A new report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) draws attention to the fact that rich countries are increasingly using aid money to advance their energy interests in Africa.
The report argues that: “There are very clear signals that security concerns and energy politics are again shaping the policy debates on aid and development; another scramble for African resources, however, is no more likely to generate a successful development path than in the past.” Quite right! Using aid money to subsidize the expansion of the international oil industry is a perversion of international assistance and UNCTAD should be congratulated for raising the issue.