ENGLISH VERSION
The position of most of Africa in the Ukraine-Russia war at the United Nations, as well as expressed when seven African Presidents visited both Moscow and Kyiv, was the public indication that Africa was no longer swallowing the democracy narrative hook, line, and sink, as they say. The position is dictated first by the knowledge of historical antecedents, then by a sense that our national interests for the power-that-be do not count much; then why should Africa share in the concern? Africa has always been taken for granted. Powerful countries think that since they aid and financing, they have the power of decision over other countries’ best interest. The first vote at the UN over Ukraine invasion was the first indication that we have had more than enough. Very soon our youth, taking power will show that aid as a way of getting us aligned with their interest will be dispensable.
their interest is not necessarily our interest. Their enemy is not necessarily our enemy. Their war will affect us all, yes, but that is not our war. All efforts at forcing African countries, with foreign visits from America, France, Germany, EU, or Russia, shows how important we are. And that it is high time we make our position work for us, not for them. If by working for us it also works for them, then it is a win-win over which we have no objection.
Two important events this year have a huge bearing on Africa as a continent, and I hope my elite in Mozambique is following closely the implications, because we are represented in both: The St Petersburg Russia-Africa Summit, and the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. These events are of global interest also.
St Petersburg Participation: What I retain from St Petersburg Summit was the frantic effort and intimidation visited on the African countries not to attend the Russia event. Still some 15 heads of State were present, and a total of 45 African countries. The dominant press wanted us to believe that this number represented a failure because the last summit assembled three times that number of Presidents. The press minimizes the fact that although not at presidential level, still over 40 countries were present. And the new resolution of African Presidents of sending a smaller representation whenever there is a Summit inviting all Presidents: that a few Presidents and the Continental bodies should be enough to adequately represent the continent. As President Ruto said: it is not productive or respectful that all 45 African Presidents be bundled in buses to go and attend a summit with one good gentleman representing a powerful country. The best we get is two minutes to talk and a photo opportunity, nothing meaningful. We end up listening more to their agenda. So, the best way for Africa is to be represented by heads of continental institutions, headed by the chairman of the AU, him/herself a Head of State.
St Petersburg for me was an opener for two speeches and one message
The speeches:
The President of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traore (attached): this was the most important speech, conveying what the African youth has been saying for some time: to France, to Europe and the world, most importantly, to its own African leaders of old. After prefacing his speech with excuses for his candidness to his elder peers, he left on the table, forcefully, the following messages. African leaders better listen, if we do not want to shed African blood defending foreign interests:
As we are here to talk of the future of our continent, my generation is asking me questions to which I have no answers: With all the natural endowments of the African continent: land, water, sun, minerals etc., why we remain so poor that we see the need to crisscross the world begging?
How come our youth is crossing and dying in the ocean to go to Europe to escape poverty?
Next time, instead of crossing to Europe, the youth will cross the street to the presidential palace to seek their small livelihood.
The slave that does not rebel, does not deserve pity. And if we have no pity on ourselves, let us not ask others to show pity.
It is a pity to see African Presidents who bring nothing to their starving people, but instead spend time adopting the speech of the imperialists and accusing us of being militias. Which human rights are they talking about? Let us stop dancing every time the imperialists sing.
And next time we meet here, we should be all on the way to food self-sufficiency, talking of technology, not of food.
2. Of course, the old guard would not let this challenge co unanswered and the president of Senegal took the floor to denounce the speech of his younger inexperienced brother (he did not say the word inexperienced, but the speech implied that). What I saw in that response was France talking and defending itself. The old guard has not understood that the youth movement is unstoppable now. Whoever did not understand the President of Burkina Faso, was surprised that the next day there was a coup in Niger and the military have taken over. The President of Niger, Bazoum, was unseated as president by the military. Which precipitated several things, among which two are crucial:
ECOWAS, under pressure from America and France, denounced the coup and demanded the return of President Bazoum, (he was my neighbour and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Niamey when I worked there), imposed sanctions and closed borders, and said that, if necessary, force would be used to restore Bazoum to power.
Apart from the overwhelming support of the people of Niger to the new leader (who suspended forthwith the export of uranium and gold from the country and asked the military contingents of France and America to leave the country within three days), four countries declared support for the new government in Niger and declared they would side with Niger in case ECOWAS decided for military intervention: Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Algeria.
What is at stake: uranium and gold exports to France, and America seeking also to get part of the cake, now that Russia is no longer exporting uranium due to sanctions. In St Petersburg Africa said it loud and clear: we need to industrialize and therefore stop being exporters of sand and dust under which precious metals are hidden. The uranium that Niger exports to Europe is responsible for 25% of the electricity in France, and 20% in Europe. Niger itself receives a paltry $130 million royalties per year on the uranium. I lived in Niger, and apart from Niamey, other towns have their dramas of electricity.
