Opinion
Africa: Why Addis Still Matters More Than Davos
Madagascar – where four years of political strife, following a coup in 2009, has brought the country’s economy to a standstill – has been welcomed back into the AU family after elections in December last year. Some would argue that this was an example of how the AU and its Regional Economic Communities like SADC can make a difference; though mediation efforts probably took far too long.
Africa does have its billionaires. It too makes ‘tech breakthroughs’ and has its own share of CEOs who fly around in private jets. They also gather at times during meetings like the annual Mining Indaba coming up in Cape Town next month. But for mining to really take off, they will tell you, peace in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has to be consolidated. That’s where the AU and its politicians come in.
Liesl Louw-Vaudran, ISS Consultant
Copyright Liesl Louw-Vaudran 2014
Source: allAfrica
