Political Conditionality and Prospects for Recovery in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

It has become obvious that the choice for Africa in the 1990s is between reform and further decline. The state of the continent today is, to put it mildly, very alarming. On all indicators of growth and development, Africa lags behind all other continents. In fact the 1980s hardly showed any improvement as debt, drought, instability and famine diverted attention and scarce resources from well-intentioned reform policies. Today the continent is more unstable, marginal and crisis-ridden than it was three decades ago. On the basis of current location and role in the international division of labour, state of politics, power and production relations, the future of the continent would seem very bleak.

In some African countries, the political consequences of… adjustment measures have been severe and have met with popular resistance in the form of riots on account of, for instance, the rising cost of food. Indeed, the social consequences of these programmes are threatening the very foundation and stability of the African social and cultural structures.

OAU, 1988.

There is particular bitterness over the fact that the seeming disengagement from the continent comes while the majority of African countries are pursing politically risky economic policy reforms that were urged on them by donors as prerequisites for increased assistance and investment.

Salim Lone, 1990a.