-(AFRICA’S FOCUS):(THE GAP BETWEEN COMMODITIES AND SOVEREIGNTY TODAY »)!(EDITORIAL)( FROM « THE CHIEF AND MANAGING EDITOR »)-( » YVES T BOUAZO »)
THE MAIN AIM WHICH STIRS US TO ACTION RESTS IN THE CONSPICUOUS FACT THAT (« AFRICA »), BEING THE CRADLE OF MANKIND EVER SINCE HISTORICALLY IS ALSO LABELLED AS THE WORTHY TREASURE OF HUGE MINERALS SUCH AS:(CRUDE PETROLEUM,ORES AND CONCENTRATES, COPPER, DIAMONDS, IRON ORE, GOLD) AND (RAW MATERIALS):(COFFE, CACAO, SUGAR HONEY, TOBACCO, LIVE ANIMALS) AND MANY MORE…(« DEFINTELY « AFRICA » IS NOT POOR,IS BEING LOOTED BY SO CALLED PUPET LEADERS WHO KEEPS ON SUFFERING FROM RAMPANT ILLEGITIMACY IN THE WHOLE OF THAT RICHEST GOLDEN CONTINENT:CAN THE AFRICAN POLITICAL CANCER BE HEALED ONE DAY BY THE NEW CONSCIOUS AND COMMITTED PAN AFRICAN GENERATION AND YOUTH?THAT’S THE BASIC PREDOMINANT ISSUE IN THE WHOLE AFRICA NOWADAYS!ANYWAY, WE OUGHT NOT TO BE AFRO PESSIMISTIC RATHER THAN LOOKING FORWARD TO THE LIGHT OF A BRIGHTER FUTURE:TIME WILL REALLY TELL ONE DAY BECAUSE WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS ALSO A WAY!
-(« FOCUS ON THE « IRON LAW » OF « AFRICAN COMMODITIES » AND ITS CONSEQUENCES TODAY »)!
PERHAPS, AT LEAST A DAMAGING TO THE PAN AFRICAN WORLD SOVEREIGNTY TODAY AS THE BANKS TRANSNATIONALS,AND THE SHIFT IN COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE TO AUTOMATION HAS BEEN THE WORKING OF ONE OF THE MOST VICIOUS TRENDS IN THE WORLD MARKET:THE DETERIORATING TERMS OF TRADE OF AFRICAN COMMODITIES EXPORTS,OR THE DECLINE OF REAL PRIMARY-COMMODITY PRICES IN TERM OF THEIR CAPACITY TO PURSCHASE MANUFACTURED IMPORTS FROM THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.
-(« COMMODITY, BEING THE KEY TO GRETER PAN AFRICAN SOVEREIGNTY TODAY »):
IRONICALLY,COMMODITY PRICES PROMISED TO BE THE KEY TO GREATER SOVEREIGNTY AND DEVELOPMENT INTHE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES WHEN A NATURAL RESOURCE SCARCITY WAS EXPECTED.IN THE SAME TREND,(OPEC )PROVIDED,AT THAT TIME,A SCINTILLATING EXAMPLE OF HOW COMMODITY PRICES COULD BE BROUGHT UP WHAT WAS REGARDED AS THEIR TRUE AND JUST LEVEL.THUS AFRICAN WORLD NATIONS PRODUCING (COPPER )(BAUXITE- GUINEA CONAKRY, THE SECOND LARGEST PRODUCR WORLDWIDE),IRON(GUINEA- CONAKRY THE LARGEST WORLD RESERVES),(MERCURY, TUNGSTEN) (PHOSPAHATE(« TOGO », A GREAT EXPORTER)),(CACAO),(IVORY COAST THE LARGEST PRODUCER WORLWIDE SINCE THE 60S),(COFFEE)(RWANDA AND ETHIOPIA GREAT AFRICAN EXPORTERS) ,(BANANAS) AND EVEN (PEANUTS) FROM (SENEGAL) TRIED TO SET UP OR STRENGTHEN CARTELS TO RAISE OR TO STEADY PRICES!
