In examining US policy towards Africa, we must heed Jeffrey Sachs’ recent presentation at the Asian Conference.
Contrary to public opinion, Sachs argues, the US is guilty of funding training and equipping many of the terrorist groups in Africa and Asia.
While President Donald Trump may be ignorant and crude in his approach, his policies are no different from those of his predecessors.
Trump is doing what wiser men like Barack Obama, Henry Kissinger and Joe Biden would have done under nuanced pretenses.
The Trump administration is completely free from nuanced references or actions (Obama’s favourite words) shows Eurocentric sense of superiority and entitlement in plain sight, even calling Zimbabwe a “shit country.”
In the last two weeks, representatives of African countries were informed of their master’s wishes as follows. Ghana was promised development aid to the tune of US$500 billion. In return, it must give the management of its ports to US agencies and accept a US military base in their country.
South Africa’s ambassador was expelled before he could untie his bags. To be fair, Ebrahim Rassool deserved to be thrown out for calling Trump “racist, imperialist” and other bad words. Ambassadors are expected to smooth over tempestuous waters with honeyed words.
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Trump has demanded that South Africa, which presided over the Bric’s organisation last year, leave the organisation, cease and decease the talk of an alternative currency to the US dollar as the world’s dominant currency.
In addition, South Africa should show love towards Israel and stop harassing them about genocide in Gaza.
The list is long but the proposal by South Africa to compel white farmers to sell their land to government crosses the red line.
The last straw is that South African should allow the US naval facilities at its Cape Town naval base while allowing the US reconnaissance missions from that base as it wishes.
Nigeria was told to allow a 51% of its oil to be under US management.
Ethiopia was ordered to allow a US military drone base that with unrestricted use of its air-space as well as oversight of the horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
Kenya was told to privatise the building of its roads by US toll collection companies. In case of disputes, Kenya should allow US courts to determine guilt and punishment of US citizens working in Kenya.
These demands reflect an insensitivity to African sovereignty and sensibilities and utter contempt of the dignity of African rulers. Obviously, no African experts were consulted in drafting these demands.
General Michael Langley.
It is with this background that Brother Langley found himself where angels fear to tread.
Brother Langley (pictured) is a four-star general in charge of the Africa Command whose headquarters is in Stuttgart, Germany.
Giving evidence before Senator Roger Wicker’s committee, he was asked about the new upstart, Brother Capitaine Ibrahim Traore of Bukina Faso.
The slant of the question indicated that Wicker had had discussions with Langley on the issue of African Negroes in West Africa attempting to run away from their esteemed, tried and tested masters in France.
Bukina Faso and Niger had withdrawn their gold reserves which were kept in France for over a century. In addition, these two countries had nationalised their gold and lithium mines, one used for atomic power generation and the other to support France’s monetary system.
France, which has no gold mines, is the fifth largest holder of gold reserves in the world (from Africa).
Surely, African leaders were engaged in corruption, taking their gold reserves from their benevolent French masters.
One committee member suggested that Traore must be arrested.
For a black man to take the attitude he did towards Bukina Faso’s struggle against the cut-throat French imperialists is unforgivable. These are the bad words in question.
“Absolutely. Chairman, I see this (i.e. corruption) and I don’t mind calling it out. Captain Ibrahim Traore in Bukina Faso…. their gold reserves are just in exchange to protect the junta regime.”
Langley went on to present as a matter of fact that Traore was using his gold reserved as a pay back to his cronies in exchange for support.
Niger and Bukina Faso are on the United Nations list of the poorest countries after Haiti. The young leaders found out that while lithium was bought and sold at 80 cents a kilogramme, the beneficent French masters sold the same material at US$8 per kilogram.
The matter of gold has already been explained above.
But there is more. The French and the Americans maintained air-force bases in those countries in order to maintain stability and security.
Sachs, in his article, How the US and Israel destroyed Syria, lays the blame for terrorism on the US Central Intelligence Organisation. It is the US, which has trained, equipped terrorists under various name, even Al Qaida. “The US has sponsored wars against Iraq (2003), Lebanon, Libya-Nato bombing in 2011, Syria (CIA operation 2010) Sudan and Somalia.”
President Asimi Goita of Niger says that when he was a soldier under a French captain, he was surprised. “The next day, we see these Franch refueling rebels (right)min front of us. I even looked at one of them (French) and he smiled and laughed at me.”
While Trump is crude, do not be fooled to think that Obama or Biden were better. Recently, Obama wrote to Traore, seeking some reconsideration of African policies in that they seem to be moving away from trusted, tested and tried friends in the West (i.e. France, UK and the US).
It is Obama who gave the order to terminate Gaddafi of Libya. Sachs also details Obama’s complicity in giving the “Timber Sycamore directive, 2010” to train, equip jihadists to destroy Basha Al Assad in Syria. The order was given out of malice.
With friends like these, African leaders must sleep with one eye open.
*Ken Mufuka is a Zimbabwean patriot. He writes from the US.
