The 35th summit of African Heads of State and Government has wound up recently passing important decisions that enables it to have developed strength to take decisive actions against common problems of the continent so far.
For example the stance it took against the recurrent problem of coup is worth mentioning. Coup has been a problem that spoiled the continents political and economic progress. In addition war and conflict were also rampant in the continent that they left the continents economy highly set back.
All these problems had spoiled the image of the continent so badly that fixing it seemed even unthinkable. However, through the unreserved struggle of the countries, now the continent is more or less coming out of the cold. It is becoming the icon of hope for the future to the prosperity of the global economy. All eyes from different corners focus on Africa.
This being a good opportunity, the continent should still handle the progress with due care. Especially the issue of resource exploitation should be given due attention before it devours the entire wealth it is endowed with.
As can be recalled the continent suffered all the political problems in the past decades that followed the end of colonization are mostly because of its resources. The colonialists who lost control of the continents wealth did their best to sustain their benefits through the puppets the installed in their respective colonies after independence.
But those who could not continue to exploit the resources through puppet governments used corruption as a means. Therefore, corruption became a double edged sword against the lives of Africans. First it ensured the resumption of resource exploitation by external forces. Second, it drugs the socio-economic development of the continent as only corrupt officials benefit from the growth.
This means there should be no other agenda that they should prioritize more than corruption. It is the bottom line issue to deal with all other problems like poverty, conflict, coup … etc.
According to African Union (AU) Africa loses more than US$50 billion annually through illicit financial outflows, according to the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa. Going back several centuries, Africa has been continuously losing valuable assets through illicit outflows of not only her natural resources, but also treasured artefacts of African societies, and various proceeds of crime. These outflows directly impact the quality of life in Africa. They curtail Africa’s efforts to lift all her people out of poverty, feed and educate her children, and provide other basic services to her citizens. They prevent Africa from keeping steady on a sustainable path to achieve the African Agenda 2063 and the global Sustainable Development Goals.
Many governments are falling behind on their commitments under the African Union’s anti-corruption convention. When the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combatting Corruption (AUCPCC) was adopted by the African Union Assembly in 2003, it was a huge step towards resolving the continent’s serious corruption challenges. Designed as a shared roadmap for member states to implement governance and anti-corruption measures, the convention aims to eradicate corruption in government and business.
According to Transparency International, the three important areas that pose challenge to Africa are money laundering, illicit enrichment and political party funding, as well as the role civil society and media play in fighting corruption.
All member states should review their legislative framework on freedom of expression, association and information to ensure their media and civil society can operate free of interference and intimidation. When allegations of harassment, violence or indiscriminate arrests of journalists and activists occur, these should be vigorously investigated. State interference in media reports should be avoided, and refusals of requests for information should be subject to appeal or review
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The
BY ZERKARIAS WOLDEMARIAM
THE ETHIOPIAN WEDNESDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2022
