Dark Diamond

Gang YangIpsit Dash

Development in Africa

The Dark ContinentHome of Human

Species, AIDS, Cannibals

54 Countries,1500 languages, 1 Billion People

Highest Debt Profiles,

Lowest Rankings in Human Development

Index 25 million HIV +,90% world

Malaria,

Largest Juvenile Army in operation, Highest Drug Trafficking

Average income =

$ 0.70 /person/day

46% world diamonds, 21% world gold,

16% world uranium, 62% world Platinum

•Most countries have struggling Economy, especially Mid- Africa.

•Snail paced GDP with Mounting Inflation.

•Zimbabwe, Congo D.R, Liberia have Negative GDP and Rising Inflation !

•Western Sahara, South Sudan, Guinea- Bissaue have Negative Inflation Rates

Lower Income 0- $ 995

Lower Middle $ 996- $ 3945

Upper Middle $ 3946- $ 12195

Higher Income $ 12196 ++

Declining Economy

MDGs not fulfilled•Health Care•Poverty•Education

Rise of Local Mafia•Increased Juvenile Crime•Drug Trafficking•Control of Diamond Mines and Oil Fields. Ex- RUF

Increased Privatization•Less Democracy and More Bureaucracy• Top 1% population have access to 90 % resources. China owns 40% Sudan Oil reserves•High Corruption

Late Independence•Colonization•Dictatorship•Slave Trade•Religious- Ethnic Group conflicts

Demographic Features•High Population•Disease prone•Hostile Environment•Lack of Support for development

Clipped Development•Limited Urban development•No infrastructure for Technology•No sustainable resource extraction

•Almost all African Countries have Low Harmony Index.

•Majorities of Refugees in Africa originate from Middle Africa. (Evident from map)

•This most violent area is just the area with the lowest income group .

•Africa has largest reserves of Crude Oil and Diamonds.

•Some countries have + BOT•Due to Large reserves of minerals( gold, diamond) and crude oil etc.•Improving infrastructure.

•But majority of countries have – BOT even they have plenty of mineral reserves( Congo, Namibia) and oil deposits( Sudan, Egypt)

•Surprisingly, Most corrupt countries have better standards of living indicating unequal resource allocations!

•Least corrupt countries have majority of population below poverty line.

•Millennium Development Goals not fulfilled (even after 12 years of implementation).

•High rates of HIV, Malaria, Infant Mortality rates in mid Africa.

Points to Ponder!!

• Better Organized Governance System to facilitate proper resource allocation. Ex- African Union

• Heavy investment in Public Sector to improvise Infrastructure, health and Education.

• Combined military efforts to curb Violence and Local Uprisings.

• Treating the problem of Africa as our own problem and cooperating for its sustainable development.