Modern Colonialism and the Cover of War to Loot Africa’s Riches
BY KATHERINE DABO
“When a Head of State has failed woefully to meet the aspirations of the people, a third force becomes inevitable.” K.D.
In this article I will try to enumerated the several ways in which modern colonialism, imperialism, conflict and corruption is today being played out across Africa in the form of: political corruption, lack of respect for the rule of law, the support of dictatorships, bribery, influence peddling, the siphoning of resources, fraudulent management, illegal amassing of wealth, favoritism, illegal profit making, the misuse of public goods and money laundering, the exploitation of human resources, the creation of debt traps by the IMF and World Bank and the unfair rules on international trade. All of these constitute serious obstacles to the socioeconomic development of African countries.
We cannot continue to allow ourselves to be pulled in or swayed by the voices of the protectors of the union telling us to, “stop blaming colonialism for Africa’s problems”, as President Barrack Obama told African leaders during a trip to Ghana in the summer of 2009. In his speech he said, “I think part of what’s hampered advancement in Africa is that for many years we’ve made excuses about corruption or poor governance, that this was somehow the consequence of neo-colonialism, or the West has been oppressive, or racism… I’m not a believer in excuses”.
Well I find that to be a he-motion of euroafricism. The truth is that the legacy of European colonialism and it’s artificial boarders created by imperial Europe made the natural struggle to rebuild after the colonial age and imperial era difficult for the African natives. It is time we blamed the colonist for the continent’s manifold problems because without blame there is no shame for colonialism and the “Western oppression” of the African people.
When we begin to look at the wider issue of the economic problems as well as the political struggles, it is undeniable that African countries today are still keenly suppressed by the lingering side effects of the cold war and we tend to forget the devastating impact of European colonialism and the direct effect it caused on Africa and Africa’s recovery age. The economic policies of the IMF and the World Bank, supported by Washington and Europe have conditions that only aid in their devouring of African resources; they have proven to be very detrimental to the process and progress of African development.
In fact, if it were not for the Europeans bickering between themselves about the spoils of Africa causing the world wars, Africa would still be colonized. Independence only made it cheaper and easier for them to exploit the countries of their natural resources and turn African countries into neo-colonies.
We are somehow stuck in the illusions of the ‘this is just Africa’ and ‘imperialism is the arms of protection of the African’. On the contrary imperialism has been the most powerful force in world history over the last four or five centuries, carving up whole continents while oppressing indigenous peoples and obliterating entire civilizations. By “imperialism” I mean the process whereby the dominant politico-economic interests of one nation expropriate for their own enrichment the land, labor, raw materials, and markets of another people. Today we now must have the understanding that Africa does not need the Europe Union but it is European Union that needs Africa. While Europe is doomed to grow old and decay the illumining body of Africa is growing in strength.
African leaders must grasp the reality of the matter, though colonialism has ended, the story across Africa is pretty much still the same. If it was not for the west and Soviet Union support of dictatorships and the supply of billions of dollars worth of weapons to corrupt governments and opportunists to help fuel conflicts, today’s modern day colonialism or Imperialism would not be possible.
The African is the most warlike of the races of men. Their conflicts through history have helped shape the Africa of today and caused global political repercussions felt throughout the continent. Although it is impossible to generalize about the entire continent in a few sentences; however it is accurate to say that the continent is in a state of turmoil.
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Although Europeans made improvements, it was not usually done to help the Africans. It was done to make life easier for the colonizers. After about 75 years, the Europeans “left” and Africans developed a love-hate relationship with them. However, Europeans still provided much of Africa’s trade, investment capital and sometimes military intervention to shore up embattled regimes. Not enough Africans were educated, and they were not taught how to rule their own countries. These two factors became a huge problem when African countries finally started to gain their independence in the mid 1900s.
This reason is solely why today’s African leaders and rebels have a long standing and profitable relationship with the Europeans and Arabians. This partnership has enabled them to flourish while repressing their own people. The European nor the Arabian is interested in African people as far as their struggles with human rights, rule of law, accountability, transparency or the fair and free elections; their only interest is African oil, blood diamonds, coffee, cocoa, arms sales and the terrorism business. However our problem is the African governments and thugs who are corrupt in their leadership and cling to power in order to continue their looting of the countries’ National treasures and resources.
