Foreign investment rose 78 percent from the previous year, but the benefits were unevenly spread among the nations of Africa.

South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria and Tunisia received the majority of foreign funding, which left many of the poorest countries with a drastic decline in investment (Angela Balakrishnan, "Foreign Investment Failing Africa," The Guardian, Oct. 17, 2006).

Because of human greed and misrule, there are no easy answers for some of the world's poorest nations. It leads us to pray to God, "Your kingdom come" (Matthew 6:10).