7 September 2008
opinion
Lagos — The Democratic Party held its national convention penultimate weeks when Senator Barack Obama, the party's presidential flag bearer pledged to partner Nigeria and reach out to all African states if he finally wins the White House race next November. This promise portends a new beginning in the US-Nigeria relations, though experts argues that such overture requires a redefinition of Nigeria's foreign policy objectives to maximise her outcomes of the game. Gboyega Akinsanmi writes.
Democratic convention has come to an end with a renewed spirit of harmony. Its success will no doubt boost Senator Barrack Obama's chance of becoming the next American president, analysts say. At least, the convention addressed fractured relationship between different factions in the party and fine-tuned strategies to win the White House race next November.
The new spirit of Democrats has already sent a message of victory to the Republican. But analysts believe one cannot be too categorical about who rules the United States next. Obama, like other Democrats, needs to work harder, even when it is obvious that Americans no longer want a war president. But different polls continue to give Obama edge in the titanic race.
The world too seems more concerned about who wins the White House next November than any time in history. Observers believe this is due to the US position in the matrix of world politics. Indeed, it is. But opinions from Middle East and South-East Asia have rejected the Republican war option; a policy they believe has wreaked havoc on the Afghan and Iraqi economies.
This has cost Afghanistan and Iraq their peace, though majority of Afghans and Iraqis, like President George W. Bush, perceive terrorism and its adherents with odd eyes. From the Atlantic to the Pacific states, there is a new consensus that a world without war is possible. This may not make sense to the realists, but John McCain is yet to understand what next after war.
Like President Woodrow Wilson, Obama seems more like an idealist to dream a world without war, though he had visited Afghanistan. He had been to Iraq, and acknowledged the success of troop surge in the war-torn country. He also promised to talk Cuba. He did not wave the idea of bringing the Tehran to the roundtable, and hinted the he would engage the communists. All his efforts and promises are pointing a world without war, say analysts.
However, Obama has not visited Africa since he gained democratic nomination three months ago. Does this mean he has no plan for African countries if he finally wins the race next November? This does mean he has no plan for Africa. But during the convention penultimate week, Obama promised to partner Nigeria and reach out to all African countries.
He made this promise through his Foreign Policy Adviser, Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman in Denver. Sherman, a seasoned diplomat, was excited to tell THISDAY that Obama is keen to partner Nigeria and reach out to the rest of African states. According to him, Nigeria is an important country in Africa, not only in terms of her size, but because of her growing economy.
Sherman said: "Nigeria has a growing economy, a large population and a democracy with some bumps on the way. Senator Obama has spoken of the importance of Africa in terms of the growing world economy, the importance of trade, African labour and failed states, which Nigeria is not currently. Obama presidency will support Nigeria in order to ensure the entire continent the kind of progress that Nigeria is making at this time."
Though quite oblivious of what Africa needs from the US and what Africa can offer to help the US realise her foreign policy objectives on the continent, Sherman did not demonstrate enough mastery of African political dynamics given his face-value analysis of the socio-economic and political status of African states. But foreign policy experts say the continent deserves better attention if the world at large must witness what Obama has called "a change we believe in."
It deserves the attention of Obama to understand that Africa has an entirely difficult terrain, especially when development and governance are called to questions. The continent too has a lot of opportunities, which require partnership with successful democracies (not oriental autocratic democracies) to build a New Africa, a vision her patriarchs nursed, but could not realise.
Aside her riches in human capital, though undeveloped, Africa is endowed with the vast deposit of mineral and natural resources. For instance, Liberia and Sierra Leone are blessed with diamond in economic values. Sudan too, like many North African states, are at the peak of oil boom. Until her last electoral violence that killed no fewer than 1,250, Kenya is a home to Western and Asian tourists because of her beautiful sceneries.
Nigeria, like other Gulf of Guinea states, is currently housing billions of barrels of crude oil. Her off-shore reserves alone have made Nigeria a beautiful bride the West and the Orient are now wooing with whom to pitch their stead. Even South Africa is gradually emerging a formidable force in the global community with booming economy and thriving democracy.
Also in Rwanda, her genocide terrain has started changing and will likely replace Zimbabwe as "the Food Basket of Africa." Rwanda is becoming a new centre for the world capitalists because her leadership is providing an enabling environment for tourism, agriculture and industrialisation. Whether Rwanda will soon become 'African Singapore is a fact most analysts can no longer doubt despite her gory experience of genocide.
However, the above does mean it is all well with Africa. Reports of reputable international institutions like the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, International Crisis Group and the Human Rights Watch show that Africa deserves better attention and objective partnership with successful democracies if the world must know peace in decades ahead.
Several rationales account for Africa's woes in the world of 21st century. Like Western analysts hold, Africa is still home to many autocrats who are not ready to relinquish power, a situation that is stoked public anger and mass action. In Zimbabwe, for instance, President Robert Mugabe is talking tough, using the instruments of state to crush the oppositions despite his defeat at poll and consequent illegitimate election, which the world rejected.
The case of Sudan is not different. On Darfur conflict, International Criminal Court (ICC) has preferred a three-count charge of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes against President Hassan Omar al-Bashir. Even at this, The Hague Court has issued the arrest warrant on this sitting president, who allegedly partner China against his people.
President Mwai Kibaki is still drumming war in Kenya, East Africa's largest economy. He lost election to Prime Minister Raila Odinga early this year, but refused to quit power. Reuters quoted a source that put the death toll at 1,250 and 250,000 were forced out of their homes and ancestral roots.
Though riding at the crest of booming economy, South Africa is too different from other African states. Currently Africa's largest economy, the country is suffering from leadership crisis: President Thabo Mbeki fuming hatred against his former Deputy President Jacob Zuma. Many analysts have linked this crisis with xenophobic violence that engulfed the country recently.
Nigeria is battling with a myriad of socio-economic woes: corruption, institutional malfunctioning, infrastructural decay, power crisis, social miseries and Niger Delta crisis, all of which hampering the country's capacity to meet her national policy objectives. This is why Western analysts say Nigeria is indeed a case of ailing democracy and battered economy.
But Obama has promised to partner Nigeria and reach out to other countries on the continent. Foreign policy experts describe his overture as welcome. Even though Obama has no clear plans for now, this oversight offers African states an opportunity to redefine their foreign policy objectives in order to maximise gains in their respective relationship with the United States decades ahead. This is why Senator Bode Olajumoke is advocating an absolute redefinition of Nigeria's foreign policy.
For Senator Olajumoke, who was part of Senate Delegation to the Democratic National Convention, saw Obama's overture to Nigeria, like other African countries as normal and okay. He argued: "For political and economic considerations, any US president would want to partner with Nigeria." But this position has influenced critics to call Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Foreign Affairs Minister to stand the tide of foreign relations in the New World.
But in relating with the US decades ahead, Olajumoke is advocating for a foreign policy tailored with national objectives, which according to him, would reflect in the way Nigeria respond to all external interests in her economy and polity. "Nigeria should respond to such overture purely from her political and economic interests, and the pros and cons of such partnership should be weighed in the over-all interest of her people," Olajumoke said.
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