Accra — Once again it is the rainy season in southern Africa and the signals are that the floods that devastated Mozambique during last year's rains might cause similar havoc this year too.
Last year's floods, especially the magnitude of the destruction it caused, captured global attention. But one aspect of this human tragedy that might have been overshadowed by the enormity of the chaos and devastation was Africa's aloofness throughout Mozambique's tribulations.
The poor African country, one of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) had to battle that natural disaster that was threatening its very existence almost single-handedly until Britain and some countries outside Africa, except South Africa, came to her aid, albeit too late. Those who had expected that the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the umbrella organisation that purports to unite African countries, would launch a massive rescue mission in Mozambique had been sorely disappointed by the ineptitude displayed by that body.
But for the intervention of the countries outside Africa and the limited assistance offered by South Africa and the other states adjoining Mozambique, who are themselves no better economically, the Mozambican tragedy would have had a different ending from the one which, nevertheless, broke the heart of the world.
We are once again witnessing the recurrence of the same painful tragedy in Mozambique and once again, apart from South Africa, which has pledged military aircraft to evacuate some of the victims, the rest of Africa is looking on, until maybe help comes from Britain or America. No serious developmental theorist would discount the role of regional cooperation in modern-day development. But it appears Africa is giving this concept of unity and regional integration or cooperation a rather myopic interpretation.
Calamities like civil wars and their attendant refugee problems, floods, drought and serious epidemics all impact negatively on intra-regional socio- economic development; therefore, members of a sub-region who are interested in the development of their region should exhibit equally serious interest in all happenings that could be major drawbacks to development.
As a former American trade secretary once remarked, the developed countries see Africa as one entity in as far as their business interests are concerned. Therefore, a calamity in Mozambique or Rwanda or Sierra Leone is seen from western perspectives as an African problem, not localised ones.
This attitude of the West, whose capital inflow to Africa is badly needed to shore up the distressed economies of most African countries, should serve as the impetus for stronger regional cooperation in combating Africa's problems and creating the right atmosphere that will make the continent attractive to foreign investors.
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What is more, the much-touted desire for African unity must find expression in the way African countries rally behind a colleague in distress; otherwise African unity becomes nothing more than empty rhetoric.
For instance, what did Libya's Col. Gaddafi, who has suddenly rekindled the fire of African unity do about the Mozambican problem last year? What is he doing this year?
Furthermore, Africa's unimpeachable claim to independence and sovereignty must be buttressed by parallel efforts at depending on her own internal resources to solve some of the problems that confront her daily.
Over-reliance on external assistance whenever trouble strikes subtracts substantially from Africa's independence.
Let Africa demonstrate her true independence and desire for unity and stronger regional cooperation in the floodwaters of Mozambique.