-(« COMMODITY POWER TURNED TO BE A « MIRAGE » IN THE WHOLE OF AFRICAN AND THIRD WORLD ») SINCE THE (80-90S)!
UNFORTUNATELY, COMMODITY POWER TURNED OUT TO BE A « MIRAG ».IN CONSEQUENCE, BY THE EARLY EIGHTIES(80s),INTERNATIONAL TRADE WAS LITTERED WITYH CARCASSES OF FAILED AGREEMENTS AND THE PRICES OF MANY COMMODITIES SUCH AS (CACAO, COFEE) WERE DOWN TO THEIR LOWEST LEVEL SINCE THE (1980S-1990s);SINCE THEN THEY HAVE NOT SUBSTANTIALLY RECOVERED. RIGHT NOW (IVORY COAST), BEING THE LARGEST EXPORTER OF (CACAO) WORLDWIDE IS STILL GOING THROUGH SOME TRIBULATION FINANCIALLY WITH THE LATEST DROP OF (CACAO) PRICES INTERNATIONALLY SO IS (GHANA), THE SECOND LARGEST EXPORTER OF (CACAO) WORLDWIDE!
-(« WHEN DEPENDING ON ONE OR TWO COMMODITIES INTHE WHOLE OF AFRICA »)!
WITH MANY AFRICAN COUNTRIES DEPENDENT ON (« ONE OR TWO COMMODITIES ») TO GAIN FOREIGN EXCHANGE,THE DROP IN PRICES HAS MEANT A SEVERELY CONSTRAINED ABILITY TO PERFORM THE TRIPLE TASKS OF IMPORTING INDUSTRIAL GOODS,PAYING FOR IMPORTED FOOD NOW NEEDED BY STARVING OR MALNOURISHED POPULATIONS,AND SERVICING THE MOUNTING DEBT.MOREOVER,WITH THE PRICES OF THEIR PRODUCTS FALLING,MANY COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN FORCED TO EXPORT A GREATER VOLUME OF COMMODITIES,WITH THE CONCOMITANT LONG- TERM DAMAGE TO LANDS AND ENVIRONMENT CAUSED BY THE SUPEREXPLOITATION OF RESOURCES.
-(« FOCUS ON THE CASE OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA TODAY »!)
AS THE MOST COMMODITY-DEPENDENT REGION IN THE WORLD INSTEAD OF MANFACTURING THEIR GOODS, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA HAS PROBABLY BEEN THE HARDEST HIT BY THE DETERIORATING TERMS OF TRADE. »CACAO » ACOUNTS FOR INSTANCE FOR(90%) PERCENT OF THE EXPORTS RECEIPTS IN « IVORY COAST »(WEST AFRICA),SO IS COFFEE AS WELL IN (UGANDA);IN THE SAME WAY,( « NIGERIA », « ANGOLA », « CONGO- BRAZZAVILLE », « EQUATORIAL GUINEA ») DERIVE A SIMILAR PROPORTION OF THEIR EXPORT REVENUE FROM OIL.
-DOWN THE LINE, THE CANCER OF MOST AFRICAN NATIONS,REST INTHE LACK OF GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY FAIL TO GET A MANAFACTURED BASE EVER SINCE:THAT’S TO SAY, NO POLITICAL EAGER WILL TO BREAK THE CHAINS OF IMPERIALISM AND NEW COLONIAL POWERS WE WERE BORN IN!FURHERMORE, LEGAL CORRUPTION AND GREED KEEP ON BEING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IN/ (IVORY COAST, CAMEROON, NIGERIA) SINCE!DEFINTELY, SOMETHING MUST BE DONE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!
(« EDITORIAL » FROM THE « CHIEF AND MANAGING EDITOR »)( YVES T BOUAZO)