There is an interesting perspective on alternet.org describing the contribution of the IMF and World Bank toward the current situation in Somalia. It is worth the read.
I don't fully agree with the arguments because, as I said previously, there are no simple answers. I think the causes of the current state in most of Africa are varied, though the lack of a decent secular education for the majority of the population may have a lot to do with it.
It is true that under colonization Africa appeared to flourish and was self sufficient but, during that time the system was only educating the white colonists and their most trusted aboriginals while employing a draconian style of rule that oppressed those who sought to supplant them - Mugabe learned well from his white rival Ian Smith. The vast majority of the population were viewed as cheap and plentiful labour who never benefited from the bountiful colonial times. Several peoples were even encouraged to maintain their traditional tribal customs and were used as window dressing for tourists. There was plenty of work for the population in service industries, agriculture, safari tourism even assisting archaeological and other scientific expeditions. But little effort was expended to educate the masses and there would have been no expectation of improving ones station in life, therefor, there was no need to provide anything more than a rudimentary education except for those who ruled or assisted, directly, the rulers.
There was, during colonization, a market system based on trust that allowed governments to trade and borrow from each other. When droughts affected one country they could easily borrow resources from other nations to see them through the tough times. This system was effective because the governing class knew they needed to maintain it for their own survival. A study of history and economics taught them this, and while some of the mother/father countries of colonies in Africa may not have gotten along at various times, the colonies maintained relations until there was a serious conflict. But at that point the home country would supply aid. Exploitation of ethnic and tribal rivalries by the colonists ensured that there would be no tradition of cooperation amongst the natives once the colonists left.
Among colonialists, scientific enquiry was the only way to react to natural crises. There was no reliance on ancient superstitions to deal with natural or manmade disasters other than those pesky political crises. Leaders of the colonies tried to find practical solutions to the problems they faced and much of this involved close observation, tracking data, trial and error. Keeping native Africans illiterate also kept them reliant on traditional explanations that were based on myths, beliefs and superstitions and they often feared the colonists - who were not paying homage to those superstitions - would bring ruin on them all.
During the days of colonization the great industrial revolution was at its height and factories around the world were spewing carbon dioxide and other pollutants at unimaginable levels. This has resulted in an unusually rapid warming of the planet which in turn seems to have caused the greatest problems for subsaharan Africa. But it has also caused issues for the middle east and much of the equatorial areas of the planet. Israel is proof that food can be grown in a desert and they not only feed themselves but export much of it as well. Many nations have found technologies to overcome climactical changes and continue to grow food in areas that would seem inhospitable to such activities. Much of Africa seems not to have knowledge of these technologies.
Once the European colonialists left Africa to itself, they left a continent unprepared for success. While at first there were some educated natives prepared to continue the systems that were in place there were several power hungry tribal leaders, lacking in a secular education or knowledge of the sophisticated political systems and technologies needed to survive, who saw an opportunity to gain power. Other outside influences that had been kept in check, such as christian and muslim missionary groups, also saw an opportunity to supplant a secular, knowledgable power base with one based on their own myths and superstitions. Many of these groups pretended to offer freedom through education, but it was based solely on the acceptance of their leadership and their definition of knowledge, which was almost never based on scientific and rational reasoning. So, at its infancy, Africa was a continent whose population was uneducated and ill equipped to build a successful eco-political system where tribalism, superstition and prejudice were not only condoned but encouraged.
With a majority of its population uneducated there was no pool to draw on for strong leadership and even those who were prepared for leadership were undermined by tribal leaders and religious groups eyeing their position. Once these new leaders began to face the challenges of modern economies it was not long before the system began to fall apart. Enter the Reaganites and Thatcherites who, while well meaning, refused to accept any data that would undermine their theories. The fact is that no two nations, continents or peoples are alike and cookie cutter solutions have never succeeded in the entirety of human history. But, Africa is supposed to be the exception and the descendants of those who created the knowledge vacuum in Africa continue to argue over who is to blame rather than finding tried, proven solutions to the problems. Many of the policies of Reagan and Thatcher have been shown to do, almost, the opposite of what they were claiming would occur. Yet, so few politicians seem willing to abandon them.
I said there were no easy answers to the crisis in Somalia, but there is a single answer, in my opinion. The many issues currently affecting Somalia - global warming, warlords, drought, desertification, anarchy, birthrates - could all be overcome as they have in other nations if the will to do so was there. And, while it will be difficult to implement, and the change will be slow and sometimes painful, South Africa - who only a few short years ago was showing signs of following Somalia's decline - are now showing signs of climbing out of the descent. A proper secular education whose focus is on teaching people how to think, not what to think, and provides them an understanding of their environment and the best technologies to use to flourish there, and one that teaches respect for all men AND women, is the only way to overcome the generations of underlying issues that are keeping all of Africa from success. But when the west is, itself, locked in a battle between enlightenment and self imposed stupidity, I do not hold much hope for any kind of success in Somalia.
If you like literature and want to experience the life under colonization in Africa I would suggest two great books that will forever change your outlook on Africa:
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Waiting For The Barbarians by JM Coetzee
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