compared to those found in most sub- Saharan African countries – do you still hold that view and optimism? Yes, I’m very optimistic, but one has to kind of distinguish between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa in a way. What I mean is that in the end, whatever the short-term problems are, if you get a better system of government in these countries, it is going to help the economy. If you look at Africa over the past ten years or so, the number of democracies has increased, peaceful transitions of power and elec- tions have increased radically. As always, the trouble with having a conversation like this, is that if I say I am very optimistic people will say you are ignoring the prob- lems, but if you focus on the problems then everyone gets depressed. But the truth, I think, is that Africa is in a far better and stronger position than it was five years ago, I would even say – certainly, ten years ago.
In your memoirs, Tony Blair: A Journey, you write very little about Africa, and even then it’s more about Sierra Leone. Was that an omission or was it because the book’s focus was on something dif- ferent? I actually did a lot on Africa around the Gleneagles Summit and so on, but re- ally the focus of the book was very much about domestic reform and then the for- eign policy stuff was obviously heavily influenced by Iraq and Afghanistan and 9/11. But for me Africa was a big part of my Premiership and it’s still a very big part of my [passion] after that.
And in terms of foreign policy, from what we have seen in Tunisia and Egypt for example, I think there’s been a shift – as you mentioned at the beginning – towards home-grown solutions. Do you think that foreign policy from western countries is changing? Well I think they [western countries] will naturally want to partner with countries moving towards greater democracy and openness and I think to be fair they always did. But if you try and interfere too much, then people resent that, so there is a bal- ance to be struck there. However, I think what’s happening in Tunisia and Egypt at one level is extremely exciting. In the case of Egypt particularly, I think it needs to be managed carefully. Tese changes are all to do with a new generation of people,
New African March 2011 | 39
Ê PHOTO:Ê JASONÊ VENKATASAMY
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