From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: AFRICA: Senegalese academic urges new role for state in economy
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 05:43:13 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Africa, southern
Title: AFRICA: Senegalese academic urges new role for state in economy


paris, nov 10 (ips/pablo azocar) -- africa's crises are largely
crises of leadership, the work of men who after independence
developed a economic vision inspired by politics, when what was
needed was a political vision inspired by economics.

so argues senegalese historian mamadou diouf: ''the mechanisms of
the market economy cannot continue to prevail in africa in the way
they have been doing in recent years,'' he asserted, speaking
after a weekend seminar here on africa's crisis.

''a recovery of the role of the state is indispensable as the
only organisation capable of giving a social dimension of
solidarity to the economy,'' he said.

''but it will have to be a state diametrically different from the
model which has been functioning since african countries achieved
their independence.''

a professor at the university of dakar and director of
development cooperation projects in senegal, diouf was the special
guest in a debate on ''dangers, instability and incertitude in
africa'' called by french non-governmental organisations.

diouf faced french academics who criticised his ''old-fashioned''
thinking, exemplified by his call for ''a role for the state,'' a
concept that has demonstrably failed in africa, said jean-pierre
raison, a sociologist from the university of paris.

but diouf, one of the most distinguished of contemporary
senegalese intellectuals, maintained that history demonstrated
that ''the state has not failed in itself'' but because of the way
its function was conceived.

''in the context of the cold war between the sixties and
seventies, the former colonial 'mother countries' left african
leaders administering their economies in a political context,'' he
said. ''to be an economic actor the prime requisite was first to
be a political actor, and this was a big mistake,'' he declared.

''however, it would be just as big an error to ask these same
political classes today to comport themselves strictly as economic
actors, abstracted from any political considerations.''

according to diouf ''african cadres have neither the training nor
the education nor the means to respond to the economic exigencies
imposed upon them today.

''in these conditions, the policies of institutions like the
international monetary fund (imf) or the world bank are destined
to fail, first of all because there are no people trained to carry
them out.'' (more/ips)

africa: senegalese academic urges new role for state in economy(2-e)

africa: senegalese academic (2)

''the fundamental problem, which partly explains the failure of
african economies, is that solutions have always come from
outside, before in the context of the cold war, and now in
framework of the demands made by international commercial banks.

''africans themselves must finally be able to speak and decide on
their own destiny, and i am not saying this as a slogan.''

diouf expressed little faith in the hopes of some that the
accession of new u.s. president bill clinton heralded the end of
the ''ferocious'' rule of free market capitalism in international
trade and aid relations.

''now we are being told that the ferocious rule of the market
economy is coming to an end because of events in europe and the
united states, and that for this reason we should be optimistic.

''but this implies continuing the perspective which has been the
basic reason for the failure, that african points of view will
continue depending on recipes coming from outside.''

he noted that in the sixties and seventies african cadres were
trained in political ideologies that were fundamentally anti-
capitalist and anti-free market.

''afterwards, almost from one day to the next in the eighties
almost the complete contrary began to be demanded of them, namely,
that they should respond to economic exigencies and adapt to
market demand. naturally, they were not prepared for this.

but he added that a new generation of 'cadres' should accept
''the notion that various points of view can converge and need not
necessarily conflict'' and that the problems of democratising
institutions should be debated. (end/trd/ip/pa/ica/tt/rj/92)

Newsgroups: soc.culture.african