From Mr John Papworth Sir: Boris Johnson has missed the
obvious point about Africa. It has always been more inimical to human settlement than almost any other part of the world, because of its vastness, remoteness, its climatic vagaries, disease-bearing insects, and, perhaps as much as anything, the absence of any beast of burden (which might have facilitated economic development) below the Sahara.
Yet for millennia Africa was effectively governed by its own people through an immense number of small, local, clearly defined tribal institutions. Emissaries from Pharaonic Egypt over 3,000 years ago visited central Africa and parleyed with African tribal chiefs.
The curse of colonialism is the way it established boundaries that simply ignored tribal realities and established new 'countries' which have no roots in African experience, no correspondence with tribal affiliations, no relation to African traditions and no capacity even adequately to function.
The former self-governing tribes were not unique in having their wars and their own forms of oppression and corruption, but at least they were marginal to mainstream experience. Today these tinpot colonial creations, with their uncontrollable corruption, oppression, misrule and incompetence, inflict the most dreadful suffering on many.
Before any more correspondents pen any more derogatory assertions about African political incompetence, at least let them be aware that Africa will never know peace, freedom or progress of any substance until its tribal structure is restored.
John Papworth
Editor, Fourth World Review, Purton, Wiltshire
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