African Political Integration

578 Words3 Pages
Debra White Dr. Victor Okafor AAS313/UNIT 5 July 19, 2010 African Political Integration Ernst Haas’ definition of political integration includes, “a process whereby political actors in distinct national settings are persuaded to shift their loyalties, expectations, and political activities toward a new center…” In Africa, much is pulling at the seams of such an integration. Externally, other countries with economic and historical motivations continually try to leash Africa through political and financial backing of parties who will subjugate their own nation for personal gain, (also an internal issue), and through World Bank and IMF Structural Adjustment Programs. Internally, ethnic issues described by Dr. Victor Okafor as creating “endemic mutual mistrust”, and a lack of Afri-centric definition erode the threads of unity even as they try to develop. This is hardly an environment for a new center of national political identity to gain loyalties! Abdoulaye Bathily has written about Senegal’s issues to reveal, what he views as, attempts by multinational corporations to take control of the economies of African states. Among other examples, he quotes Julius Nyerere’s complaint of manipulation through subsides and protectionism to favor the northern countries over developing southern ones. The African Confidentia revealed the structural adjustment programs to ‘include cuts in subsidies on basic foods, the closing of state enterprises, large-scale employment and reductions in social spending.’ Onimode states that Nigerian ‘adjustments’ really privitized and hawked public enterprises through technology transfer, making multinationals the neocolonists of African interests. In countries as poor, and as poorly educated as those of Africa,
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