Africa Information Centre (AIC)
http://www.africainformation.co.uk
Monthly Newsletter July 2000
(Issue no. 4)|
Contents: 1. This month's topical debate - 'Water wars, climate change and African unity' |
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1. This month's burning issues Water wars, Climate Change and African Unity It has long been predicted by the pundits that water would become the issue that causes most division between countries in the developing world, particularly Africa, in the twenty-first century. This month's spat between Senegal and Mauritania over water drawn from the River Senegal that has thankfully been resolved peacefully and amicably follows closely on the heels of the dispute between Namibia and Botswana over Namibia's wish to draw extra water from the Okavango. The issue of water availability and consumption is intimately linked to climate change, demographic dynamics (population increase and migration) and the directly related need for good statesmanship and diplomatic skills in the face of the urgency of water shortage. The reasons for concern over water are clear and straightforward. Water is the vital ingredient for human survival. It is required to sustain the human body and livestock as well as to provide moisture for agriculture and the sustenance of natural vegetation vital to humans for such basic requirements as firewood, food and shade. Most developing countries do not have enough water to go round. This is because they are most often located in regions of the world suffering from the negative (from a human angle) components of climate change such as reduced and increasingly irregular rainfall, and atmospheric temperature increase. These have impacts such as: reduced levels of vegetation, threats to coastal zones from sea level increases and diminishing stores of water due to reduced flows of fresh water in rivers and lowered levels of water in lakes (in the case of Lake Chad, almost the disappearance of the lake). All this is taking place at a time of increasing population levels and static or declining economic resources to deal with a problem, the future extent of which is uncertain and only vaguely quantified. No wonder then, that water is increasingly becoming a catalyst for potential conflict. As is so often the case, disputes that arise between states over one issue rapidly deteriorate into multifarious squabbles over seemingly unrelated concerns that can rapidly assume equal importance. Thus, as was potentially the case in the Senegalo-Mauritanian dispute, an argument over water may become a catalyst for conflict over other issues. Having been in Senegal and close to the border with Mauritania at the time the issue arose, it was interesting to read and listen to opinions and views. Some blamed the poor statesmanship of the new Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade, in raising the issue of water extraction with Mauritania so openly when it had been a previous source of conflict and one which had been recognised by the previous incumbent, Abdou Diouf as worthy of diplomatic caution and care when dealing with the Mauritanians. Others looked to continuing wounds left by the last bloody conflict between the two countries in 1989 over 'black' Mauritanian refugees fleeing a racist agenda by the 'white' leadership in Nouakshott. This explanation was espoused particularly by the many Senegalese traders who, faced with expulsion orders from the Mauritanian President, Ould Tayah, were fearfully trying to arrange their evacuation from Mauritanian towns in the two weeks they had been given. Much editorial space was given over to the 'Arabisation' of Mauritania by a leadership that has taken its country into the Union Maghrébin. Still others, particularly among the non-Senegalese and non-Wolof, blamed the crisis on a sense of Senegalese arrogance in dealings with its neighbours, introducing a distinctly ethnic flavour to the dispute. There was also talk of greedy farmers and overgrazing on the Senegalese side of the border and pure geographical jealousy on the part of Mauritania. However, despite all the predictions of doom and gloom, this is was one dispute that did not turn into conflict. The paper Le Témoin made a telling appeal to both Presidents to remember that theirs were developing countries and that, in truth, no developing country had ever 'won' a war in any true sense of the word, and that the populations of the participants had always been the losers. In this case, good diplomacy entered into by both Presidents Wade and Tayah, together with interventions from King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Presidents Konaré and Jammeh of Mali and Gambia respectively, saved the day. On reading the statements of all the participants, one realises that the accord reached was an advance victory in the impending crisis of climate change. It was a victory not only of common sense in the face of all the negative and self-defeating impacts that the dispute would have engendered had it turned into open conflict, but also for a growing sense of West and North African unity and consensus. Let us not forget that the human causes of climate change can be mostly located in the North, which has been responsible for the vast majority of emissions that are responsible for creating the 'greenhouse effect'. And it was the European colonisers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who often delineated their respective territorial claims with the aid of natural topographical features such as rivers. This aspect of the colonial legacy is directly responsible for many of the contemporary so-called 'water wars' as countries haggle expensively in international courts over the legitimacy of dog-eared documents left behind by departing colonial regimes who now conveniently forget their responsibility for this component of the crisis. Yet the onus is being increasingly placed on the developing world to adopt 'clean development' strategies to combat the effects of a crisis for which it is not responsible whilst the biggest polluter of all, the United States, continues to vacillate over its role in combating global warming. This is despite the fact that the US is the world's greatest energy user and waste creator by far and the possessor of the greatest resources for overcoming the effects and impacts of climate change. How obscene for western environmentalists to be militating against the World bank stumping up the money for a pipeline to ship oil from Chad through Cameroon and bring much needed economic development to Chad, one of the world's poorest countries. Aid agencies and NGOs, both northern and southern based, are attempting, through innumerable expensive conferences around the globe, to talk to one another about involving the developing world in 'clean development mechanisms' (CDMs). Yet these mechanisms, usually devised in the north, can easily thwart the struggle for economic and social upliftment that most developing countries are currently engaged in. In this arena, the need for a unified and common approach by African leaders and decision-makers has never been greater, which is why the Senegalo-Mauritanian rapprochement is to be so loudly applauded. Of course, it is extremely unlikely that African successes of the sort described will ever reach the pages of Northern newspapers or the screens of their TVs as this would not fit in with the negative image of African inability, ineptness and corruptibility that is constantly being purveyed by the northern media. Even more reason, then, for the current crop of Pan-African discourse taking place around the continent to reach a fruitful harvest. If you have comments about this or any other issue raised in the newsletter or on the AIC site, send them in to letters@africainformation.co.uk |
