Problems of IR in SSA and their Impact on the Development of the Continent

1. Problems of IR in SSA and their Impact on the Development of the Continent Dr. Getnet Tamene, PhD City University/VŠM Dec.6, 2006

2. Basic problems encountering us when assessing FP&IR of SSA: • Question of power • Length of existence • Historical conditions that determine political and Econ. Position of SSA in Intl. System: - this is approached through classical methods w/c classify FPocicy from view points of: - Radicals - Moderates - Conservatives, etc.

3. Political development in SSA b/n WWII & end of CW,1990 • A period w/c had dominated world politics and IR • For Africa: a period of complex postcolonial African diplomacy and foreign policy • Like all nation states they compete among each other to secure N Interest Understood In terms of: • securing Intl. boundaries • political & Econ. needs • changing alliances • diplomatic or armed conflict etc… (standards reflecting foreign policy)

4. African environment of IR created additional aspects beyond the standards • inter African relations • endeavor for political & econ. unity of the continent • this endeavor is rooted in PanAfrican movement of 20 c. • has been ongoing since the 50s onwards • associated with the struggle b/n radical and moderate groups of states and politicians

5. 3 main factors that characterize foreign policy & IR of SSA • A. international conflict in SSA countries • B. ideology and national interest • C. political determinants…. (Just major ones)

6. Intl. Conflicts in SSA(Today’s Focus) • In the geographical and cultural sense IR: F Policy of so called 3rd World. • Relates to political and econ. Emancipation movement of former colonies. • The culmination of the movmt.: the Bandung Conf. 1955 (India). • predecessor of the non-aligned movement • 1st Conf. NAM: 1961 (120 countries) with neutral stand in the face of superpowers domination

7. Significant Events of 20thc SSA • Quick emergence of many African states • instability and vulnerability for intervention • Instability and intervention underlie the reason for insecurity of Africa • Africa’s political independence/nation state creation is currently understood in a mixed way: as an event or process which has not been completed yet.

8. Foreign intervention makes one and unmakes the other regime • Since the time of the Congo crisis 1960, similar areas have been labeled unstable artificially for the sake of intervention, pretext for superpowers to intervene, with impunity. • All these without regards to African needs • During bipolar system it was about to cause direct confrontation b/n the superpowers.

9. In 60s F Policy in SSA - democratic institutions were rapidly flourishing - intervention on the other hand helped to install various forms of dictators and single party system - intervention is associated with ideological and political struggle between the 2 blocs of the bipolar system - foreign policy thus became the will of one person

10. The outcome of bipolar domination of SSA in 60s and 70s • politically and militarily weak Afr. States on the UN platform struggled against both superpowers • This led to the creation of Intl African organization OAU(1963) as a vehicle of IR that represents the interest of the whole continent

11. The reasons of post colonial conflicts • (the 1st one was the pre-colonial conflict against colonialism) • the 2nd one is non-governmental subjects wanted to change post-colonial political status quo for own prospect with open or covert support of another state, which for ideological, political or econ. Reasons need to destabilize the position of his neighbor.

12. The main types of conflicts in the continent are 4 • 1.Internal conflict – within individual countries • 2. Conflicts between African states • 3. Conflicts between African states and external powers • 4. Conflicts of superpower interest in Africa by proxy

13. Internal conflict- feature of postcolonial Africa – instability Reasons why it emerges: • struggle b/n governing and non-governing elite • conflict of interest b/n governing group and specific interest groups of the society(labor union, students, peasants, army, religion congregation, etc.) • ethnic conflict b/n governing ethnic group and the others • racial conflict b/n white and black, domestic population and Asian, b/n Arab origin and the natives, etc.

14. Conflicts b/n African states • ideological rivalry…. Eg. Sudan vs Ethiopia • territorial rivalry……Eg. Nigeria vs Cameroon, Ethiopia vs Somalia • personal……….Yoweri Museveni vs Robert Mugabe

15. Conflicts between African states and external powers • Despite the end of colonialism, conflicts b/n superpowers and African states still perpetuate • The idea of new type of colonialism where political and economic actors of the North exert implicit power to govern South through the own apparatus of the South itself….(works to most small states even different from the South), causing refusal of this type of domination….

16. Conflicts of superpower interest in Africa by proxy • USA, RUSSA, UK, FRANCE • China and other less stronger European powers • are related with the conflicts in SSA directly or indirectly through multinational finance, commercial and industrial organizations

17. Reflections of SSA F Policy During and After CW • During CW African foreign policy in IR was termed important in the sense that it resisted both superpowers which used Africa as sphere of interest • After CW Africa is influenced in 2 ways: 1. politics has become ideologically similar and less significant 2. the change has not reduced the radicalism of African politics

18. During the CW • African states played in IR environment as nonaligned movement or ‘3rd power’, with enormous endeavor for Intl. peace, stability, and justful distribution of income. • They have contributed to the emergence of a group of countries known as 77, • Their 1st Conf. was held 1967 in Algers, their initiative resulted a document called New Intl Econ Order (NIEO) in the mid of the 70s, • this contributed towards avoiding barriers w/c widened econ gap b/n the rich North and poor South, • Even after the CW gone, however, the antagonism b/n living in social poverty and in enormous wealth is rather deepening.

