TheSequitur.com Editorial Board
Feb. 19, 2007

History has shown a long record of abuse towards Africa by the Western world - this fact cannot be disputed. Nevertheless, chaos continues to rage in many parts of that continent, including the very populous country of Nigeria.

Recently, Nigeria has been in the news over a hostage situation – now ended – involving a group of Philippine nationals. But this event is not isolated; the Niger Delta region has been plagued with sectarian violence and sabotage for the last decade.

So what is the cause of the chaos? A theme that resounds all too familiar in our ears: oil.

Africa remains a gaping wound of humanity.The situation involving a group of 24 Filipino hostages that were held by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) fortunately came to a peaceful resolution, as the captives were released on February 13th amid tampering claims by the Nigerian government against CNN. But not everything that has transpired in this sub-Saharan nation has finished with such a pleasant ending.

Rallying behind the battle cry, “Our fight is against everybody,” the MEND has wreaked havoc on the Delta State of Nigeria over the last several years. Their activities have ranged from passive tactics like siphoning oil off of pipelines to assaulting foreign-owned oil rigs.
Is the absence of real American influence due to policymakers’ fear being labeled 'colonialists'?

All of this is a symptom of a greater illness - Africa remains a gaping wound of humanity.

Despite the fact that Nigeria produced 2,451,000 barrels of oil per diem in 2005 (12th most in the world), the nation still eludes the great progress of which many believe the most populous – and possibly most sophisticated – African republic is capable.

Is the absence of real American influence due to policymakers’ fear being labeled 'colonialists'? Or maybe the West really doesn’t care about the negative by-products of Western capitalism on Africans.

Whatever the reason, it is time to take note of the political events in Africa. Such notice is more Whatever the reason, it is time to take note of the political events in Africa.than just an expression of our humanity, as China is stealthily sneaking into the African market under the guise of non-colonial policies. This Chinese outreach should be setting off alarm bells in Washington. Nevertheless, an obvious message for the leaders of African nations would be caveat emptor when dealing with the Chinese, as their motives are likely filled with as much self-interest as the colonial Europeans’.

Still, the reason China has even approached Africa with the vigor that it has is because of a vacuum that has been left by the dissipation of Western support. Besides missionary and humanitarian aid groups - and the occasional military intervention – what have the other industrialized nations done to alleviate the turmoil that seems to continually plague Africa?

Virtually nothing - and this point is further exemplified in the current administration’s Africa policies. Although it is boldly declared an all-out ‘War on Terror’ after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, it seems Uncle Sam is only obsessed with pursuing conflicts that benefit his interests. So naturally, places like the Niger Delta, Darfur and Rwanda – just to name a few - are far off of America’s radar. Clearly, this contradicts the President’s rhetoric, at least during his first term.

One has to wonder, with the stability of the petroleum market relying in part to the oil output and potential that lies among the 130 million-plus Nigerian population, why no one has made any drastic effort to reach out to this troubled region.

One has to wonder... why no one has made any drastic effort to reach out to this troubled region.Perhaps Nigerian politicians deserve a share of the blame. Make no mistake – the Nigerian government is well-known for corruption, and there is no reason to think that the nation’s principle export would be excluded from any shady dealings. In fact, one anti-corruption proponent estimates that over $380 billion has lined the pockets of politicians and military leaders since the oil industry arrived in the 1970’s. Furthermore, when presidential elections are called next month, many government licenses for oil drilling will be at stake. It will be interesting to see how those will be awarded.

On the flip side of the coin, the conflict might be backfiring on MEND’s plans to proliferate oil profits to the people, as Libya and Angola were reported earlier this month to be poised to claim the title of Africa’s top petroleum producer. The disruption of drilling caused by fear of the militant group has forced oil companies to remove many of their nationals from the rigs. Ultimately, this will have a profound effect on the overall economy of Nigeria.

Regardless of who is to blame in this situation, the current events are a black-eye to everyone involved – the West, the Nigerian government and the militants. Some might make the argument that capitalism is at the root of the troubles. Whether or not the economic philosophy is the cause of the conflict, it is clear that MEND is threatened by it, and any entity that represents the capitalist system.

Regardless of who is to blame in this situation, the current events are a black-eye to everyone involved. So what can be done about Nigeria’s troubles? That answer is a very difficult one construct. While we may not know the means to reach our end, we do know what that end is, and it involves a much fairer system of distributing oil revenue among the population, in the form of health care, education and a stronger infrastructure.

As America has discovered in other parts of the world, violence is a mostly ineffective counterstrike to terrorism. Perhaps vigorous diplomacy, in the form of pressure and incentives on the Nigerian government, can help quell this conflict and set a new precedent in U.S. foreign policy. At very least, maybe we can convince the Nigerians to shift their brightest brains from running those elaborate spam scams to more productive professions and really begin to “mend” a very troubled part of the world.