham than in Malawi itself, a country ravaged by HIV/Aids. The way forward is not to ban movement but to find ways of turning “people flow” and “skills flow” into a productive and mutually beneficial (win-win) process rather than a one-way (win-lose) street as it is at present.
Fourth, the arms and mines that kill in Africa’s wars may mostly be made in the former Soviet Union but the dealers are based mainly in London and the deals are made in its financial district. They are not licensed or regulated in any way. This should change.
Fifth, the west – and Britain in particular – must reform its immigration policy. Thousands of Africans living in Britain or trying to come here for study or to visit relatives are left with an impression of Britain somewhat at odds with Tony Blair’s passion for Africa. I spent a day and half trying to get a visa for a well-known Ugandan MP who was scheduled to speak at a meeting I was organising. Not even the intervention by the new minister for Africa, David Triesman, could move the Home Office to deliver it in time."

OpenDemocracy