The State of Africa

Africa is forever on our TV screens, but the bad-news stories (famine, genocide, corruption) massively outweigh the good (South Africa). Since decolonisation began in the mid-1950s, and arguably before, the continent has appeared to be stuck in irreversible decline. Constant war, misuse of natural resources and misappropriation of revenues and aid funds contribute to an impression of a continent beyond hope. How did we get here? What, if anything, is to be done?