# "Come back to Africa..." Wade tells Haitians **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 17, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312 "2010-01-17T13:57:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/1 "2010-01-17T13:57:31Z")
The President of Senegal ([Abdoulaye Wade](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdoulaye_Wade)) is offering free land to Haitians refugees. [ > [@](#): > > President Abdoulaye Wade said Haitians were sons and daughters of Africa since Haiti was founded by slaves, including some thought to be from Senegal. > > “The president is offering voluntary repatriation to any Haitian that wants to return to their origin,” said Mr Wade’s spokesman, Mamadou Bemba Ndiaye. ]([BBC News - Senegal offers land to Haitians](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8463921.stm))You know in reading this story I couldn’t help but think of the [Jamaican Rastas who settled in Ethiopia](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1639646.stm) in the 60’s. In the Rasta’s case they were invited by their God ([Haile Selassie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie_I_of_Ethiopia)) to settle in a southern Ethiopia town called [Shashamene](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shashamene). But in getting back to this story, [Wade seems to be an arrogant](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/05/senegal-statue-offensive-woman-legs) guy, so this seems like something he would do on a whim. I think he’s being earnest. What’s your opinion? Will it happen? Is this just a lot of hot air? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/2 "2010-01-17T14:48:12Z")
I wouldn’t be surprised if some Haitians took up the offer. It can’t be worse than Haiti. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/3 "2010-01-17T15:07:59Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I wouldn’t be surprised if some Haitians took up the offer. It can’t be worse than Haiti. Nothing beats FREE LAND! Here is another quote > [@](#): > > “If it’s just a few individuals, then we will likely offer them housing or small pieces of land. If they come en masse we are ready to give them a region.” :eek: Wade must be joking; a region! Can he do… that? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/4 "2010-01-17T15:12:53Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > Nothing beats FREE LAND! Here is another quote:eek: Wade must be joking; a region! Can he do… that? I don’t know what the population density of Senegal is like. Haiti has an area of: - ``` Total 27,751 km2 (140th) ``` 10,714 sq mi - ``` Water (%) 0.7 ``` With a population of: - ``` 2009 estimate 10,033,000[2] (82nd) ``` - ``` Density 361.5/km2 (31st) ``` 936.4/sq mi Senegal - Total 196,723 km2 (87th) 76,000 sq mi - ``` Water (%) 2.1 ``` With a population of: Population - ``` 2009 estimate 13,711,597[2] (67th) ``` - ``` 2002 census 9,967,215 ``` - ``` Density 69.7/km2 (134th) ``` 180.4/sq mi So based off of that, I’d say yea, he probably could. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/5 "2010-01-17T15:30:55Z")
Wow. Looks like he could do it, based on your statistics, **mswas**. Of course, we don’t know the quality of the land he’d offer — but then, Haiti’s land is so degraded, almost anything would be better. There’d be all sorts of logistical and other practical details to work out, of course, not the least of them housing and means of making a living in Senegal, but as a long-term solution for at least part of Haiti’s population, whose infrastructure has been pretty much obliterated anyway, it offers intriguing possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/6 "2010-01-17T15:32:06Z")
Well it seems like he is offering them homesteading rights, not offering to build them houses before they arrive. What I think is the most important note is that Senegal has 3x as much water as Haiti. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/7 "2010-01-17T15:37:47Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I don’t know what the population density of Senegal is like.(snip) > So based off of that, I’d say yea, he probably could. Basing it off population density is one thing, but can this guy sign off a chunk of his country to a group of foreign settlers. Where will he get the land? Whose community will they be uprooting or co-habitating with? You really can’t dump an unnamed amount of Haitians into Senegal without there being repercussions. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/8 "2010-01-17T15:41:12Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I don’t know what the population density of Senegal is like. > > Haiti has an area of: > > - > > ``` > Total 27,751 km2 (140th) > > ``` > > 10,714 sq mi > > - > > ``` > Water (%) 0.7 > > ``` > > With a population of: > > - > > ``` > 2009 estimate 10,033,000[2] (82nd) > > ``` > > - > > ``` > Density 361.5/km2 (31st) > > ``` > > 936.4/sq mi > Senegal > > - Total 196,723 km2 (87th) > 76,000 sq mi > - > > ``` > Water (%) 2.1 > > ``` > > With a population of: > > Population > > - > > ``` > 2009 estimate 13,711,597[2] (67th) > > ``` > > - > > ``` > 2002 census 9,967,215 > > ``` > > - > > ``` > Density 69.7/km2 (134th) > > ``` > > 180.4/sq mi > > So based off of that, I’d say yea, he probably could. UNITED STATES Population - ``` 2010 estimate 308,499,000[2] (3rd4) ``` - ``` 2000 census 281,421,906[3] ``` - ``` Density 32/km2 (178th) ``` 83/sq mi Hey! So could we! Much more easily in fact! And I can’t foresee _any_ problems with that. Can you? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/9 "2010-01-17T15:43:32Z")
