MLK Day 2020: Honor the Antiwar Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the SCLC, SNCC and other organizations all took strong positions against imperialist militarism during the Vietnam era

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Commentary

Monday, January 20, marks the 91st birthday commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968). Since 1986, the federal government has recognized the third Monday in January as a national holiday where many workplaces and educational institutions are closed.

What is routinely ignored and deliberately hidden about the legacy of Dr. King was his ever-evolving social vision which encompassed the worsening crisis in Vietnam during the mid-to-late 1960s.

Dr. King, in response to the mounting casualties among both United States troops and Vietnamese people, coupled with the positions taken earlier by the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP, 1965) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, 1966) against the genocidal occupation and massive bombing of Vietnam, came out clearly against the war during the early months of 1967.

Initially there was a series of letters published in African American magazines and newspapers opposing the defense policies of the-then President Lyndon B. Johnson during January. Later on February 25, Dr. King delivered a lecture entitled “The Casualties of the Vietnam War” at a conference sponsored by The Nation magazine in Los Angeles, California.

On March 25, 1967, the co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) led, along with other peace activists, a march in downtown Chicago against the Vietnam War. Just over a week later on April 4, Dr. King gave a speech at Riverside Church in New York City where he thoroughly spelled out the SCLC position condemning the Johnson administration and calling for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam.

Only 11 days after this earth-shattering speech at Riverside Church, Dr. King marched through Manhattan to the United Nations on April 15, leading tens of thousands in one of the earlier mass demonstrations calling for an end to the Vietnam War. A delegation including Dr. King presented a petition to the-then UN Secretary General U Thant calling for the intervention of the international body in the struggle to end the war.

In response to the views of the SCLC, SNCC and other progressive organizations in the African American community, many newspapers published scathing editorials calling these leaders disloyal and even traitors to the U.S. government. The Counter-intelligence Program (COINTELPRO), launched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) during the 1950s and enhanced during the 1960s with a special focus on the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, was utilized in an effort to destabilized and discredit the legitimate demands of the African American community and its allies within other sectors of the population.

It was exactly one year after Dr. King’s major policy address at Riverside Church that he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. The Civil Rights and Antiwar leader was in Memphis to assist 1,300 African American sanitation workers demanding union recognition and collective bargaining rights through the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). SCLC was seeking a convergence between the struggle to end racism and poverty with the Antiwar Movement surrounding the efforts to end U.S. intervention in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

This history is important today in 2020 in light of the current war drive on the part of U.S. President Donald Trump as he stokes the flames of military provocations against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the government in neighboring Iraq. The targeted assassinations of Lt. Gen. Qasam Soleimani of Iran and Deputy Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) were unprovoked and designed to both intimate the two countries they represented as well as deflect attention away from the upcoming impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.

As Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement of 1965-68 developed into a major force within the world struggle for peace against imperialism, socially conscious people today must reclaim this legacy as we oppose the Trump war drive in West Asia and in other geo-political regions of the world. Moreover, learning further from this legacy, we must link the struggle against imperialist militarism with the efforts to abolish institutional racism, national oppression, economic exploitation and environmental degradation.

To paraphrase Dr. King: every bomb dropped on Vietnam also explodes in the cities and rural areas of the U.S. In 2020, we acknowledge that the wars of aggression and exploitation waged by the Pentagon in West Asia, Africa and Latin America negatively impacts the living standards of working and oppressed people inside this country. With a Pentagon and Homeland Security budget well over $1 Trillion annually, it is no surprise that cities such as Detroit remain mired in poverty, national oppression, environmental racism and economic underdevelopment.

MLK Day Detroit Continues the Actual Legacy of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement

This year represents the 17th Annual Detroit MLK Day Rally, March, Community Meal and Cultural Program. The event was founded by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice (MECAWI) in January 2004.

By 2005, a broader MLK Planning Committee was established which has been charged with organizing the event ever since. Veteran Detroit activist Dorothy Dewberry Aldridge chairs the Committee providing the tried and tested leadership needed to ensure the success of the event each year.

The origins of the manifestation began during the initial months of the U.S. occupation of Iraq in 2003-2004 when former President George W. Bush, Jr. engaged in the blanket bombing and massive invasion of this ancient nation under the false premise of searching for “weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).” The only WMDs relevant to the Iraq war were those utilized by the Pentagon which spread further destruction, death and displacement among the Iraqi people and tens of thousands of U.S. troops.

It has been seventeen years since the illegal invasion of Iraq by the U.S. and Pentagon troops along with intelligence operatives.  Today thousands of military personnel and “private contractors” still remain inside the country. Only a few weeks ago thousands of Iraqis stormed the American embassy demanding that they leave immediately. The Iraq parliament voted overwhelmingly on a motion calling for the withdrawal of all Pentagon and other hostile forces from the country.

In Detroit and across the U.S., the MLK holiday should be a focal point for antiwar sentiment and rallying. People must adhere to the actual history of Dr. King and not the fabricated corporate media façade which attempts to extract his contributions from the broader mass movement in which he was such an integral part.

Sadly enough, some 52 years since his assassination, the struggle continues against war, poverty and racism. Nonetheless, we will meet these challenges of racist violence and imperialist war with the same enthusiasm and vigor as our ancestors from previous decades and centuries.

Our keynote speaker for the 17th Annual commemoration is Dr. Luis Barrios, President of the Board of Directors of the Inter-religious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO) based in New York City. IFCO has been a longtime institution fighting for civil rights, empowerment, solidarity with Cuba, Latin America as a whole, Palestine, African liberation movements and progressive governments, along with the continuing demand for African American reparations and self-determination.

Going forward in this year of 2020, the MLK Day Committee is encouraging all participants to join us and affiliated organizations in fighting to realize the ideals and objectives of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.      

Africa in Review 2019, Part III: Assessing the Challenges of Imperialism Today

From the sub-continent to the Horn of Africa and the Diaspora, Africans must return to the revolutionary source for victory and renewal

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Political Analysis
Tuesday December 31, 2019

Once again the Republic of South Africa was the center of electoral politics which reinforced the legacy of the national liberation movement while contradictorily the country faced during the same year retrograde undercurrents of division and counter-revolution.

The African National Congress (ANC) has been the ruling party and dominant social force within politics since the country was transformed from settler-colonialism to a democratic state operating within the broader capitalist and imperialist social framework.

There had been much speculation and even longing on the part of many detractors yearning for an ANC defeat at the polls during the elections of 2019. After all votes were cast, the ANC maintained its commanding lead in the National Assembly, provincial governments and local structures guaranteeing another five years as leaders of the executive branch of the state.

Just weeks after the multi-party elections, reports emerged from inside the country saying that Africans born in other parts of the continent were being attacked by mobs in South African urban areas and townships. The degree to which these news stories were circulated internationally fueled the sentiments of Africans in various regions of the continent including the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Zambia.

In apparent retaliation for attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, Nigerians in their own country held demonstrations outside South African-owned retail outlets shutting some of them down. Hostile diplomatic maneuvers were taken by Nigeria in protest against the treatment of their nationals in South Africa.

