Obama's double standard on Africa questioned

By Staff Writer

Anne Bayefsky, an expert in international relations and human rights, today attacked Obama's double standard in an article titled, Africa Vs. the Arab World, on Forbes.com.

In the article, Anne points out that President Obama's speech to Africa "lectured Africans on local repression, corruption, brutality, good governance and accountability". Whereas in his Arab world speech in Egypt, "there was nothing 'brutal' he could conjure up, no 'corruption' and no 'repression'".

Anne Bayefsky is not alone in decrying President Obama's speech. Some African intellectuals are beginning to question the apparent double standard. Mr. Obama's earlier speeches to the Arab world and Russia were polite and balanced. In those speeches he acknowledged the role of the Western world in the problems those regions face. Yet in the case of Africa Obama sought to put all the blame for Africa's woes on Africans and, in the process, exonerating the negative role the West has sometimes played.

On Congo, Mr. Obama failed to mention the role of the West in eliminating popular leaders like Patrice Lumumba who worked hard for a better Congo. Instead, the West enthroned and supported Mobutu Sese Seko who plundered the country and killed all potential rivals. By the time Mr. Mobutu's rule ended, Congo was defunct of good leaders. The political vacuum has since led to insecurity in that country.

South Africa's apartheid would not have lasted a day longer if it did not receive support from some Western countries. During the cold war, the West helped create several dictatorships on the continent of Africa. Once installed, a dictator does not leave office voluntarily, but usually stays until he dies.

On Zimbabwe, again Mr. Obama put all the blame on the government. Although the Zimbabwe government has a lot to account for, the role of Britain in recent times cannot be ignored. Just a few decades ago, the British government was instrumental in the grabbing of land from black people by whites. Recently, the British have been at the forefront of trying to discourage the opposition from signing up to the deal for a national unity government negotiated by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, and in the process, prolonged the crisis in that country. The sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West, including America's own ZIDERA signed into law by former President George Bush in 2001 and extended by President Obama, have played a negative role on Zimbabwe's economy.

Even more surprising and troubling was Mr. Obama's decision to use a faulty comparison between Kenya and South Korea. In the speech, he wondered as to why South Korea's economy is far ahead that of Kenya even though several decades ago, Kenya was ahead. Any high school student should be able to explain the difference. South Korea, because of its proximity to North Korea, is very important to America and the West, for both security and ideological reasons. As such, rich Western countries have poured abundant resources on South Korea, while Kenya has been struggling to access Western markets for its mainly agricultural exports. Sometimes, the poor are so not because of stupidity and laziness, but rather for the rich having written the rulebook and grabbed all their resources.

It also must be pointed out that when the president wanted to talk to the Arab world he chose Egypt, a country with one of the most horrible human right records in the world - and Egypt is far from being an exception in the Arab world. Yet, there was no patronizing talk about a rewarding visit to some country from the region for its democratic record. While the Ghanaians seemed happy to turn the other cheek over and over again, Mr. Obama's speech will probably best be remembered for cementing stereotypes against Africa. Already, the European and the far-right white South African media are celebrating.

In the end, Mr. Obama's intention in bashing Africa might have been calculated with the goal to endear himself to white voters in America at a time when his approval ratings appear to be sliding. For now, those Africans who waited for Mr. Obama to shed a positive spotlight on the continent may have to wait longer.

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