Africa is the world's most sanctioned continent

 The world's poorest continent that supposedly survives on charity and desperately needs more trade is also the one that is hit with the most trade and travel restrictions of any continent.

Despite all the sanctions - ostensibly imposed for the benefit of human rights and democracy - Africa remains the least politically free continent in the world, which means the sanctions do not work.

African countries collectively are more sanctioned than even Russia and China - economically powerful, nuclear armed countries that the West sees as rivals and hostile rogue states.

Eritrea and Zimbabwe have almost as many sanctions imposed on them as Iran and North Korea. Clearly, Eritrea and Zimbabwe are nowhere near the same global conversation as Iran or North Korea, and the sanctions are NOT having any impact on their attitude toward democracy and human rights. So this begs the question, why exactly is Africa the world's most sanctioned continent? If the motivation is not benevolent - because they do not deepen democracy or entrench human rights - then what other motivation could there be for these sanctions?

In whose interest is it for the world's poorest continent to have the most restrictions on its access to the global economy, travel, finance, and trade? Who benefits from Africans not being able to trade, travel, and grow?

Why does the continent with 3% of global trade have the highest number of economic and diplomatic sanctions? What are they sanctioning and why?

Food for thought.