Yet after the calming of the unrest during early September in South Africa, a sober evaluation of the incidents took place. The most striking fact in the investigations by the law-enforcement authorities and journalists was that no Nigerians were killed in the attacks.

Of the twelve people who died during the days of violence against small-scale private businesses operated by Africans from other states, ten of them were South African nationals and the other two originated from neighboring Zimbabwe. Nonetheless, these objective statistics did not receive the degree of publicity as the initial reports of unbridled targeting of Nigerians in the Republic of South Africa.

An article published by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on September 17 says: “No Nigerians were killed in the violence in South Africa, but Nigerian-owned shops and businesses are believed to have been targeted by the mobs. Of the 12 people who were killed, 10 are reported to have been South African nationals and two were from Zimbabwe. Nigeria has been outspoken in its condemnation of the violence. A fortnight ago, it withdrew a delegation from a major international conference taking place in South Africa. Tensions were inflamed after videos and images were shared on social media purporting to show Nigerians being attacked and killed. The Nigerian government said there was no evidence that this had taken place. But it did say that Nigerian-owned businesses had been targeted.” (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49726041)

Unemployment in South Africa has been officially cited as 29%. There has been a general disinvestment from the country by many transnational corporations since the ANC came to power in 1994. After the ascendancy of the ANC government over a quarter-of-a-century ago, Africans from neighboring states and other regions migrated to South Africa in their hundreds of thousands seeking economic opportunity and the newly-won constitutional freedoms guaranteed by the political dispensation.

Surprisingly as well, only a few hundred Nigerians chose to be repatriated back to their countries of birth. An occupation at a United Nations office in Pretoria by African migrants has been covered by the media in order to highlight the ongoing problems.

The South African government roundly condemned the violence while leaders of both Nigeria and South Africa have held meetings designed to resolve misunderstandings which could lead to future diplomatic problems. Nigeria and South Africa, two of the largest economies on the continent, must work together in harmony to develop strategies for the much championed African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) project which aims to bolster inter-state trade and peacekeeping missions.

Meanwhile in the neighboring Republic of Zimbabwe, the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa is responding to the continuing economic crisis which has plagued the country since the beginning of the 21st century. The Zimbabwe African National Union, Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) government in 2000 initiated a radical land redistribution program which evicted thousands of European settler farmers from agribusinesses established under the colonial system led by Britain beginning in the late 19th century.

Nonetheless, the regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) has rallied to the defense of Zimbabwe in coordinated political actions across the sub-continent in October and at a parliamentary assembly held in Namibia during December. The two decades of draconian sanctions against Zimbabwe by Britain, the United States and the European Union (EU) has laid bare the neo-colonial character of imperialism in the present epoch.

Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan Remain Centers of Struggle over Western Influence and Domination

The nation of Somalia has been a focal point of imperialist intervention over the last four decades resulting in the deaths of untold numbers of its citizens and the direct military invasions and occupations by western countries and their allies in the region. At present a federal government in Mogadishu is largely propped-up by the presence of thousands of African Union Mission Troops to Somalia (AMISOM) which are trained and funded by imperialist states.

Pentagon advisors and commando units maintain an active presence in Somalia on the ground while periodic airstrikes are carried out by the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). The casualties from these AFRICOM bombing operations are routinely declared by the corporate media to be members of Al-Shabaab, an Islamic resistance group which currently has ties with Al-Qaeda and ISIS. However, there is no verification of the political status of those injured and killed. Such aerial bombings and commando raids only serve to further the anger and alienation by Somalians towards Washington and its surrogates inside the country.

Although the federal government in Somalia has been praised for the stability it has maintained in several cities in the central and southern regions of the country, Al-Shabaab often engages in guerilla truck bomb attacks which kill dozens of civilians and security personnel. A report by Reuters on December 30 capsulizes the regular scenario of events in Somalia: “- Four al Shabaab militants were killed on Sunday in three U.S. air strikes in two locations in Somalia, the U.S. military said on Monday. The air strikes came a day after at least 90 people were killed in a truck bombing at a busy checkpoint in the Somali capital Mogadishu, the deadliest attack in more than two years.”

Somalia as a base for oil exploration and strategic military positioning in the Horn of Africa, the country will remain a focal point for western intrigue. Until a political settlement is reached or an outright military victory against the Islamist guerillas is achieved, Somalia will remain vulnerable to the machinations of imperialist interests.

Also in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in resolving a territorial dispute with neighboring Eritrea. The state visits by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and his Ethiopian counterpart have been of historic proportions since 2018.

However, there are other internal problems inside Ethiopia which could create instability. The need for a delicate political balance between the Tigray, Oromo and Amharic ethnic groups is manifested in the eruption of sporadic violence and the reconfiguration of the ruling political party. Earlier in the year, an ethnic group in the South of the country, the Sidama, voted in a referendum for greater autonomy. A series of attacks on mosques and churches are a reflection of continuing social tensions that warrant the close attention of the federal government in Addis Ababa.

The Republic of Sudan has undergone a political upheaval since December 2018 when demonstrations erupted over the rising price of bread and other consumer goods. Within a matter of weeks, the demands shifted to calls for the removal of the National Congress Party (NCP) government of President Omer Hassan al-Bashir. As the unrest intensified, the military overthrew Bashir announcing the formation of a Transitional Military Council (TMC).

This did not satisfy the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) led primarily by the Sudanese Professional Association (SPA). The broad based coalition continued their sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum until it was violently broken up in early June by the security forces where approximately 100 people were killed.

The political involvement of the Ethiopian government and the AU was instrumental in talks which created an interim Sovereignty Council led by a technocratic Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Even though the uprising in Sudan is labelled as a “Revolution”, it remains to be seen what fundamental changes will occur in relationship to domestic and foreign policy.

One major contradiction is the continuing participation by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the U.S.-engineered genocidal war in Yemen. There has been an announcement about a reduction of troops from Sudan operating in the Yemeni war. However, the Sovereign Council appears to be committed to its alliance with Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE). These Gulf monarchies have pledged several billion dollars in assistance to the administration in Khartoum which is composed of the interim political leadership and the military.

Former President al-Bashir has been held in detention since his removal from office during April when differences with other military officers became irreconcilable. The ousted leader was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing foreign currency. Questions remain over whether al-Bashir will be turned over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands where outstanding warrants remain related to alleged crimes committed in Darfur during the previous decade. The ICC is a highly controversial institution since its primary focus has been on prosecuting African rebel and governmental leaders. Efforts to conduct an investigation into U.S. activities in Afghanistan were rejected by the institution during 2019 amid threats from Washington that any legal action taken by the ICC would not be honored by the U.S. government.

Internal armed factions based in the Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile and other provinces are currently engaged in negotiations with the Sovereign Council. The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) seems to be serious about ending its long-running war with Khartoum in exchange for a possible political role in the future constitutional arrangement.

The political conjuncture in the Republic of Sudan portends much for the future of the Horn of Africa and other contiguous regions. If a genuine political settlement can be reached it will represent a milestone in modern African history. Nonetheless, the social character of an elected Sudanese administration can only be considered revolutionary if it breaks with the legacy of colonialism and neo-colonialism. The government would have to reject attempts by the U.S. to bring Sudan even further into the strategic orbit of Washington and Wall Street.

