Africa lecture #7
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Transcript of Africa lecture #7
Modern African Issues
• 1) Genocide/Civil Wars
• 2) Famine and Water Scarcity
• 3) Disease and the AIDS Epidemic
Rwandan Genocide
• Before European Colonization -
• Similarities: Hutus and Tutsis speak same language and share a similar culture.
• Differences: Tutsis were taller, smaller noses and were more “western” looking. Also, Hutus were often farmers, while Tutsis were cattle herders (more land ownership)
• During European Colonization -
• Belgium favors Tutsis based on appearance and their more significant wealth.
• Tutsis made up only 14% of total population but they dominated Hutus under the Belgian government.
Rwandan Genocide
• In 1962, Rwanda gains independence and the majority Hutus take power and oppress the Tutsis. Many flee the country.
• In exile, the Tutsis form a rebel army (RPF) and invade Rwanda in 1990 and force a peace agreement in 1993.
• During negotiations, an extremist Hutu militia forms (Interahamwe) and prepares for combat.
• April 6th, 1994 - president Habyarimana is killed when his plane is shot down.
• April 7th, 1994 the Interahamwe and the FAR (Rwandan Armed Forces) set up roadblocks and begin to massacre all Tutsis and Hutu moderates.
• April 21st, 1994 - 10 Belgian soldiers are killed; UN reacts by evacuating troops from the country.
• April 30, 1994 - UN Security Council refuses to call situation a genocide to avoid intervention.
• May 17, 1994 - its agreed to send troops to stop the situation, but motion is delayed over cost concerns.
• July 17th, 1994 - RPF (Tutsi troops) reach the capital of Kigali and the massacres finally stop.
• Total - over 800,000 people were killed in 100 days
Genocide in Darfur
• Darfur = about the size of Texas; made up of nomadic Arabs and more settled African farmers.
• In February 2003, frustrated by poverty and neglect from the government two Darfurian rebel groups launched an uprising against the government. Groups claimed government favored Arab nomads.
• Claiming to be putting down the rebellion, the government responded with a scorched-earth campaign against the innocent civilians of Darfur.
Genocide in Darfur
• Government sponsored Janjaweed militia have used rape, displacement, organized starvation, threats against aid workers, and mass murder to kill more than 400,000 and displace 2.5 million people.
• More than 100 people continue to die each day
• The US has been active in trying to end the situation, but matters are tricky due to Chinese financial influence
The Second Congo War
• Started in 1998 and involved eight African nations.
• The largest war in African history
• An estimated 5.4 million people died as a result of the war and its aftermath, making it the deadliest worldwide conflict since World War II
• War officially ended in 2006 but hostilities still continue today
• Women were often the targets of violence and mutilation by soldiers
Invisible Children
• Uganda 1980s - Alice Lakwena becomes popular as a religious preacher who claims the holy spirit is working through her.
• Lakwena claims the Acholi tribe should overthrow the unjust Ugandan government as its God’s will.
• Lakwena starts the Holy Spirit Movement but is eventually exiled. Joseph Kony, her cousin, takes over and transforms the movement into the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) and wages war.
• Kony loses support and so he abducts children by the thousands as a means to replenish his weakening army.
• Kony and the LRA have spread conflict beyond just Uganda to the DRC and southern Sudan
• Children are indoctrinated through addict to drugs such as cocaine or opiates. These numb the child and create a drug dependency to control them by.
• As of 2008 Kony refuses to sign a peace agreement and continues to wage war.
Invisible Children
Famine and lack of resources
• Africa is the most underdeveloped and poorest of all the continents
• The average person in sub-saharan Africa is estimated to live on just $0.70 a day
• A recent UN report states that half of the world’s population does not have access to clean water
• (3 billion people)
• Increasing population plus limited resources leads to war
Clean Water
• The main conflicts in Africa over the next 25 years could be over the most precious resource on earth - clean water
• “Water wars” are most likely to occur in countries that share a common source of water.
China’s Impact in Africa• Chinese interests in Africa range from oil, lumber,
refining, agriculture, banking and construction.
• Trade from 2000-2006 averaged $55 billion per year
• Projected 2010 is $100 billion
• Pros - heavy investment in infrastructure projects in exchange for oil, mining rights, etc; Chinese culture/humility is nice change to European arrogance; Chinese get things done; exports increased 2,126% in past 10 yrs
• Cons - efficiency comes with a price (worker complaints over chinese mistreatment), support of dictatorships in Africa such as Mugabe in Zimbabwe; Sudanese and Rwandan genocides both have connections to China
AIDS Epidemic• More than 17 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa have
died of AIDS
• Experts estimate that at least 26 million more people in Africa are HIV positive
• Millions of people with AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa could be treated with sophisticated anti-retroviral drugs for about $1,100 per patient annually (Harvard Study)
• The average life expectancy on the African continent ranges from 74 years in the island nation of Mauritius to just under 32 years in Sub-Saharan Swaziland
• Impact of AIDS has had a large impact on life expectancy in Africa
• Swaziland has highest concentration of AIDS infected people in Africa
Malaria
• Approximately 90% of all cases of malaria worldwide occur in Africa and 3,000 African children die each day from its effects.
• Malaria is under funded compared to other diseases worldwide
• AIDS funding is $3,270 per fatal case
• Malaria is $42 per fatal case
• Close to 375 million cases of malaria occurred last year
• Mosquito nets in every village would reduce disease rates by over 70%