African Century is a term that is used to express belief or hope that the 21st century will bring peace, prosperity and cultural revival to Africa, or is used to draw attention to the need for such an evolution. Among those who have used it in this way are South African politicians Thabo Mbeki[1][2] and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma,[3] Chevron CEO David J. O'Reilly[4], US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill[5] and celebrity campaigner Bono.[5]
The stability and prosperity of democratic South Africa since the fall of the apartheid regime is often used as an example that such evolution is possible. The creation of the African Union in 2002 is seen as one of the first steps in this evolution.
Indeed, the last decade of the 20th century brought much hope. The last African colony, Namibia, became independent at the beginning of the last decade, majority rule was established in South Africa, and there was a revival of democracy in many parts of Africa. However, hope that the 21st century would be the African century was quickly muted. The continuing Darfur genocide, manipulation of elections or completely ignoring the elections or the outcome of elections by some leaders diverted Africa's attention from more urgent issues of civil wars, AIDS, malaria, and education. Investment in peace, health and education are recognized by many African leaders as essential elements for economic and social emancipation to make the 21st century the African Century.
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