Prospects for Societal Transformation and Anti-Imperialism in Africa

If there are any lessons to be learned from the political unrest in North Africa and other regions of the continent during the previous decade, it is the realization that imperialism has not retreated from its mission to dominant the land, waterways, resources and human capital of the African continent and other geo-political areas globally. In order for poverty to be eradicated and genuine development to occur, the political leadership of the AU member-states must be geared towards the building of a social existence independent of western capitalist influence.

These questions related to which philosophical approach is required for a real revolutionary movement to take root are political, economic and ideological. 2019 represented an historical marker related to the origins of the colonial underdevelopment of Africa and its people.

2019 was designated as the “Year of Return” for Africans removed from the continent through the Atlantic Slave Trade. In the U.S., the first 20 enslaved Africans under British colonialism arrived on the shores of Virginia during August of 1619. The U.S. government is the ideological and political heir of British monarchical rule.

Although Africans were enslaved prior to 1619 by the Spanish colonialists in Florida during the 1500s, the war of independence from Britain in the late 18th century, signaled the eventual dominance by the European Americans of the geographic territory now known as the U.S. The struggle of the African people in North America, the Caribbean, Central America and South America has been integral part of the overall African revolutionary struggle throughout the globe.

Thousands of people of African descent born in North America and the Caribbean traveled to Ghana during 2019 at the invitation of the government in Accra. Several hundred of these Africans have been granted dual citizenship by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a highly publicized ceremony.

Ironically enough, Akufo-Addo comes out of a political tradition in Ghana which staunchly opposed the revolutionary Pan-Africanism of the founder of the modern state in Africa, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Under President Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) administration, extending in its various forms from 1951 to 1966, the major foreign policy objective of the state was the realization of a United States of Africa under socialism. In fact, Nkrumah was removed from office at the aegis of the U.S. State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) due to his administration’s anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist and socialist orientation.

The unification of Africa still remains the only viable hope for revolutionary transformation on the continent and among those living in the Diaspora. Creating and building organizations and institutions which champion this objective provides the correct Line of March for those seeking a better world for the whole of humanity.  

Possible Graves Identified of 1921 Tulsa Massacre Victims

African Americans were targeted in a racist campaign of theft, arson and murder

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
December 31, 2019
Historical Review

For many years the white mob attacks against the African American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma during late May and early June of 1921 has been cited to illustrate the oppressive and violent character of race relations in the United States during the 20th century.

A popular historical narrative of the so-called “Tulsa Riot” focuses heavily on the destruction of the Greenwood business district in the African American community which was known as “Black Wall Street.”

Nonetheless, those African Americans whose homes, churches, small businesses and other personal property which were destroyed in a racist frenzy, emanated largely from a working class people seeking to carve out an independent existence some six decades after the end of legalized chattel slavery and the Civil War. Despite the differences in perspectives between African Americans and whites on the causes behind the tragic events of 1921, the fact of the matter is that the political establishment in Tulsa has never fully come to grips with the nature and character of the massacre which left in excess of 300 people dead.

Over the last two decades there has been some official acknowledgement in Oklahoma that the attacks on African Americans were unjustifiably brutal and stemmed from attempts to undermine the aspirations of a burgeoning community. However, since these events occurred nearly a century ago, some within the white community have dismissed claims related to the severity of the incident and whether the payment of reparations is justified.

In recent weeks there has been numerous articles published on the possible discovery of mass graves of victims from the massacre. The Tulsa massacre was initiated on the false premise that an African American youth had assaulted a white woman in an elevator.

The following day a leading newspaper article called for the suppression of a purported “lawless” African American community prompting white mobs including law-enforcement personnel to invade areas around Black Wall Street where they shot people on sight, looted homes, businesses and churches, later burning many of the structures to the ground. Hundreds of African Americans were taken into custody and disarmed under the pretext of preventing further assaults on white residents.

These allegations about threats to white women were false as was the case in so many other lynching incidents which were prevalent in the U.S. during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Various historical studies indicate that anywhere between 3,500 and 5,000 African Americans were lynched from the period of the 1880s until the Great Depression of the 1930s. Almost none of the perpetuators were ever brought to justice by the U.S. courts on local, state or federal level. (https://www.naacp.org/history-of-lynchings/)

Evidence of the impunity carried out against African Americans is represented in the fact that numerous efforts to pass federal anti-lynching laws failed. One of the last attempts in the late 1930s amidst a resurgence of racist violence in the South under the Democratic administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt met the same fate as other attempts to empower the federal government as a last resort to end the racist targeting of African Americans by mobs including politicians and the police. The eventual passage of an anti-lynching bill by the Senate in 2018 was largely symbolic and meaningless. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46634184)

Investigation of the Tulsa Massacre in the Current Period

A scientific archaeological study is underway utilizing equipment which has detected the possible existence of mass graves in a cemetery outside of downtown Tulsa. These investigations arose as a result of efforts to organize a commemorative recognition of the 1921 massacre centering on the upcoming centenary in 2021.

A December article published by Live Science on the research surrounding the location of the victims, it reports that: “Amanda Regnier and Scott Hammerstedt, from the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey at the University of Oklahoma, told a city committee this week that scans with ground-penetrating radar in October had revealed the existence of the pit at Oaklawn Cemetery, northwest of the city's downtown area, according to a city statement. The radar showed the buried pit measured roughly 30 feet by 25 feet (9 by 7.5 meters) — large enough to hold dozens of bodies, according to the researchers. Other traces of what could be unmarked graves were found nearby.” (https://www.livescience.com/tulsa-race-massacre-mass-grave-discovered.html)

If this discovery is confirmed an excavation of the site would raise legal and political questions for the city government of Tulsa and the State of Oklahoma. From an historical perspective, the scientific uncovering of these suspected mass graves could necessitate other legislative measures to address the descendants of this organized act of racist terror.

The massacre on its own constitutes a genocidal act. Moreover, the nearly century of the cover-up designed to mischaracterize the May-June 1921 mass killings and to minimize the degree of deaths, injuries and destruction are also crimes against humanity.

These official denials of the racist and genocidal history of the U.S. in which Tulsa is so representative, inevitably extends the distortions so prevalent even in the 21st century as it relates to the political character of the U.S. Documenting the lynching and massacres of previous centuries potentially expands the debates over reparations beyond enslavement well into events of the 20th century.

One of researchers working on the investigation of the possible mass graves, Amanda Regnier, told Live Science: "We have large anomalies that appear consistent with mass graves … smaller anomalies that look like graves with coffins … and a series of other anomalies … that are more faint, and could represent individual people buried without coffins. We cannot know for certain what this is, but the signature closely matches those of other mass graves that have been excavated.”

At another nearby location known as Canes in close proximity to the Arkansas River, there are even more suspected mass graves. The images derived from ground-penetrating radar scans suggest there could be other victims buried in this area as well.

