Oxfam is urging President Obama and African
leaders to make bold commitments to help transform African institutions into
models of transparency and accountability over the next decade as billions of
dollars in aid flows and oil, gas and mining revenues pour into the continent,
affecting millions of lives.
With the President and First Lady Michelle
Obama scheduled to travel to Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania over the next
few days, the time is now to address the continent’s continued economic
development, said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America.
“President Obama got it right in Accra in 2009
when he said Africa's future lies with Africa's institutions. Now it’s time for
the President to help Africa realize its full potential by investing directly
in local governments and citizens, helping to increase transparency of budgets,
extractive industry revenues, and tax systems for governments,” said
Offenheiser.
Over the next decade, more than $1 trillion in
natural resources will be extracted from the African continent. Currently,
Africa exports more than $300 billion a year in oil, gas and mineral
exports—more than four times the amount of aid the continent receives. But that
money is not building roads, schools and hospitals for Africa’s people. In
fact, booming extractives industries often lead to more poverty and
powerlessness. The people of Kedougou, Senegal, for instance, live atop a large
scale gold-mining operation. But despite the riches found in their soil, none
of it has been returned to their community.
Many have lost access to the agricultural land that sustained their
families, and many others did not even receive adequate compensation when they
were forced off their lands without consultation.
Millions of people living near oil and mining
sites, like those in Kedougou, struggle to survive on less than $2 a day.
Instead of opportunity, this resource curse delivers environmental damage, loss
of land and human rights abuses.
“I urge President Obama to shine a bright
light on the current lack of transparency and accountability that perpetuates
cycles of poverty and inequality in developing African nations,” said
Offenheiser. “Tell your African counterparts to work to increase transparency
in their budgets. Open payments from oil and mining companies to the light of
transparency. Give African citizens knowledge about revenues from oil and
mining companies. Let those citizens decide how to put their money to work for
their own futures—let them claim their rights and fight for their own
development.”
It’s time to lead by example, continued
Offenheiser.
“President Obama should publicly announce when
his own administration will release U.S. government aid data, setting a tone on
institutional transparency. As one of the largest aid donors in the world, the
United States shouldn’t be one of the least transparent.”
Souleymane Zeba, West Africa Regional Director
of Oxfam, added, “The resources generated by extractives industries should be
helping local communities build resilience against climate and food security
shocks, particularly in the Sahel where recurrent food crises are
epidemic."
Offenheiser sees even greater potential for
agriculture in Africa, with the right investments.
“The President’s Feed the Future Initiative
recognizes the central role that agriculture can play in driving economic
growth and poverty reduction, but initiatives like the New Alliance for Food
Security and Nutrition, which promote private sector investment in select
African countries, must not distract from badly needed development aid to this
critical sector,” said Offenheiser. “The President must address legitimate
concerns raised by civil society organizations about this initiative.”
In South Africa, Oxfam urges President Obama’s
continued support for community-led accountability mechanisms.
“President Obama’s support for our HIV/AIDS
response has been immensely important for South Africa’s continued efforts to
realize the ambitions of a democratic, people-centered South Africa,” said
Allan Moolman, Oxfam’s Country Director in South Africa.
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