50 Years Of African Independence Has Brought Civil War, Famine, Dictatorship, Ethnic And Tribal Strife, Genocide, And Failed States

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African States Weigh 50 Bittersweet Years of Independence -- New York Times

DAKAR, Senegal — In a fancy resort on the French Riviera this week, limousines bearing African leaders gathered at the doorstep of France’s president for the France-Africa Summit, a time-honored ritual involving pledges of mutual love and, not surprisingly, some backbiting.

Conspicuously absent from the gathering in Nice, however, was a collective reckoning of a major milestone on the calendar: It has been 50 years since many of the countries gained independence.

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My Comment: After 50 years of trying to run their own show .... Africa is still beset by wars, ethnic conflict, genocide, economic stagnation, and exploitation by outside powers .... with the Chinese being the flavor of the month in this round. What is worse is that the situation is degrading further, and old age ethnic/tribal conflicts that have been in check since the colonial times are now causing (today) fissures in many countries. This lack of progress is depressing, and I suspect that with time this political/economic/social condition will only get worse.