These investigations using sophisticated imaging equipment have been guided by interviews with survivors of the massacres, their descendants and photographic analysis from the period in question. In order for an actual exhumation of the grounds to occur there has to be legal permission granted by the authorities in Oklahoma.

The Significance of the Tulsa Massacre Investigation

It is quite important for the State of Oklahoma and the City of Tulsa to cooperate fully in this research. The events of the Tulsa racist massacre has been ignored and trivialized on an official level for far too long.

Such research has profound implications for the re-opening of investigations into other episodes of racist violence during the 20th century in the U.S. The uncovering of the facts surrounding these incidents points to the reality that racism is still alive and well in the 21st century.

African Americans remain today disproportionately the victims of police and vigilante violence which often times goes unpunished. The criminal justice system through racial profiling, targeted arrests, prosecutions and imprisonment represents key pillars of national oppression and class exploitation. 

Racism continues to be used to create and foster divisions among the working class inside the U.S. However, until the federal government and the ruling capitalist class are held responsible for the present situation there can be no lasting solutions.

In recent years there are concerted attempts underway by political and economic interests to effectively reverse the gains of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 20th century. False notions of a “color-blind” society in the 21st century merely serve as an ideological attempt to deny the justifiable claims for reparations, full equality and self-determination on the part of African Americans. Fully revealing the extent of racism and national oppression in the historical development of the U.S. can provide mechanisms for the actual reconstruction of the society based upon genuine democracy and economic justice.  

Africa in Review 2019, Part II: From Internal Crises and Conflict to Internationalism

A broader view of cooperation is needed to reach the full potential of the continent

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Commentary
Tuesday December 31, 2019

Since mid-2018, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been stricken with another Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak largely impacting the northeastern region of the vast mineral-rich nation in Central Africa.

EVD has its origins in the DRC during the late 1970s when the deadly Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) strain became known to the country and the world.

The epidemic which has been mainly concentrated in the provinces of North Kivu, Ituri and South Kivu, has been difficult to address on a medical level due to the lack of an adequate healthcare and educational system. Despite the enormous strategic mineral wealth of the country of some 81 million people, the historical legacy of imperialism remains a major factor in stifling genuine economic growth and social development.

Since the discovery of this highly contagious disease there have been several major outbreaks in the DRC and other African countries. The largest pandemic occurred in three West African states from late 2014 to early 2016. These nations were Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea-Conakry.

After the West African pandemic was declared over, there were approximately 28,000 cases documented resulting in more than 11,000 deaths. The rapid spread of the disease took a tremendous toll on the people of these three countries along with neighboring states which were compelled to mobilize limited medical resources to prevent the entry of EVD across their borders.

Statistical information compiled by the DRC Health Ministry and various humanitarian organizations indicates that the present outbreak is the second largest in the history of the disease. Due to security concerns on various levels, healthcare workers and researchers have not been able to travel freely in some sections of the affected areas.

A report issued during late December 2019 by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, Doctors without Borders) places the current outbreak within its historical context saying: “During the first eight months of the epidemic, until March 2019, more than 1,000 cases of Ebola were reported in the affected region. However, between April and June 2019, this number doubled, with a further 1,000 new cases reported in just those three months. Between early June and the beginning of August, the number of new cases notified per week was high, and averaged between 75 and 100 each week; since August, this rate has been slowly declining, with just 70 cases identified throughout all of October. The latest figures provided by DRC Ministry of Health via World Health Organization are 3,371 total cases; 3,253 confirmed cases and 2,228 total fatalities. While there are positive signs that the number of cases is slowly reducing, the outbreak remains a serious public health concern, and it is unclear when it may end.” (https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/drc-ebola-outbreaks-crisis-update-27-december-2019)

There has been more than one occasion over the last 18 months when the current EVD pandemic in DRC appears to have been arrested. Nonetheless, other cases surfaced placing additional fears within the medical community and the general population of the disease spreading to broader geographic areas.

MSF in its conclusion to the report referenced above leaves the reader with an unsettling observation: “Overall, the geographic spread of the epidemic appears to be unpredictable, with scattered small clusters potentially occurring anywhere in the region. This pattern, along with the lack of visibility on the epidemiological situation, and the risk of flare-ups in former hotspots, is both extremely worrying and makes ending the outbreak even more challenging.”

Compounding the medical crisis in the eastern DRC provinces impacted by the EVD pandemic are the ongoing conflicts pitting rebel groups against the military forces of the central government in Kinshasa. President Felix Tshisekedi took office last year and has worked out a coalition arrangement with the forces which remain loyal to former head-of-state Joseph Kabila.

Nevertheless, outside of these working relationships at the highest governmental levels there are attacks being carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in North Kivu in the city of Beni, where in late December, 23 people were reportedly hacked to death. The ADF originated in Uganda. However, the group which claims to be at war with both the DRC and Ugandan governments is aggressively waging a war on the civilians in the border regions between the two countries.

Similar problems exist in neighboring Central African Republic (CAR), a former French colony which has undergone considerable political and social turmoil in recent decades. Former President Francois Bozize has returned to the country after fleeing amid a military coup led by the Seleka group which seized control of the government in 2013. Seleka is a Muslim-dominated organization which sprang up in response to the plight of the minority Islamic population in the country of 4.6 million people.

A spokesman for Bozize says he is planning to re-enter CAR politics by running for president in the upcoming 2020 elections. Considering the contentious sectional divisions which have been a reality since 2013, a campaign by Bozize could prompt the resumption of armed conflict in the capital of Bangui.

The World Food Program (WFP) reports in an assessment of the current humanitarian situation in the CAR that: “Floods affected at least 25,000 people in and around Bangui in late October, as well as in Ouaka, Basse Kotto, Mbomou and Ouham prefectures. More than 10,000 homes were destroyed across the affected areas. The humanitarian community mobilized to meet the most urgent needs of the affected populations. The humanitarian situation in CAR remains alarming. A three percent increase in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is due in part to new displacements of more than 20,000 people in Birao following armed clashes at the beginning of September. The number of IDPs in CAR has again exceeded the symbolic threshold of 600,000.”

These two states, the DRC and CAR, although facing different problems, share similarities in relationship to the protracted internal conflicts hampering the ability of the state and society to resolve outstanding issues. Present in the DRC and CAR are United Nations mandated peacekeeping missions which are authorized by the Security Council in cooperation with African Union member-states and their regional affiliates.

However, these UN missions have only been partially effective. The overriding nature of the instability of post-colonial African states remains unresolved.

West Africa: Political and Regional Conflicts in Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger

Internal divisions inherited from European colonialism and the contemporary neo-colonial character of international relations, are by no means confined to Central Africa. In the West Africa region the states of Nigeria, Cameroon and Niger are reflective of the general crises of instability and underdevelopment.

Cameroon has been rocked by sectional conflict pitting regions of the oil-producing state which were colonized Britain and France against each other. In southern Cameroon a secessionist movement has arisen calling for the partitioning of the country.

Considering the prevailing rhetoric related to regional and continental unity in Africa, it is highly unlikely that such a position could gain diplomatic support among the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). At present there is much curiosity over the proposal for the abandonment of the CFA franc zone currency system for a regional medium of exchange known as the “ECO.” Several governments have expressed an interest in moving towards this regional currency.

