George Ayittey writes:
I normally do not comment on US events because I feel we have enough problems in Africa and American problems are for Americans to resolve.More here
However, for some strange reasons, the election victory of Donald Trump on November 8 was hailed by some African despots, such as Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi Perhaps, Trump’s blunt and tough talk resonates with them and validates their own authoritarianism. Most Africans, however, bemoaned the election of Trump. For example, David J Hornsby of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, argues that, under Trump, the US may turn inward, economically and politically, less sanguine about drafting new initiatives for Africa – such as The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by former Pres. Bill Clinton, The President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by ex-President George W Bush and Power Africa by Pres. Obama.
Actually I believe the Trump victory – notwithstanding the insults he heaped on Latinos, Blacks, women, Muslims, etc. – and the concomitant US retreat from Africa might actually be good for the continent. US/Western policies in Africa have been a spectacular failure. More than $700 billion has been pumped into Africa since 1960 with little to show for it. Here are a few highlights