Highlights
– Connect Africa aims to dramatically increase Internet penetration rates throughout Africa
– While greater access to information would appear to aid peace and stability, it is instead likely to result in increased instability in the short-term
According to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Connect Africa is a “global multi-stakeholder partnership to mobilize the human, financial and technical resources required to bridge major gaps in information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure across the region, with the aim of supporting affordable connectivity and applications and services to stimulate economic growth, employment and development throughout Africa.”
Reduced Penetration Rates
Connect Africa was formed in part to redress Africa’s frighteningly low Internet penetration rates. Africa has the lowest percentage of Internet penetration in the entire world. Loosely defined, Internet penetration represents the number of citizens of African countries with access to the Internet compared to the total number of individuals living in Africa. Currently, only 4 percent of Africans have access to the Internet.
Improving Access
Dr Hamadoun Toure, head of the International Telecommunications Union, has lobbied for an “immediate” increase in Internet penetration rates in Africa. Africa’s Millennium Development Goals include providing easy access to information communication technologies, such as Internet access, for more than half of Africa’s population by 2015. The Connect Africa summit held in Kigali, Rwanda on October 29-30, 2007, aimed to develop the plans designed to achieve these goals and to raise money from both international organizations and private sector companies.
Democratization and Instability
Certainly providing increased access to the Internet and other information communications technologies is a laudable goal. Further, on the surface it would seem that improved access to information should lead to increased political stability, as citizens would be able to make better decisions and ruling elites would be forced to abandon corrupt practices. Although laudable, the goal of increasing Internet penetration rates may not create stability in the short-term. Instead, it may result in more instability.
In their seminal essay Democratization and War, political scientists Edward Mansfield and Jack Snyder found that countries entering the transition phase of democratization, “become more aggressive and more war prone.” Moreover, “formerly authoritarian state[s] where democratic participation is on the rise are more likely to fight wars than are stable democracies or autocracies.” As greater access to information will likely lead to broader “democratic participation,” it is possible that improved Internet penetration in Africa will also lead to increased instability.
Building Social and Political Institutions
This is not to argue against the efforts to increase the Internet penetration rates in Africa. However, international organizations and multinational businesses must recognize that broadband Internet alone will not solve all of Africa’s problems. A more robust social, educational and political infrastructure is required in order to guarantee long-term stability in Africa.
For example, stable, vibrant, and independent social and political institutions such as an independent judiciary, a free press, as well as diverse political parties to name a few are required to ensure a smooth transition to democracy. Additionally, increased educational opportunities are important to having an informed populace.
Certainly, increased access to information via broadband Internet may aid in the development of these institutions, but will not guarantee political stability. Therefore, the technological initiatives of Connect Africa must be coupled with efforts to develop stable social and political institutions.