There are criteria for the conversion from the CFA franc pegged to the Euro to a stand alone ECO. An article published by the VOA pointed out that: “The key demands for entry are to have a deficit of less than 3 percent of gross domestic product, inflation of 10 percent or under and debts worth less than 70 percent of GDP. Economists say they understand the thinking behind the currency plan but believe it is unrealistic and could even be dangerous for the region's economies which are dominated by one single country, Nigeria, which accounts for two-thirds of the region's economic output. Nigeria's Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed told AFP ‘there's still more work that we need to do individually to meet the convergence criteria’.” (https://www.voanews.com/africa/west-african-nations-rename-common-currency-sever-its-links-france)

Although Nigeria is the largest economy in the West Africa region and one of the leading states on the continent as whole with a population (200 million) which by far outstrips all other AU nations, the country remains embroiled in the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast. President Muhammadu Buhari, now in his second term of office, stated while running in 2015 that he would eliminate the Boko Haram threat within six months. Obviously this has not materialized as the regional impact of the putative “Islamist” movement has extended into Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Niger, a former French colony, is the source of the world’s fourth largest production of uranium. The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has a presence inside the country along with Paris which is coordinating regional military forces to pursue the targeted “terrorist threat.” Insurgents have launched several high-profile attacks on establishments frequented by westerners. In 2017, four AFRICOM Green Berets were killed in Niger under circumstances which have not yet been fully explained.

AFRICOM is building drone capability in Niger while spreading the military and intelligence capability of Washington across the continent. These developments related to the continuing interference of France and the U.S. in West Africa does not bode well for continental unity based upon a program of empowering the majority of workers, farmers and youth.

Joint military operations between France, the European Union (EU), AFRICOM and NATO are annual occurrences in West Africa. Questions of the viability of the ECO aside, there can be no genuine independence and unity in any region of Africa with the growing presence of imperialist military units.

The Need for a Fundamental Break with Neo-colonial Arrangements

Therefore, taking into consideration the internal conflicts still raging across various regions within AU member-states, coupled with the incapacity of existing governments to stabilize the situations in Central and West Africa, an approach is required which relies on the strategic positioning, mineral wealth, energy resources and human capital of the more than one billion people on the continent. Such a political program would require the empowerment of the working class, farmers and youth as the principal agents of developmental transformation.

The contradiction between African development and imperialism remains a stark reality well into the 21st Century. Europe and subsequently North America were built into world powers due to their exploitation of Africa through the centuries-long Atlantic slave trade, colonialism, imperialism and neo-colonialism.

To reverse this ongoing disadvantageous situation for Africa, a severing of the tentacles of dependency is required. The AU member-states must build up their economic, political, technological and military capabilities independent of the imperialist states.

Once these decisions are made on a continental level the resolution of internal conflicts based upon issues of language, religion, ethnicity and social status, can be envisioned. The ultimate objective is the establishment of a unified Africa based upon socialist planning and sustainable economic reconstruction.  

ZANU-PF Holds 18th National People’s Conference with Focus on Economic Revitalization

Deliberation and resolutions focus on ending sanctions, enhancing discipline and rooting out corruption

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Monday December 30, 2019
Political Analysis

Southern African Development Community (SADC) states are facing monumental challenges in the coming decade.

Sixteen member-governments in the sub-continent have adopted strategies aimed at economic growth and sustainable development, which are connected with solving problems created by climate change and the continuing impact of the legacy of settler-colonialism.

The Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) has been the ruling party inside the country since its independence from the British racist regime headed by Ian Smith in April 1980. This coming year will represent 40 years of liberation in a nation where Africans were deprived of land and self-determination for nearly a century.

2020 will also mark the 20th anniversary of the sweeping land redistribution program where many European-controlled farms were seized and turned over to the African people. Land was the major issue during the war of liberation during the 1960s and 1970s and the ZANU-PF government maintains that the reform policies will remain intact.

ZANU-PF held its 18th Annual National People’s Conference (NPC) from December 11-13 where the primary focus on the gathering was to discuss and reinforce strategies aimed at rebuilding the beleaguered economy. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been in power since November 2017 having taken over in the aftermath of the resignation of the late head-of-state President Robert G. Mugabe, who passed away earlier in September at the age of 95.

Since taking office as a direct result of an internal power struggle within ZANU-PF which culminated in November 2017, President Mnangagwa, affectionately known as ED, has set out to create the conditions for greater political transparency and the intensification of the battle against corruption within government. Under the theme of “Mechanize, Modernize and Grow the Economy Towards Vision 2030”, the conference provided a sober assessment of the difficulties and the need for renewed energy and focus on social reconstruction.

Mnangagwa opened and closed the conference with major policy addresses. The president emphasized the need to build upon the re-introduction of a national currency and the intensification of attracting foreign investment in key industries such as agriculture, information technology and the mining.

In relationship to the overall focus of the NPC, ZANU-PF Publicity Secretary Simon Khaya Moyo noted: “The agenda and program were followed with strict discipline and seriousness of purpose, so were the thematic discussions in various committees and the resolutions which ensued and were unanimously passed by the conference. It was indeed a milestone conference reflective of a people’s party as evidenced by the discipline and enthusiasm of delegates from all the 10 provinces.” (https://www.chronicle.co.zw/editoral-comment-zanu-pf-conference-gone-time-to-implement-resolutions/)

Political decisions related to the next general elections scheduled for 2023 were also discussed and agreed upon. Mnangagwa was selected to be the sole presidential candidate for the party in four years and the conference set as its goal to obtain five million votes for its leader.

Making a firm decision about the 2023 elections was viewed by NPC delegates as essential in guiding the country in its “re-engagement” approach with other states. The party believes that stability is essential in building the national economy internally and with the eliminating uncertainty about the political future of Zimbabwe.

Mnangagwa spoke to the seriousness of the contemporary period for the ruling party, stressing: “These conferences are not talking shows. We must deliver on our promises. To this we must remain focused, united and guided by our party constitution.  We have reached the end of this conference. This conference is the biggest conference of any political party that may come into your mind, if there is any, please tell me.  I exhort you to be vigilant in the coming year and going forward. Keep your eyes and ears open.”

Western Economic Sanctions and the Imperatives of Regional Development

The leading impediment for economic reconstruction and social stability is the ongoing imposition of draconian sanctions by the western imperialist states. Despite the monumental efforts by the ZANU-PF government under Mnangagwa to re-engage with the capitalist nations, sanctions remain in force.

Consequently, unemployment remains astronomically high and the value of the re-introduced national currency is subject to fluctuations in actual value. Until the sanctions are lifted particularly by the former colonial power of Britain and the United States, there is the potential for further fiscal problems including shortages of consumer goods and inflationary pressures in the energy sector.

Just two months prior to the NPC, the entire SADC region was mobilized in their demand for the immediate lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe. A Day of Action for the lifting of sanctions during October, which was endorsed by all member-states in the SADC region, illustrated the unity of purpose in solidarity with Zimbabwe.

