State of Africa

The fortunes of Africa have changed dramatically in the fifty years since the independence era began. As Europe's colonial powers withdrew, dozens of new states were launched amid much jubilation and to the world's applause. The circumstances seemed auspicious. Africa was a continent rich in mineral resources. Its economic potential was huge. On the international stage, African states excited the attention of the world's rival power blocs: in the Cold War era, Africa was considered too valuable a prize to lose. Yet one country after another was soon mired in corruption, violence and warfare. Few states managed to escape the downward spiral. Even after decades of foreign aid, no other area of the world today arouses such a sense of foreboding.