President Obama, in Accra, Ghana delivered a speech Saturday intended for many nations in Africa with a pointed message not to blame colonialism of the past for the problems of the present. The Obama administration, through U.S. embassies in African capitols, arranged watch parties for the speech across the continent. Now, it’s easy to point fingers and to pin the blame of these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to breed conflict.
The West has often approached Africa as a patron or a source of resources rather than a partner.
But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants.
In my father’s life, it was partly tribalism and patronage and nepotism in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is still a daily fact of life for far too many.
Now, we know that’s also not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or a need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with repeated peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections.
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