As a follow-up measure taken just days after the ZANU-PF NPC on December 15, a regional meeting in Swakopmund, Republic of Namibia, discussed again in detail, the imperatives of removing economic sanctions on Zimbabwe. This gathering of the SADC 46th Plenary Assembly of the Parliamentary Forum, stressed the economic impact of sanctions on both the people of Zimbabwe and the entire region.

A motion submitted by Angolan parliamentarian Josefina Perpetua Diakite and seconded by representatives from Malawi, noted the role of sanctions as a major roadblock in the implementation of sustainable development goals including universal health coverage set for 2030. The program has set as its objectives the raising of national incomes through enhanced regional industrialization and self-sufficiency in agricultural production.

The Angolan parliamentary representative said that sanctions are stifling “people's livelihoods, economic development and access to health, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable population, including young girls, women, children, the disabled and the elderly.  The economic sanctions are a violation of the human, economic and social rights of the people of Zimbabwe and have a negative impact on the government's efforts to leverage the economy and boost the living standards of the Zimbabwean people.” (https://neweralive.na/posts/sanctions-against-zim-must-go)

In seconding the motion, Malawian Member of Parliament Dennis Namachekecha, stressed the regional manifestations of western imperialist policies towards Harare, saying: “The sanctions are undermining Zimbabwe's efforts to attract investment and the country's ability to realize its national, regional and international development is also curtailed. We are each other’s keeper and we cannot ignore the pain that the people of Zimbabwe are enduring. This motion requires that we unite just as we united against colonialism and the apartheid regime of South Africa to speak with one voice against the continued unjustified sanctions. Today it is Zimbabwe. Tomorrow it can be any member of SADC.”

U.S. Foreign Policy Maintains Leading Imperialist Role Internationally

Sanctions against Zimbabwe have been renewed by successive U.S. administrations both Democratic and Republican. Such a foreign policy posture illustrates clearly the role of Washington in the continuing national oppression, economic exploitation and consequent underdevelopment of the African continent.

These sanctions are an act of war. They are designed to influence the political character of the Zimbabwean state through the deliberate attempts to overthrow the ZANU-PF government utilizing economic pressure specifically designed to turn the masses away from their elected administration.

At the same above-mentioned 46th Plenary Assembly of the Parliamentary Forum in Namibia, the Republic of South Africa Parliamentary Speaker Thandi Modise emphasized that her government stands in solidarity with Zimbabwe, emphasizing that: “We do so because we understand that without South Africa standing up with other neighbors, the economic progress of the region will be retarded. The issues of child mortality and hunger would continue to besiege the region. This is not Zimbabwe's problem. This is a regional problem. We stand behind you. We call for the removal of these sanctions. We want Zimbabwe to be able to enjoy her mineral wealth, to go back to being the food basket of our region and to walk tall amongst the countries of Africa.”

Anti-imperialist forces in the West and throughout the international community should adopt the principles enunciated by the SADC member-states. The U.S., Britain and the European Union (EU) have no right to impose this economic war on Zimbabwe and the Southern Africa region. All of these western powers must be held responsible for their role in the maintaining neo-colonialism in Africa.

Solidarity with Zimbabwe and the SADC is an important aspect of the contemporary struggle against western arrogance and domination of the peoples of the world. The interests of the working class and nationally oppressed in the imperialist countries are inextricably linked to the realization of the total liberation of Africa and its people. 

France Disrupted by Unions Striking Over Pension Reforms

Workers shut down transportation system during holiday seasons demanding concessions from Macron

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Commentary
Sunday December 29, 2019

President Emmanuel Macron has been further exposed for his neo-liberal policies by proposing a series of pension reforms which have prompted a general strike among French workers.

For over a month, hundreds of thousands of union members have held mass demonstrations and work stoppages in protest against the economic policies of the government.

France has been long known for its work-related benefits granted to public employees which guaranteed vacation time, health care and pensions. Nonetheless, in recent years under pressure from the bank-directed administration appointed by Macron and other previous governments, efforts to curtail these amenities and to raise the age level for retirement of employees have been implemented.

On Saturday, December 28, thousands of workers clashed with police after the gendarmes fired tear gas in an attempt to break up crowds near the most concentrated shopping and tourist areas of Paris. The union members were joined by the gilets jaunes (yellow vest) movement which has been holding weekly protest in Paris and other cities over the last year against the escalating costs of tolls for highway travel by motorists, among other issues.

One of the activists designated as a leader of the yellow vest movement, Jerome Rodrigues, reportedly sustained another eye injury during the unrest on December 28. Earlier in the year, Rodrigues was hit in the same eye by a tear gas canister fired by police.

Through the efforts of transport workers, rail lines have been closed making it extremely difficult to travel throughout the country. Commercial activity during the year-end holiday season was severely disrupted due to the strike, said to be the longest industrial action in France since the 1980s.

The transport workers reiterated their commitment to staying off the job until Macron relents and abandons the pension reforms. “We’re ready to hold for quite a while,” Laurent Djebali, a representative of the metro branch of the Unsa union, told the Guardian newspaper. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/28/paris-protesters-against-pension-reforms-clash-with-police)

General Secretary of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), Phillipe Martinez, gave no indication as to when the strike would end despite what appeared to be conciliatory language from Macron leading up to the holiday season. Macron appealed to the unions to halt the strike temporarily so the work stoppages would not hamper shopping and tourism during December. The workers refused the offer and have escalated their actions demanding an end to the proposals issued by the French government.

The capacity of commuters to reach their destinations has been severely curtailed with limited service on the rail lines around Paris and from the central city to the airports. Approximately 44 percent of the employees operating the national railway lines are on strike.

CGT leader Martinez said in response to the request for a pause in the strike that: “Obviously, a transport strike is inconvenient, but when we face such a reform, which will completely upset our social system, which will make everyone retire later, I think it’s worth investing in the movement. It's a strong movement and still supported by public opinion. The government shows how agitated it is with this kind of conception of social dialogue.” (https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1221797/macron-news-france-strike-transport-workers-pension-reform)

Opposition to Pension Reforms Widespread Among Workers and Opposition Parties

The proposed new requirements for retirement and the collection of full benefits have attracted broad criticism within France. Several left-wing and right-wing political parties are condemning the plan to lift the age for retirement with maximum benefits from 62 to 64.

Under the guise of developing a “universal system” of regulating benefits for all retirees in France, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has introduced the reform proposals. Nonetheless, unions are skeptical about the overall objectives of the government due to the failure of Philippe to lay out the entire package proposals for public scrutiny.

There are “special regimes” for certain sectors of the working class which allows for retirement as early as 55. This is true among transport employees which is a factor in the anger sparked by the proposals.

This notion of a “universal system” with no exceptions is largely viewed by many unions as a mechanism to implement cuts throughout the entire working class. At present there are some 42 different pension plans determined by the sector in which workers are employed.