Resettling entire communities isn’t beyond our technological and logistical capacity, and we may as well start getting a bit of practice in, sooner, than later. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/10 "2010-01-17T15:53:42Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > UNITED STATES > > Population > > - > > ``` > 2010 estimate 308,499,000[2] (3rd4) > > ``` > > - > > ``` > 2000 census 281,421,906[3] > > ``` > > - > > ``` > Density 32/km2 (178th) > > ``` > > 83/sq mi > Hey! So could we! Much more easily in fact! > > And I can’t foresee _any_ problems with that. Can you? > > :dubious: The parts of the US that are not populated are either national forest, desert, or tundra. Remove Alaska from that and you’ll see a very different picture emerge regarding American population density. Or were you suggesting we repatriate the tropical Haitians to Alaska? Bringing them to America to be a part of the permanent underclass, increasing crime and ethnic tensions in America seems like a good idea to you? I don’t know how the population in Senegal is distributed. I’d imagine the President of Senegal has an idea of what he’s talking about. But maybe he doesn’t. Who knows? > [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Resettling entire communities isn’t beyond our technological and logistical capacity, and we may as well start getting a bit of practice in, sooner, than later. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/11 "2010-01-17T15:58:15Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > The parts of the US that are not populated are either national forest, desert, or tundra. Remove Alaska from that and you’ll see a very different picture emerge regarding American population density. Or were you suggesting we repatriate the tropical Haitians to Alaska? Perhaps the sarcasm eluded you. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/12 "2010-01-17T16:00:12Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Perhaps the sarcasm eluded you. I got that you were being sarcastic. I am still not sure what your sarcasm obliquely refers to though. Senegal might very well have a region that is very sparsely populated. Here is a [population density map of Senegal](http://www.bestcountryreports.com/media/D_Images/Senega_Pop.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f04885/32.png) [@Honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honesty)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/13 "2010-01-17T16:01:47Z")
Bah ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/14 "2010-01-17T16:03:19Z")
Here’s an even better one. [http://mapsof.net/senegal/static-maps/png/senegal-population-density](http://mapsof.net/senegal/static-maps/png/senegal-population-density) Seems like the Tambacounda region could accomodate some Haitians. It has decent access to fresh water as well. [http://mapsof.net/senegal/static-maps/png/senegal-topography](http://mapsof.net/senegal/static-maps/png/senegal-topography) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/15 "2010-01-17T16:07:48Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > I got that you were being sarcastic. I am still not sure what your sarcasm obliquely refers to though. More’s the pity. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/16 "2010-01-17T16:11:14Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > More’s the pity. Ok, so you have nothing to add. Great. I’m going to go talk to the adults now. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/17 "2010-01-17T16:12:24Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Ok, so you have nothing to add. Great. I’m going to go talk to the adults now. The “adults” who are fantasizing about getting rid of those troublesome Haitians with a back-to-Africa movement? Have fun. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/18 "2010-01-17T16:14:21Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > The “adults” who are fantasizing about getting rid of those troublesome Haitians with a back-to-Africa movement? Have fun. What troublesome Haitians? It doesn’t trouble me in any way if they starve to death in Haiti rather than move to a fertile African country that has a stable economy and a sparsely populated region that takes up about 1/3 of its land. The adults are talking about a real offer that’s really on the table, and not just spewing venom in no particular direction. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/19 "2010-01-17T16:25:43Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > What troublesome Haitians? In the [other thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=547690), you made a reference to the “White Man’s Burden,” so it sure sounds to me like you find all these poor black people troublesome. (And also like you would prefer them to be someone _else’s_ problem.) ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312/20 "2010-01-17T16:26:43Z")
You know, \*\*mswas \*\*please reply back to me in the other thread. I’ve just confused the two up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/come-back-to-africa-wade-tells-haitians/525312.md?page=2)