Dear Colleagues,
While the natural
resource curse is typically considered an economic phenomenon,
unregulated access to billions of dollars in natural resource revenues
has profound effects on governance and the politicization of the
security sector. Given the opaque nature of many of the
transactions involved, however, relatively little is known about how
these relationships work in practice.
In this latest ACSS Special Report, "The Anatomy of the Resource Curse: Predatory Investment in Africa's Extractive Industries,"
J.R. Mailey delves into the often murky linkages between senior
government officials, unscrupulous natural resource investors, and the
loopholes they exploit in the international financial system.
By tracing the actions
of the Hong Kong-based Queensway Group, a major actor in Africa's
extractive sector, through case studies on Angola, Guinea, Tanzania, and
Zimbabwe, the report provides a detailed portrait of the mechanics that
perpetuate the inequitable development, weak institutions, and
instability so frequently observed in Africa's 20+ resource-rich
countries. (Click hear to access the report.)
ACSS Special Reports
present applied research and analysis on complex strategic issues
affecting Africa's security. Previous ACSS Research publications can be
downloaded at: http://africacenter.org/
French and Portuguese
translations of this brief will be sent to subscribers shortly and will
be available on the Africa Center's website at: http://africacenter.org/.
First-time readers can also sign up to ACSS distribution lists at: http://africacenter.org/
As always, I welcome your feedback.
Joseph Siegle, Ph.D.
Director of Research
Africa Center for Strategic Studies
National Defense University
Washington, D.C.
