While visiting remote villages of Senegal, I have rarely seen a photograph of Leopold Senghor. Almost no one mentions his name. I doubt if more than a handful know who he is. He happens to be president of Senegal, president of their nation. But what does that word "nation" mean? Almost nothing to a remote villager in Senegal. He's loyal to his tribe. He knows there's some kind of strange government far off in a big city. But, as long as the government leaves him alone, he can take it or leave it. He never salutes its flag or sings its anthem or tacks up a picture of its president. This phenomenon in Senegal is a familiar one in Africa. Almost all African nations are nations in name only. Their people lack a sense of nationalism, a sense of loyalty to the central government, a sense of kinship with all other people who live in the country. This is a sore problem for African leaders trying to weld united countries out of tribes, religions and regions...

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