According to an article published by France Local on December 11: “[T]he reforms will be introduced in phases, with anyone born before 1975 not affected at all. The government previously planned to include everyone born in 1963 or later, but chose to push back the age-limit in response to the strikes. Those entering the labor market for the first time in 2022 will be put straight on to the universal system, with changes phased in gradually for those in between.” (https://www.thelocal.fr/20191211/french-pension-reform-what-does-the-government-want-to-do)

Phasing in by age ranks the adoption of the new purported “universal system” is clearly designed to break down solidarity among different generations of workers. A similar project has been adopted in the automotive industry and other sectors of the labor market in the United States with two and three tiered pay and benefit scales. This approach means that younger workers will inevitably face lower benefits and retirement age requirements than their older counterparts.

These proposals which are scheduled to be introduced before the French parliament in January, represents a continuation of already existing changes in the pension system enacted since 2010. The Conservative government under President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010 was able to extend the retirement age from 60 to 62. Four years later, the Socialist government of President Francois Hollande, signed measures which required workers to be employed for 43 years in order to receive full benefits.

Prospects for passage of these reforms in parliament remains highly probable considering that the party of Macron, La Republique En Marche, constitutes a majority within the legislative body. Consequently, the only real hope for pressuring the finance capital oriented administration to abandon the proposals is through pressure by the working class utilizing the withdrawal of their labor power.

Implications for Pension Reforms within the Capitalist System

The struggle over pension rights and retirement benefits is not limited to France. This is a major issue for workers across the entire capitalist world.

French workers contribute over 11% of their salaries towards pension funds. In several European countries such as Italy and Greece the percentage is even higher.

In the U.S., there have been concerted attacks under both Republican and Democratic politicians against defined pensions, in both the private and public sectors. In the automotive industry along with the adoption of tiered wage structures, it is quite common for newer workers to receive far less in terms of pension benefits than employees with longer tenure.

Public sector pension systems are also a target of the banks which view worker benefits as sources of profitability. In Detroit, during the contrived imposition of emergency management and bankruptcy during 2013-2014, some $5.5 billion in pension funds were stolen from municipal employees and their retired colleagues.

These cuts translated into a 4.5% reduction in monthly benefits for general retirees along with an 18% “claw back” of their annuities savings. A year-end bonus for retirees, known as “the 13th check”, was eliminated arbitrarily by the federal courts during the bankruptcy in Detroit despite the strong pension guarantees embedded in the Michigan State Constitution.

Of course further reductions may be in the offing in another five years as the bankruptcy court accepted a faulty “Plan of Adjustment” presented by a law firm, Jones Day, which took over the emergency management and bankruptcy implementation from the City of Detroit at the aegis of the-then Republican Governor Rick Snyder. Even though Michigan now has a Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, there has been no suggestion from the State government to reinstitute pension cuts and healthcare benefits for retirees in Detroit.

The workers in France are taking up a key element in the struggle against capitalist austerity. As the gap between the ruling class and working people expands, there will be further efforts to seize control of larger amounts of the salaries, pensions and healthcare benefits of employees.

In the U.S. as well, the administration of President Donald Trump has suggested a proposal to reduce Social Security benefits. These plans on the part of capitalist governments must be opposed through general strikes, mass protests and campaigns to elect genuine socialists to public office. 

Africa in Review 2019: Electoral Politics and Economic Development

Continental states are seeking a social equilibrium while the broader struggle for genuine independence remains imperative

By Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Sunday December 29, 2019
Commentary

A recently-held national election in the North African state of Algeria was met by much controversy by the corporate and governmental controlled media outlets in the Western world.

Former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned from office on April 2, 2019 after declaring that he would not seek re-election.

Bouteflika had been the target of many large-scale demonstrations against the government in Algiers which is still dominated politically and militarily by the National Liberation Front (FLN), the independence movement turned ruling party. The FLN led the armed and mass insurrection from 1954-1962 resulting in the country becoming a sovereign entity having been colonized by France since 1830.

The anti-government protests over the last year in Algeria have focused on the existing government and military officials. The administration is accused of being corrupt and autocratic.

However, almost nothing in the way of what vision the demonstrators have for Algeria amid the current national and international relations of production and division of economic power has been articulated. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ran for office as an independent although he has served in various capacities including prime minster in the past within the FLN government.

Tebboune has offered to open dialogue with the opposition groups leading the demonstrations every week in the streets of Algiers. These overtures have so far been rejected by the opposition which continues to say that the elections were illegitimate and rigged in favor of the status-quo.

Meanwhile in neighboring Tunisia, there was also an election held in October bringing to power President Kais Saied. A Prime Minister-designate Habib Jemli has been appointed and given until mid-January to select ministers for a new government.

The Ennahda party, often characterized as a moderate Islamist formation, remained the most cohesive force within the parliament. However, no party won an outright majority in the legislative assembly raising questions about the capacity of Prime Minister-designate Habib Jemli, a former deputy agricultural minister and technocrat, to not only build a viable government notwithstanding the ability to represent Tunisia within the international community.

Relationships with the former colonial power of France are important. Many people on the international scene had placed faith in the uprisings of 2010-2011 which began in Tunisia, to usher in a renewed era of non-capitalist development and anti-imperialism.

The prospects for Tunisia were soon stifled along with neighboring Egypt, when a putative popular rebellion in Benghazi was exposed right away as a neo-colonial plot to seize the oil wealth and strategic geo-political territory. Since the 2011 Pentagon and NATO engineered counter-revolution in Libya, the country has been a base for instability and imperialist intrigue.

Today in Tripoli, a protracted military battle continues for dominance over the capital city. The Government of National Accord (GNA) established by the United Nations Security Council in late 2015, has never been able to gain legitimacy and control over the country as a whole. Longtime Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) asset and renegade military General Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA) has failed since April 2019 to take control of the capital despite the unofficial and official support of France, the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In recent weeks Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared his military and political support for the GNA and its Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. Erdogan traveled to neighboring Tunisia where he held a meeting with President Saied. Many speculated whether the Tunisian leader would join Erdogan in a military expedition to shore up the GNA in Tripoli and the western region of Libya.

Tunisia dismissed such speculation yet Turkey’s announced initiatives have caused concerns in both Washington and Moscow. Various media outlets accuse Russia of supplying mercenaries to assist Haftar’s LNA. President Vladimir Putin has denied the presence of Russian military service contractors in Libya although the Russian leader will be holding talks with Turkey over the Libya crisis. The posture of Turkey has added a different political dimension to the Libya crisis. LNA forces have released a Turkish ship which they had quarantined as an effort to intimidate Ankara.

Consequently, the existence of bourgeois democratic electoral politics in North Africa has not been adequate to guarantee national security and economic development. There are of course lessons to be learned from the events of the last nine years in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. Those who are perceptive can understand that removing governments absent of the organization and political astuteness of the working class, farmers and revolutionary youth cannot lead to the realization of a form of societal transformation which benefits the majority. 

Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania: Climate Change and the Utilization of Strategic Resources

During the month of September a Global Climate Strike was held mobilizing hundreds of millions across the world. East Africa has been the scene of catastrophic flooding, particularly in Kenya, where hundreds of thousands were displaced and thrown into economic uncertainty.

