“No More”: We Africans Had Enough!

December 10, 2021

Africa had enough of the Western exploitation. Well, the time has come to say ‘No More’. The underlining intention of the Western countries along with their so called international organizations and media outlets has now become crystal clear in the way they are handling the conflict in Ethiopia. Surprisingly, almost all Africans and African leaders, beyond being aware of the West’s interest, are being outspoken and are being heard upon saying the slogan “NO MORE” every now and then. Other African countries along with Ethiopia are denouncing the measures that are being taken by the Western countries and by the fake news being fabricated by their media outlets. We Africans have watched the destruction of Saddam’s Iraq; how Libya has been destroyed; how Syrian cities are burned and turned into pieces. All these fatal destruction of nations are for the sake of the West’s mere economic and political interests.

It might not be politically and diplomatically incorrect to pursue one’s national interest, however, trying to impose one’s interest over the other to the extent of destroying the statehood of a nation is nothing but an act of a morally deranged foreign policy. Take for instance the West African nations who were the former colonies of France and how their political and economic system is being manipulated even today.

Using their major machineries of oppression; the media, the intelligence, the military and the sanctions, the West has managed to fabricate fake news, conspire a coup, change a regime and threaten African leaders respectively. All these are to satisfy and maintain their economic supremacy and position as a world leader. The Western countries have of course no real interest in humanitarian issues of people around the world. Rather, humanitarian issues are used as a pretext to intervene in the internal affairs of a particular nation that goes against their interest. If we take Saudi Arabia for instance, it is a long time ally for the United States. The US provides military support and the Saudis the Black Gold, oil. The US keeps the balance of Saudi-Iran hatred so that it makes the Saudis dependent seeking protection from an attack that would come from Iran. However, as we all know there are some dire humanitarian and undemocratic laws and orders in Saudi.

The US, that claims to be a leader in teaching the ABC of democracy, pays a deaf ear and a blind eye for what is going on in Saudi Arabia. The reason is simple, Saudi’s oil. Sometimes the US jokes on the Saudis saying, “If you don’t obey, we will bring democracy to you.’’ We can mention the real case that has happened in Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya. Gaddafi has ruled Libya for over forty years under a dictatorial regime. Not a single Western country has ever raised humanitarian concerns against his regime throughout his reign until Gaddafi brought an agenda to the table that leaves the West disadvantaged. Here is when the West brought democracy and humanitarian issues to the Libyan land. The fake news fabrication, plot against his regime, military intervention and other political economic measures surfaced and they got him killed by his own people. The West tried to rationalize its intervention as a ‘Responsibility to Protect – R2P’. Well, time has now revealed what their main intention has been and the Libyan people who are in a worse situation are witnesses for the dire consequences of the intervention by the West.

This takes us to investigate the reason why the US led Western group has been interfering in Ethiopia’s internal affairs since the conflict in the Northern Ethiopia broke out. Various political science scholars and historians put forward their scholarly views in this regard. On one hand, the relationship Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed built with the Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki is taken as a potential threat by the West. President Isaias, being the long lived leader from the East African leaders, he is assumed to know the region’s politics better than any leader in the region. President Isaias on the other hand is known for his anti-Western policies. Therefore, in connecting the dots, Isaias would influence Abiy’s leadership style and may turn him against the West. If these two key East African states act in unison, they would certainly rule and dictate the region’s politics given their political expertise and economic potential. The US therefore has found it urgent and necessary to intervene so that it would maintain its regional competitiveness. This gives the US an impetus to support the TPLF, which is located in the right geographic position, in a better military position and similar political mission.

On the other hand, Ethiopia, because of the Victory of Adwa, is a symbol of freedom from colonial oppression for all black people around the world. Ethiopia’s renaissance is African renaissance. Regardless of Ethiopia’s economic level, African nations pay respect for the Victory of Ethiopians over the white colonial powers. If Ethiopia succeeds in its economic transformation, her sphere of influence surpasses the Eastern Africa and expands to the whole of Africa. When Ethiopia awakes, Africa awakes. If Africa rises, the Western countries, whose economies are mainly based on the exploitation of Africa, would not be able to do so anymore. It is therefore of a paramount importance ‘as per the Western foreign policy and strategy’ to manage the conflict in Ethiopia in a manner that would hamper the road to Ethiopian/African renaissance.

Beyond to the fabrication of fake news, the Western powers have of course degraded their play of politics to the extent of shutting down Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media pages of personalities with a Pan-Ethiopian attitude. The United States has even gone further to suspend Ethiopia from AGOA which would cause a loss of jobs for over 100,000 employees.

The conflict in Ethiopia has now become a microcosm for the economic war between the African people and Western powers. Everyone knows that it is not the interest of the West if any group/party controls the regime as long as it serves their interest. Abiy’s government has been challenged with the request of being a puppet for the West. His government has however stood firm and rejected their neocolonial policy. If Ethiopia is not stopped, the West fears that their neocolonialism would discontinue and the rest of Africa would be free from the grip they have been entangled with.

According to the experts, these two main reasons along with issues related with the GERD are being used to qualify the intervention of the West in our internal affairs. However, we Ethiopians can’t bow down and dishonor the victory of our fathers. It is not just in our blood.

Ethiopia prevails!

Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald

BY WOSSENSEGED ASSEFA

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD DECEMBER 10/2021