The Centre for International Governance Innovation, an international think tank, said at the time that if Obama remains true to the objectives identified in his election campaign, three items could be expected on his African agenda: accelerate Africa’s integration into the global economy enhance peace and security in Africa and strengthen relations with African governments to deepen democracy and accountability. In my father’s life, it was partly tribalism and patronage and nepotism in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is still a daily fact of life for far too many,” the then fresh-faced head of state said. But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. The West has often approached Africa as a patron or a source of resources, rather than a partner. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to breed conflict. “Now, it’s easy to point fingers and to pin the blame for these problems on others. Addressing the parliament of Ghana, Obama affirmed: “Africa’s future is up to Africans.” This must have been a shock to those whose lifeline is embedded in being spoonfed by foreign aid and were under the illusion Obama was the ultimate saviour for the continent. But elsewhere on the continent, reality started trickling in after Obama’s first visit to Africa, specifically to Ghana, in July 2009. Kenya, and one cannot blame them, declared 5 November a national holiday in recognition of Obama’s election that month in 2007. He was, quite frankly, no panacea to even the problems of America. Yet Obama, apart from American first, was no panacea to whatever is eating Africa from within. To hordes of Africans, Obama’s election would mean the end of civil strife in Darfur, Somalia, DRC and other places. While a few liberal-minded Africans predicted at the time that Obama would prioritise his country rather than open floodgates for African aid and other forms of assistance, African conservatives and those with little literacy expected the exact opposite. military headquarters for the continent – by President George W. Many Africans expected Obama, not necessary because he is black and of African heritage, to surpass his predecessors’ initiatives in Africa, such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), mothered by President Bill Clinton, or even the controversial establishment of the so-called United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) – the U.S. It was a unique event with a unique history. Africans, even those dwelling in remote villages, hung their TV aerials on trees to ensure they did not miss a minute of the momentous occasion when a first black person became the first president of the world’s most powerful nation. The descendants of his father, Africans, were particularly – perhaps in naivety – ecstatic. When Obama, fathered by a Kenyan native, was sworn into the presidency the entire world watched with hope and expectation. Windhoek - American President Barack Obama delivered his farewell speech to his country and the world this week, with exactly a week remaining before his rightist successor – property billionaire Donald Trump – is sworn in as America’s 45th head of state.
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