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2. The Gorée Institute The Gorée Institute is a non-governmental organisation based on the island of Gorée, a short boat ride from Dakar in Senegal, West Africa. The Institute, under the leadership of recently appointed Executive Director, Aïssatou Sarr, seeks to promote the concept of self reliant and open societies in Africa and concentrates its efforts at research and interventions that promote democracy, development and indigenous culture. Much of the current research programme is concentrated in the fields of civil society, management of the public good and the development of women in Africa. The idea for the Institute, first articulated by ex-President Abdou Diouf of Senegal originated during the Dakar Meeting for Democracy in South Africa that took place in 1987 between the then-exiled leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) and a host of leaders from the business and political establishment of white-ruled South Africa as it was then. This meeting, funded by the Danielle Mitterand Foundation and the financier George Soros, was attended and supported by Africans from other parts of the continent and contributed significantly to the eventual installation of democracy in South Africa in 1994. In June, 1992, the Gorée Institute came into being in the presence of Abdou Diouf and the then Secretary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), Salim Ahmed Salim. It was started by a group of concerned Africans who shared the ideals of progress, justice and liberty and a strong belief in African co-operation and self-reliance. Much of the contemporary everyday business of the Institute involves training and consultancy work with other NGOs as well as within the public and private sectors. Ms Sow and her team at Gorée are keen to promote capacity building, learning and organisational effectiveness with an Africanised approach, in other words, one that takes into account and respects the social and cultural norms of the target audience and not those of societies external to Africa. The Gorée Institute boasts a fine Resource Centre housing a library and computer cluster, air-conditioned conference suites with simultaneous translation facilities available and quality accommodation available on the island, which benefits from employment and involvement in local community life by the Institute. In looking to the future, the Institute is concerned about keeping Africa in touch with developments in the ongoing revolution in information technology and communications (ITC), including the setting up of shared learning sites, and the creation of exchanges and co-operation with academic institutions world-wide. To find out more about the Gorée Institute go the AIC page on Gorée at http://www.africainformation.co.uk/gorin.htmE-mail: goree@enda.sn Website: http://www.gorin.org |
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3. Recipe section
Dorowat: Ethiopian Spicy Braised Chicken Serves: 4 Preparation time: 1 hour Ingredients: 8 oz Tomato Sauce 1. Make the red pepper sauce first. Combine tomato sauce, paprika, 1/4 cup red wine, grated ginger root, red pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. Set red pepper sauce aside 2. In a large skillet cook onion and garlic in hot oil till onion is tender but not brown. Stir in red pepper sauce, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add chicken pieces to skillet. Spoon onion mixture over chicken pieces, bring mixture to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup dry red wine. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes turning chicken pieces often. Skim off fat. Serve with Ethiopian flat bread. Injera (Thin Round Ethiopian Bread)Teff, the millet used by Ethiopians isn't easy to find outside of that region, so this recipe is adapted to resemble real Injera closely. Baked on a griddle, this thin pancake-like bread is a perfect scoop for Ethiopian Wats (stews). (makes 18) Put the flours in a bowl and add baking powder. Stir well. Add club soda and four cups of water. Mix into a smooth thin batter. |
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4. Announcements and Messages Many people write in or phone to make comments on stories or other issues raised in the AIC newsletter or on the main website. This is great but don't be afraid to drop us a line by e-mail so that we can share your thoughts with the rest of the membership who probably agree with your views. If you want to remain anonymous this is fine, we do not have to publish your name. Fons Geerlings writes in from the Netherlands about his foundation which can be accessed on www.africaserver.nl This is a useful website in English and Dutch with info from Africa and which features a series of virtual exhibitions with, for example, the work of African artists. All in all, a good site to bookmarkBenjamin Tattersfield on btattersfield@hotmail.com emailed us this month and said 'I would especially be interested in information about development work in Africa- and how I could get involved.' Well, Benjamin, take a look at agencies like ENDA and the Gorée Institute accessible from the development page of the main AIC site and you will see that there are places to write to if you are interested. Also, try keying in 'NGOs jobs' in the Alta Vista search panel on the Search page of the AIC and you will find literally hundreds of NGOs and work opportunities available. You might also try the VSO at www.vso.org.uk and some of the big agencies like Oxfam and Christian Aid. You will need some kind of transferable skill that is in demand, plus the ability to prove that you have sound reasons for wanting to do development work and the stamina to rough it for a couple of years.In June, a new and improved clickable map appeared on the AIC site which will give access to the AIC country files. These are in the process of being upgraded and the first of these refurbishments is the Senegal site. July will see the arrival of new flies for Cape Verde, the Comores, Mayotte and Reunion, and Ascension/St Helena/Tristan da Cunha. From this issue, the AIC newsletter will appear one week after the date of publication on the main website accessible from the homepage. The AIC would like to welcome Fatma Denton to the team. Fatma will be intimately involved with the forthcoming 'Women in Africa' theme. For more details on Fatma, check out the AIC résumé at http://africainformation.co.uk/resume.htm or click on the link at the AIC homepageThe next issue of the AIC newsletter will appear on Friday, July 28th 2000. |
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5. New Members We would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new members of the AIC community who joined us during June. Greetings!! Baffour Ankomah and the team at New African - UK Hundreds of others from around the world arrive on the AIC site from day to day but go unrecognised. This is a shame as we would like to welcome you to the AIC's fast-growing community of dedicated Africanists. Send your details in by clicking on the monthly newsletter or community links on the homepage. |