A team of 265 development experts and economists came together and pronounced that it was possible to end extreme poverty in 20 years. The team argued that the world now had enough knowledge on methods and technologies that can end the suffering of the poorest of the poor.

The team’s plan as outlined in the UN Millennium project report, called for the world to move forward in a unified and coordinated manner and for the rich nations of the world to live up to their financial commitments. Quite a bold idea! But what about the forgotten wars and insurgencies in the Sub Saharan Africa?

The issue of Darfur has seen the 5 million internally displaced people (according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Center - IDMC) ignored nationally, regionally and internationally as nations pursue diverge economic interests.

Experience has shown that natural disasters trigger considerably more interest and financial support than conflict related crises. If governments cannot protect their own people then who else should? The impact of such instabilities to the economic growth of other countries cannot be ignored. Kenya has seen the influx of refugees from Somalia and Ethiopia, and so has Tanzania and other relatively peaceful countries.  

In Busoga region of Eastern Uganda, the locals relied on free trade that was later christened “smuggling” across the boarder with Kenya. The Ugandan government put a stop to the practice without giving people an alternative means of survival. Can poverty be eradicated if exchange of goods at the border is curtailed? Then came the insurgence in Northern Uganda and the government diverts the lion’s share of the national budget towards war, ignoring economic empowerment of the people. Why spend money in that which destructs instead of that which producers?

MDGs talk is hot air balloon unless governments deliberately pursue peace and create an environment that will create productivity. If such an environment is provided, then and only then shall we be proud to be part of a free East African Market of over 100 million people.