Message-ID: <Pine.BSD.3.90.950516072151.17415A-100000@inet.cml.com> Date: Tue, 16 May 1995 07:33:07 -0400 From: amanuel <mailto:amanuel@CML.COM> Subject: Re: Ebola and the U.S. To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L
Greetings James,I agree with you that Africans should be more responsible and critical of their government, to avoid Mobuto-style plundering of foreign aid and local resources. We cannot continue blaming the West for every problem we have. Most of it is of our own making. However, countries such as the USA have the moral responsibility to see to it that corrupt leaders and governments are not legitimized by their aid. The latter should also promote transparency and accountability. African countries such as Eritrea are trying a different path, where the government and leaders are far away from corruption, and the principle of self-reliance based on minimal aid is becoming the norm. After decades of mismanagement and corruption, Africa should tackle its own problems which are a product of its own leaders. That is why, the bold experiment in Eritrea should be emulated somewhere else too.
Amanuel Melles
On Tue, 16 May 1995, James Mccoy wrote:
> Get real Nick. By no stretch of the imagination can you blame Zaire's problems
> on the US. The US did provide AID to the Zairean government and if Mobutu stole
> most of it what are we to do - cut it off and be accused of victimizing the
> poor and destitute or impinge on the independence of an independent state and
> tell him how to run his internal affairs. The days when the US is willing to
> unilaterally intervene in the internal affairs of a country-without serious
> provocation-are just about past. The people of Africa had better figure out how
> to get their respective houses in order or more and more development aid will
> go to those who at least try to help themselves, e.g. Eastern Europe, South and
> Southeast Asia.
>