In St Petersburg, Russia again forgave 23$ billion of debts of several African countries. That contrasts with western methods of responding to debt burden of Africa: by rescheduling, i.e., shifting the load from one shoulder to another without reducing it, with the support and use of the Bretton Woods Institutions (WB, IMF). Indebted, we remain captive until one day we cannot pay and we will have our national assets taken.
In fact, the support being provided to Ukraine by the IMF et al, is not for free, it will be repaid by the people of Ukraine once this war is over, one way or the other. Who is fooling who? And why a country at war deserves so much money when Mozambique deserved little more than pity when it was running an internal war?
The other side of the rotten coin: The big fuss about the grain deal brokered by the UN and Turkey: this is another hoax because every time the dominant press talks of the Russian cessation of cooperation on the grain deal, Africa is epitomized as the most suffering Continent, people will die, they will bear untold suffering, and Russia is criminal. What is criminal is to omit two facts that change the narrative:
Under the grain arrangement, Africa received only 12.2% of the grain exported. And the bulk (87.8%)? The United Nations knows, and everybody who has access to information knows, that the biggest beneficiaries of the grain are Europe and Asia. And the biggest owners of the land that produces that grain in Ukraine are not Ukrainian. Whether they are Ukrainian enterprises I put it to you, and I leave it to you.
Reflections
What the West and Europe have not understood is that Africans are drowning in the Mediterraneum on the way to Europe because the African riches that made Europe prosper, is now beckoning. They are unknowingly following the destination of the riches of their continent. what the four West-African countries are saying by staging coups, expelling foreign organizations, and ceasing the unbridled exploitation of our minerals is: Time to really drop the exploitative relationship from now on. New terms of trade, or new partnerships.
Message to political parties monopolizing power until people get old in the seat of power: the youth (and for Mozambique, the Azagaia phenomenon) was sending a peaceful message of what may in the future come less peacefully. The slave that does not attempt to break, deserves no pity. The youth in West Africa are leading and the sooner the old guard elsewhere understands this, the better. Otherwise, after West Africa (after Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, and Senegal), the example will spread.
BRICS: The world is waiting with baited breath for the BRICS summit. The issue of Putin is no longer a case, and in anyway, those who wish to exclude Russia from BRICS, or from any other forum, are attempting to stop the wind with their hands, the same way one cannot stop the USA or China. It is not happening. And several countries have applied to be part of the BRICS. If this is not the designing of a new world, I cannot see what else is. For sure the use of other currencies than the dollar is on the agenda. Essentially saying that the world is being sanctioned by the dollar and we are tired. Suddenly, we realize: why the dollar, why not the gold? Why remain stuck to an imperial currency of war that is backed by just a good printer?
And a gold rush will soon start, if it has not started yet. The precipitation for gold will be a stampede: who will be the victim? The one with gold: Africa, again, if we do not foresee that in time and with wisdom. We still have the time to ensure that no more African blood will be spilled because of the incoming gold rush. That if blood shall be spilled, and I suspect that when we take over the sovereignty of our resources and know how to negotiate for our future, those who have the drones to wage war from the safety of their bases in Germany, the weapons industry, will try to subjugate us to their needs and humiliate our leaders back into their little corner of the history, of begging and subordination. At least they will attempt. Unless African countries unite and help each other to reinforce the know-how for negotiating a win-win situation.
Tough times ahead. It should not surprise us if there is an air accident with an African VIP on board. The dramas of Dag Hammarskjold and Samora Machel may be returning.
You have the time? Please listen to these three
Cheers
Messages
(i) Assistance and aid: the real objective
UK foreign aid cuts: thousands will die as a result. Where? In Africa. So, what should we do in order to avoid aid cut? Do as I say! Well, the new authorities in Niger just said to the EU: keep your small aid. Why? Because that aid is self-serving and already minimal, is conditioned on a democracy speech that has proven to be a hoax, a Trojan Horse for other designs.
(ii) Current African leaders, please listen, before the youth crosses the street to meet with you.
(iii) Europe is not a friend of Africa, neither is any developing country, China, Russia, America. Everybody is looking for their interest. Let us chose our travel companion carefully. Time to wake up and mobilize for sacrificing in order to regain our independence. The African old guard remains for us our flag-bearers, and we respect elders. But respect is not fear. If the flag bearer is compromised with sweet monies from rich countries, then our future remains compromised. Do not rule out the capacity of the youth to revolt. Against whom? That is your responsibility to know, as is yours the capacity to channel the frustrations productively. You have the power; the capacity and you can summon the country’s innovative capacity. No country will develop without manufacturing. Producing raw materials will not take us anywhere.
Underdevelopment in Africa: the real story (Professor Howard Nicholas)
(iv) Our brothers in West Africa: Françafrique: let us finally learn our lessons: Elf, Total, Bollore, you name them, they negotiate, understate our resources, and transfer the prices between companies that belong to the same conglomerate, before they even start exporting our raw materials. They tell us how much they extract from our soils and waters, and therefore they determine how much taxes are payable to us. Where are we? None the wiser. Until when?
UNITY, HONEST WORK AND VIGILANCE because A LUTA CONTINUA.
Jose
August 2023
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