There is almost universal consensus that the elimination of corruption will bring Africa to the fore, allowing it to take advantage of its demographic profile. The big challenge is democracy. The death of two leaders, one in Ghana and the other in Ethiopia, offers an interesting contrast.
On July 24th, within hours of the sudden end from cancer of Ghana’s president, John Atta Mills, his deputy, John Mahama, was sworn in with impressive constitutional calmness to replace him.
The death of Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia’s authoritarian leader for the past 20 years, whose failure to implement a succession plan has left a power vacuum that portends potential problems for the country and the region. That will expose the West’s failure to promote the long term benefits of democracy where once the country had achieved stability following the ravaging starvation in the 1980s exacerbated by a similar political vacuum at the end of the Haile Selassie era.
The rest of Africa is jealous of Ethiopia’s proud heritage and success at avoiding colonisation in the Scramble for Africa during the latter stages of the 19th century.
It’s time to right a wrong.
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Bye-bye big man
In rude health
Meles Zenawi’s successor faces challenges
Ethiopia profile