As I pointed out earlier, repercussions from this despotic conduct that lingers on century after century is designed so that Africa will only attain “stability” and not peace. Most of Africa’s bloodiest and brutal wars never end because the warmongers involved are heavily armed opportunists, combatants, mercenaries, and bandits backed by western and eastern powers that have no ideology or clear goals. In fact, these rebels are not even interested in taking over capitals and cities, they rather remain in the bushes where it is easier to commit crimes and steal village children and make them do their sinister killings. A close look at Africa’s most intractable conflicts shows high numbers of rapings of women, stealing of children and sinister killings. This is the story across much of Africa, from the rebel laden creeks of the Niger Delta to the inferno in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The countries of C.A.R, Chad, N. Sudan, S. Sudan, DRC Congo, Republic of Congo and Cameroon are countries that need our immediate attention in order to prevent repeat of situations such as genocides and ethic cleansing in our future.
We know that the business of African governments without a doubt is corruption. This is solely for accumulating personal wealth for the ruling class by stealing public funds and depriving the people of resources needed for basic survival and for the purpose of clinging to political power.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder delivered the message of the Kleptocracy Asset Program to the world in July 2010. He delivered this speech at the African Union Summit in Kampala, Uganda. Hopefully as a warning to the leaders who are oppressing their people and looting the countries of their natural resources. In his speech, he announced that the U.S Department of Justice is launching a new Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative aimed at combating large scale foreign official corruption and recovering public funds for their intended-and proper use – for the people of these nations. Eric Holder also stated in his speech that the U.S. Department was assembling a team of prosecutors who will focus exclusively on this work and build upon efforts already underway to deter corruption, hold offenders accountable and protect public resources.
There is a thin line being drawn between the ruled and the rulers. The people being ruled give of themselves and what little resources they have in nation building. They deserve a better life in their countries, having pledged loyalty and support to these appointed rulers. Leaders who don’t respect their country’s constitution, have no respect for the institutional structures and mechanisms in place and thus they have no right to rule over the people if their actions are not of nationalism.
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UPDATE – 12/21/2013
Key points from an article by Abdi Ismail Samatar on Aljazeera titled ‘Central Africa crisis: Cherchez La France‘
– “Many, however, fail to realize that the causes of these conflicts are not necessarily ethnic or religious in nature but can be better explained within the context of existing political and economic forces that are driven by illegitimate exploitation of state power. Such misuse of governmental authority turns the state into a sectarian force rather than an authority that accents the commonalities of the population.”
French troops patrol past two Seleka vehicles set on fire by Christian mobs in Bangui, Central African Republic, Monday Dec. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
– “African countries have been politically “independent” from European colonial powers for nearly sixty years; however, some of the legacy of European savagery still remains in the continent. For example, the idea of dividing cultural communities into separate political entities, on the basis of cultural or ethnic boundaries, was an invention of colonial powers and lives on. Unfortunately, many African leaders, and some of their political opponents, have internalised that ideology as a means to stay in power or gain political authority.”
– French colonialism in Central Africa was known for three fundamental qualities. First, it administered the territory as a French fiefdom where the native population was subjected to one of the most brutal authoritarian regimes. In so doing, the French established a political culture where force, rather than popular consent, was the source of authority. Second, the French authority, and its commercial allies, exploited the territory’s resources, not to advance the native population’s wellbeing but their own and that of France. By setting up its authoritarian administration, colonial France transformed cultural groups, ethnic or religious, into state managed political categories.As with all colonial regimes, this strategy of divide and rule was meant to undermine the common political project of the African people and to prolong French dominance.
– The Central African Republic was in a sorrow shape in 1960 when it became nominally independent from France and had to overcome several inherited liabilities. Although France was no longer in charge of the territory, nevertheless, it pulled the strings from behind the scene.
– France continued to have significant role in CAR military affairs and often called the shot, directly or indirectly, through its military capabilities, including local allies.
– Liberation did not bring freedom and accountability. Instead it ushered in a new form of authoritarianism whose cruelty went beyond imagination.
– A reversal of this atrocious cycle requires national leadership of extra-ordinary vision (of Mandela courage, wisdom, and humility), tenacity, and an international community not driven by expedience.
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