19. CW was not Major problem for SSA • The main task of African states and IR during CW was: • building modern/nation states • generating econ. Development • creating responsible structure of African unity capable to govern the whole continent

20. Problems of Nation State Building in SSA as Compared to Europe and N America • economically limited to raw material suppliers, they were pushed to a position of price takers under mechanisms arranged by colonial metropolis to their own advantages • politically the new governments had no administrative experience, they had to encounter seeds of destabilization related with ethnic, border, and religious frictions some of which were orchestrated by former colonizers

21. The Emergence of Dependency Theory to Address Underdevelopment • The arguments of CW period led in the 60s and 70s to the creation of the so called dependency theory, which argued that former colonizers have changed their approach fromdirect presence (imperialism) to indirect presence (imperialism) or neocolonialism

22. Forms of Superpower influence in CW SSA Forms of influence of respective superpowers: • 1. Former SU - direct influence -providing huge # of military advisors -proxy via Cuban Internationalists • 2. USA – indirect influence - proxy client regimes - US foreign policy considers Africa as marginal With the demise of the SU client regimes ended on both sides

23. Current US-SSA Relations • USA has more engaged in politics of SSA • They directly confront with traditional powers such as France, who owns regional monopoly in SSA • Seeking anti-terrorism alliance may be one reason for the US interest • Recourses and market may be the other

24. Dynamics of US-Africa Relations The dynamics is understood in Terms of: • US’s reluctance in the face of African nationalists who are not allowed the full control of their natural resources • US’s failure to create friendly nationalist leaders capable to generate ‘a third way’ b/n Communism and Rightist dictators • US’s policies, which have polarized internal political situation of the countries of the continent • US’s decision to isolate and label as an enemy, at any cost, all political subjects whose ideology leans towards socialism – (against self-determination if you are not with us you’re against us) • US was seen as cultivating colonialism in post cl. SSA

25. The US Policy in SSA Evoked Resistance • resistance of African nationalists against USA • hatred from the European side, against America’s de facto, anti decolonization pressure – they saw it as the reason for African radicalism, and that this brought the Soviets’ penetration into its (Europeans) commercial and economic sphere.

26. US’ Policy was Counterproductive in SSA • It increased radicalism of part of the elite and town ship hence created enormous pressure for change and revolution, causing something like soviet regime in Africa, (eg. Ethiopia 1974)

27. SU-US Positions in SSA, Comparison • The position of the former SU was so simple. Its real or hidden face (mission), as world power, which opposed capitalist greed, had provided a certain maneuvering room, particularly at the beginning. • It had to support its ideological pressure with material aid as in (Guinea, Ethiopia). • However, this doesn’t mean all African radical regimes are subordinate to Kremlin • The Former SU in Africa in 80s was not better than USA. It cooperated with the most brutal dictators of Africa, in the Horn

28. unfinished struggle vs Containment • The SU approached Africa as a supporter for the unfinished struggle in Africa for freedom, • where as the US foreign policy approached Africa to help containing the spread of Communism, the evil, to Africa.

29. NATO & PRC the Two other Intl Powers in SSA • NATO’s intervening role in SSA ended as Portugal (member) pulled out from Southern Africa (Angola, Mozambique) • NATO was under severe critics of SSA states because of its political and military support to Portugal in attempt to perpetuate colonialism and white governing • NATO member countries politically use double standard and largely follow their econ interest in Africa: Eg.1. Great Britain in 1960s together with its allies destabilized the government of Patrick Lumumba supporting the separatists from Katanga, ten years later again GB stood on the side of Nigerian federal military governmentagainst Biafra. Eg.2. USA and France were supporting the racist regime of today’s RSA – but tater on as the apparent change of policy of US in view of SA the US congress enacted severe econ. Sanction that led to the down fall of Apartheid and caused regime change (only when the black fighting was at a point of irreversible)

30. PRC’s political and diplomatic ambitions in SSA • The 1st contact b/n PRC and SSA was made possible at Bandung Comf (1955) • Chinese delegates officially started visiting Africa since the end of 50s. • The 1st Chinese Embassy was opened in Khartoum in 1958 • Conakry in 1959 • Accra in 1960 • Mogadishu 1961

31. Sino-African Cooperation in Education and Cultural • Since 1960s China accepted numerous African students into its universities and technical high schools • China accused the SU of revisionism and opposed the expansion of the SU to many African nations (Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Ethiopia..) • Significant visit was that of Prime minister Chou En Lai many African countries in 1964, condemning the SU for revisionism • China was successful in Africa in establishing political support in Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe • Current Sino-African relations has a different dimension - trade. For PRC and Tchaj-wan the voci of African stated in the UN appears to be important. • Their aid for Africa is a good alternative source and base of competition with the West

32. THANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION