Dhaka, Aug. 30 -- Africa is in the minds of influential nations for quite long. The continent that Joseph Conrad once termed as the 'heart of darkness' is no longer left in shadow ever since the process of decolonization had seen one after another of continent's European colonies emerging as independent states. However, that new reality had also given impetus to a new form of rivalry as superpowers started fighting proxy wars throughout the continent; resulting in the spread of poverty and famine, as well as rise of local thugs as strongmen leaders willing to provide their services whoever of the big players would give them legitimacy. That episode has by now become a part of African history as the end of Cold War rivalry paved the way fo...