DRC populist antics counter spirit of AfDB conference

The failure to integrate Africa’s peoples emerged as a key challenge for socioeconomic progress during the African Development Bank (AfDB) conference in Kigali recently. This problem is not only responsible for the rather low-intra Africa trade volumes but also undermines the potential for Africans to learn from each other and to collaborate towards finding solutions for their common challenges. One of the high level panels produced a rather candid debate that helped underscore the seriousness of the problem. And so, panelist after another pointed to the ‘fragmentation’ of markets and peoples and its debilitating consequences, before a consensus emerged that these were significant ‘obstacles to economic development.’ More specifically, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, the AfDB President, cautioned that “The dream of a prosperous Africa will only be achieved if the integration and creation of a single market for Africa is in place.” His statement found elaboration from Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni’s observation that “Africa is a place of miracles.” For him, it is rather miraculous that a continent with “no infrastructure, no electricity, no roads,” can have fairly impressive growth rates. Implied in this observation was a warning that Africa cannot sustainably continue on this serendipitous path, and that it had to turn to strategic leadership if its ambitions were to produce meaningful change. Speaking of which, a panelist not known for vacillation urged African governments to “do away with old colonial tendencies which emphasise national borders rather than regional integration,” before adding that “We rise together or fall together. It is not going to be enough for one country to do so well when others are doing so badly.” Fellow columnist Gerald Mpyisi observed a ‘visibly emotional’ former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, who “castigated current leadership that is selfish and whose interest is only to preserve their seats.” Mpyisi also noted in admiration the candor in Thabo Mbeki’s plea to everyone to “Look straight in the face of the many corrupt leaders and tell them what they really are - corrupt.’ In essence, therefore, close-minded, corrupt, and selfish leadership is responsible for the failure to integrate Africa’s peoples, which accounts for the fragmentation of markets. Further, a key consequence of this state of things is a negative impact on the lives of ordinary people, consigning them to a life in abject poverty and indignity. Let me call a spade by its name. Recently on April 21, the government in Kinshasa issued a directive that runs counter to the spirit of integration of Africa’s peoples, and is contrary to the ideals pointed out above as prerequisites for Africa’s development. The DRC decreed that Rwandans crossing at its border would henceforth be required to acquire a visa at the cost of$55 for ordinary people and $35 for students, a directive that was immediately enforced at its Bukavu border. Worth noting is that the majority of the people using these borders do not even own a passport and had up to this point been using temporary border passes. Most simply can’t afford a passport let a visa. Effectively, therefore, the aim of the directive is to prohibit Rwandans from contact with their Congolese counterparts. If this does not undermine the integration of persons and markets, I don’t know what does. As can be expected, the authorities of Rwanda’s immigration services were confounded by this decision, calling it ‘surprising’ given the mutual agreement to waive visas for residents of the economic block known with the acronym of CEPGL, with membership of Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC governments. Only with the benefit of extrapolating from Mkapa and Mbeki we can begin to understand the motives that are underlain by this rather sinister move on the part of Kinshasa. And with that we can be less surprised. Historical patterns tell us that political survival of regimes in Kinshasa has often come at the exploitation of existing social tensions in the eastern part of that vast country. It was true during the Mobutu era, particularly towards its sunset. And it is what Kabila’s father turned to when the burden of leadership became too much for him to bear in the late 1990s. This logic was also retained during his son’s reign. Add to that the recent post-M23 triumphalism. It has given rise to a false narrative that claims credit for the end of this rebellion and serves as a psychological boost now responsible for populist maneuvers that can only produce short-term political mileage and sustain the selfish, corrupt, and inept regime in power as it sets sight to the coming presidential elections. Such antics run counter to that country’s long-term interests and have a negative impact on the lives of ordinary Congolese people. Now imagine Joseph Kabange Kabila as a panelist for ‘Leadership for the Africa We Want’.

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DRC populist antics counter spirit of AfDB conference