US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should put a strong emphasis on how best to manage natural resource wealth and avoid conflict and corruption.
As she concludes her visit to seven African countries, Liberia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria (all in her itenerary) are key examples of how abundant natural resource wealth -- such as oil, minerals, and timber -- can be more of a curse than a blessing, causing or exacerbating conflict and corruption.
Angola, for instance, where several major US oil companies have big investments, has an appalling record for corruption and mismanagement of its oil wealth.
Seven years after the end of the civil war, most of the country's people continue to live in deep poverty, despite the vast earnings from oil.
The death rate of Angolan children is one of the highest in the world and the country ranked 157 out of 179 on the UN Human Development Index in 2008.
The state oil company, sonangol, which still does not publish audited accounts, had given permission to bid for oil and gas licences to a private company whose shareholders had the same names as top government officials.
In its 2008 human rights report, the US State Department described official corruption in Angola as a "severe" problem.
We hope Secretary Clinton will not downplay the very serious corruption issues in Angola because of US energy interests there.
The Angolan oil sector needs to open up to full public scrutiny to ensure that the money is used for the public good. This is in America's long term interests.
In Nigeria, which is in Clinton's second half of the African tour, has also suffered grievously from corruption surrounding oil revenues -- a direct cause of the violent conflict in the Niger Delta region.
Global Witness believes the US should urge the Nigerian government to reinvigorate the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and should support the transparency reforms included in the new Petroleum Industry Bill.
The fourth stop on Clinton's tour was the Democratic Republic of Congo on August 9.
Global Witness recently published a comprehensive report showing how the fight for control of mineral wealth remains a key underlying driver of the 12-year conflict, which has killed millions and displaced many more.
The report names international companies trading in minerals that come from armed groups.
For too long, international governments, including the US, have not paid enough attention to the economic drivers of this war.
The vast mineral wealth in the DR Congo provides both an incentive to fight and the money to buy weapons.
The US is a major donor to the DR Congo and a key player in peace negotiations, but by failing to address the issue of warring parties' access to the mines or the role of companies in fuelling the trade, it is undermining its own aid and diplomatic efforts.
In Liberia, Global Witness is concerned that post-conflict reform of the forest sector, in which the US has invested heavily, both financially and politically, is at risk as the Liberian government's own regulations are being undermined.
Global Witness recently warned that Malaysian timber giant Samling, a company with a long history of illegal logging, environmental destruction and conflicts with local communities, is behind three front companies who have won or are being considered for major logging contracts.
Patrick Alley is the director of Global Witness, a non-governmental organisation that focuses on the corrupt exploitation of natural resources and international trade systems.
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* 16 European Nations . Met And Plotted On How They Would Rob Africa Of Its Riches.
* They met during two(2) Periods of time in two(2) places
* The General Act Of Berlin Conference (Nov, 1884 to February, 1885)
* Brussels Belgium to finalize SECRET agreements ( Nov, 1889 to July 1890)
* The Book King Leopolds Ghost (1998) by Adam Hochschild documents some of This information.
The following Nations (Households) - Planned how they would divide among themselves our AFRICAN Riches.
1) Austria-Hungary - Francis Joseph I Charles - August 18, 1830 -
2) Belgium - King Leopold II April 9, 1835
3) Denmark - Frederik VIII -June 3, 1843
4) France - Marie François Sadi Carnot August 11, 1837 -
5) Germany - Wilhelm II - January 27, 1859
6) Great Britain - Queen Victoria (Hanover) May 24, 1819 British Ruler 2nd
7) Holland William III February 19, 1817
8) Italy - Umberto I - March 14, 1844 -
9) Norway - Oscar II [Oscar Frederik] January 21, 1829 (Also Sweden)
10) Portugal - Carlos I September 28, 1863
11) Russia - Alexander III Alexandrovich March 10, 1845
12) Spain - Alfonso XIII May 17, 1886
13) Sweden - Oscar II January 21, 1829 (Also Norway)
14) Turkey - Abdülhamid II, - September 2 or September 22 - 1842 -
15) United States - Benjamin Harrison August 20, 1833 -
16) Persia (Iran) - Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar July 16, 1831
For centuries Black Africans have been exploited and exploited in the name of Islam. Then with the coming of the Portueses (so-called Christians) to Ghana around the 1440s , the so-called Christians started their exploitation.
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We Black Africans are puzzling. We have a bounty of riches around us, yet we persist in allowing outsiders to steal them; while we fight each other over trivial matters.
Just in case you're wondering, here's some Black Africans who have done wondrous things to change the way we live in the world.
For example : Garrett-Augustus Morgan invented the Traffic Signal to CURB (no pun intended) TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS !!!
* Buridge & Marshman - TYPEWRITER
* George Carruthers - X-RAY MACHINE
* George Washington Carver - PEANUT BUTTER - PAINTS PAINT STAINS ETC
* W.A. Dietz - SHOE
* Charles R. Drew - BLOOD PLASMA STORAGE SYSTEM
* Michael Harney - LANTERN
* Augustus Jackson - ICE CREAM
* H.A. Jackson - KITCHEN TABLE
* Isaac R. Johnson - BICYCLE FRAME
* John A. Johnson - WRENCH
* Frederick M. Jones - DEFROSTER - REFRIGERATION CONTROLS AIR CONDITIONER
* Jones & Long - BOTTLE CAPS
* Lewis Latimer & Nichols - ELECTIC LAMP
* John L. Love - PENCIL SHARPENER
* Tony J. Marshall - FIRE EXTINGUISHER
* Alexander Miles - ELEVATOR
* W.A. Martin - LOCK
* Garrett A. Morgan - GAS MASK - Traffic Signal
* Lydia Newman - HAIR BRUSH - Nov 15, 1898
* W.B. Purvis - FOUNTAIN PEN
* L.P. Ray - DUST PAN
* W.H. Richardson - BABY BUGGY
* G.T. Sampson - CLOTHES DRYER
* .W. Smith - LAWN SPRINKLER
* J. Standard - REFRIGERATOR
* T.W. Stewart - MOP
* Maxine Snowden - RAIN HAT - 1983
* Paul E. Williams - HELICOPTER
* Granville T. Woods - Roller Coaster
* Granville T. Woods - Telegraph Transmission Devices - Dec 2, 1884 Patents # - 308, 816 (7)
Thanks to The Black Inventors Museum P.O. Box 76128 Los Angeles , Calif. (90076) Phone (310) 859-4602)
Director : Ghanaian Mr. Hamza Salifa
Contributor of Information : SEESTAH Imahkus Nzinga Okofo
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[Check Out :
3) Who Brought The Slaves To America ? URL = [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuzhnKy63io ] Or [http://wideeyecinema.com/?p=911]
WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!
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