i would. there was less strife, more farming and gdp was better. africa is worse off now than at any time in recent history, at least if you count the period after the mohammadens stopped the slave trade
now you have health benefits going to witch docotrs, girls getting raped to cure aids. taxi drivers in lagos nigeria demanding 200 dollars or your life, the sudanese killing each other etc. and you have to live in a fortress if you are white in south africa. in fact now there is open and unabashed racial hatred and an unending mantra of give us more money
the only bright spot is libya, when money talked
maybe the next african nobel prize winner will actually admit that hiv causes aids. in a speech