I think the only way we can take on the west is by forming very strong regional economic partnerships eg EAC, otherwise any leader who tries to sort out matters single handedly (the way Gaddafi tried to bring together the Maghreb and sub Sahara Africa ) you become a marked man. For instance I would like to see a policy whereby instead of DRC or other African countries exporting raw materials, we have a policy of zero export for most of the minerals, such that those foreign importers / corporations are forced to build industries locally

Imposing a ban on raw mineral exports requires a state to be able to control its borders, its civil servants and its politicians, to prevent them from collaborating with the Western countries and corporations. The general population also needs to support such moves. Also, DRC will need alternative sources of revenue to shield themselves from the loss of income that will come from banning raw mineral exports. In other words, a strong agricultural/industrial/technology sector. DRC will also need a strong and united military capable of making any country think twice before attempting to overthrow the government in response to the ban. DRC has none of this. Their president is a lazy playboy who has collaborated with the Western countries in shipping minerals and timber from DRC. DRC MPs/Senators are also the same, collaborating with external parties to sell DRCs wealth. The people of DRC are busy trying to survive day to day, and also are more interested in the latest political supremacy wars than in the wealth being taken out of their country. The DRC army is a joke. The same applies to most if not all African countries and leaders, so you cannot rely on them to support you if you decide to impose such a ban. Indonesia imposed this ban because it is strong enough to impose these controls, and had a well diversified economy and a military that while not as strong as say China, could make any country think twice about trying to overthrow their government.