"The scourge of many independent African countries is corruption."
Goes a little further back than that Sen - the Colonial powers fought tooth and nail to ascertain that the newly-independent contries were placed in a "safe pair of hands" - for safe read "compliant to their former masters"
"Problem " leaders were (often violently) opposed and even murdered if they embarked on disapproved of policies - Patrice Lumumba being a case in point - Kwame Nkruma was deposed by British and other backed forces while h was out of the country
Britain's interference in Ireland is still present
I would highly recommend the life changing 'King Leopold's Ghost', which describes the slaughter of up to 10 million Belgian Congolese in pursuit of rubber, by the Belgian King - a horror story of African Colonialism at its very worst
I got a buzz when I learned that it was a humble Scouser shipping clerk who brought that particular monster to his knees
I agree entirely about the corruption of national leaders, but it's far too easy to take those leaders out of context and forget why who put them there and kept them in power
Jim Carroll