The concern over Climate Change including the documented warming of the planet and the escalation in disastrous weather events such as cyclones coincides with the discovery of untold strategic wealth in the form of petroleum and natural gas deposits throughout the East Africa region. Nonetheless, there are disagreements among states over the ownership and utilization of these resources.

Kenya and Somalia are embroiled in a maritime border dispute which impacts the potential exploitation of offshore oil resources in the Indian Ocean. Kenya accused Somalia of auctioning off oil deposits whose ownership is under dispute. The disagreement has led to diplomatic tensions and legal challenges before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Moreover, the western imperialist states have taken sides in the dispute between Somalia and Kenya, a disagreement over territorial waters which extend back to the era of British colonialism. Ironically enough, the claim to oil rich waters in the Indian Ocean prompted by colonial intrigue provides in the 21st century the continued divisions between African states and the extension of a neo-colonial foreign relations trajectory which has proven detrimental to the continent for the last six decades.

Such disputes requires interventions from the African Union (AU) and other regional organizations since these disagreements can only take human resources away from addressing the mounting environmental problems in East Africa. An alternative methodology to build unity is being exemplified in the East African railway projects which are being supported by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Linking Africans from Tanzania and Uganda to Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and beyond, the railway initiatives have the potential of providing the economic pathway to greater inter-state cooperation creating employment, infrastructural connectivity and greater independence from the legacy of imperialism. An article published in the Diplomat notes that: “China’s most significant railway projects in East Africa are the diesel-powered Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway built in Kenya, and the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, which is the first electrified railway of its kind in Africa. Both railway projects, costing $3.4 billion for Ethiopia and $3.2 billion for Kenya, are standard gauge railway projects paid for by Chinese loans. The two-year-old light-rail system in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, was financed by China as well to the tune of $475 million.”
(https://thediplomat.com/2019/01/the-chinese-railways-remolding-east-africa/)

Cooperation between the Republic of Tanzania and the PRC in relationship to transport infrastructure extends back to the 1970s with the construction of the railway linking Zambia and Dar es Salaam. The re-capitalization of the project is underway providing the potential for further much-needed movement and trade within the region.

According to a report issued by Xinhua News Agency: “The governments of Tanzania and Zambia have resolved to finance the re-capitalization of the ailing Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), a statement by TAZARA said on Monday (October 14). The statement said the decision to recapitalize the 1,860-km Chinese-built railway line running from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia was made on Saturday (October 12) by the 63rd meeting of TAZARA council of ministers in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. The statement said the re-capitalization of TAZARA will begin after the TAZARA Board of Directors completed a bankable business plan by March 2020.” (http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/15/c_138471606.htm)

Therefore, cooperation between states paves the way forward in regard to economic independence and infrastructural improvements. China being a socialist state reinforces the notion of non-capitalist development as the long-term strategic platform for fostering unity and sustainable growth in the economic and technological sphere.

Pan-Africanism, Electoral Politics and Continental Development

The declaration of an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) during 2018 represents a positive affirmation in achieving an integrated region seeking a path towards raising the living standards of workers, farmers and youth. Nonetheless, there are tremendous impediments to the realization of a unified Africa underpinned by a socialist economy.

A struggle against imperialist influence remains paramount. The rush to further aggravate inherited territorial maritime disputes portends much for the immediate future of AU member-states.

Moreover, an escalating presence of Pentagon, NATO and its allied military forces across Africa must be viewed from the perspective of achieving people-centered development and sovereignty. The insecurity in AU member-states must be settled by the governments involved otherwise the much-needed political stability and economic modernization will remain elusive for future generations to ponder and acquire.    

“President Trump Stop Pressuring Ethiopia,”Protesters in Washington

President Trump is putting pressure on Ethiopia in the ongoing negotiation with Egypt over the Ethiopian Dam, protesters accuse. A bigger protest could occur in Ethiopia.

Some of Ethiopian Protesters in front of State department in Washington. photo credit : VOA Amharic

Borkena
February 27, 2020

Hundreds of Ethiopians staged a protest rally on Thursday morning in front of the United States State Department in Washington D.C.

They opposed President Donald Trump’s government pressure on Ethiopia in the negotiation effort on the operation and filling of the Ethiopian Dam.

“Stop pressuring Ethiopia,” Ethiopians chanted in front of the U.S. State Department.

“Mr. Secretary, 100+ million people deserve a fair share of the Nile,” reads another placard that Ethiopians carried during the demonstration.

Tibebu Assefa is one of the coordinators of the protest rally. He told D.W. Amharic that “Abay [Nile] is a matter of existence for all Ethiopians.”

Ethiopians say the Trump administration is putting unfair pressure on Ethiopia to make Egypt get away with Ethiopia’s right to generate electric power from the mega-dam project on the Nile River – the longest in the world over 80 percent of the volume of Water originates from Ethiopia.

Protesters also demanded the Ethiopian government to make public all details regarding problems in the negotiation. The government has been under pressure locally too.

Based on citizen reports and conversation on social media, public opinion seems to be swinging towards the view that the USA and the World Bank are not neutral “mediators” or observers as they call themselves. Going forward, there seems to be an interest in carrying the negotiation through African mediators or other neutral state actors from outside of Africa.

Those advocating for that position argue that the Trump administration is primarily interested in helping Egyptian leader Sisi to get unfair deals at the expense of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan have been negotiating the Dam since November 2019. The United States and the World Bank were present in the negotiation since then as “observers.”

Reports from media outlets who claim to have insider information about the negotiation process indicated that the “observers” are putting unfair pressure on Ethiopia to defend to promote Egypt’s position, which is informed by the Colonial-era agreement to which Ethiopia was not a signatory.

The negotiation is not finalized. The latest round is taking place on February 27 and 28 in Washington D.C., but Ethiopia notified the U.S. government that it would not attend it this time. The Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy said in a statement on Wednesday that consultation with stakeholders is not completed.

Negotiating parties were at the stage of drafting a detailed legal document that would govern the operation and filling of the Dam, but they could not reach an agreement. The Ethiopian government has officially announced that agreement is not achieved but did not specify what exactly was the controversial point – seemingly to observe rules set for the negotiation. However, the Ethiopian government said that it would not compromise the national interest or sovereignty of the country.

Ethiopia Rejects US Position on GERD Negotiation, Issued a Statement

Photo : EBC
Borkena
February 29, 2020

A day after the US Secretary of United States Department Of The Treasury issued a statement after two days of negotiation between Egypt and Sudan regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Washington DC in the absence of Ethiopia, the latter issued a statement saying that it is disappointed with the statement.

The full content of statement reads as follows :

Statement on the Negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

29 February 2020

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia noted with disappointment the Statement issued by the United States Department of Treasury on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) released on 28 February 2020, following a meeting held without Ethiopia’s participation. Ethiopia had notified Egypt, Sudan, and the US that it needed more time to deliberate on the process.

Ethiopia as the owner of the GERD will commence first filling of the GERD in parallel with the construction of the Dam in accordance with the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization and the causing of no significant harm as provided for under the Agreement on the Declaration of Principles (DoP).

Ethiopia does not accept the characterization that the negotiation on the Guidelines and Rules on the First Filling and Annual Operation of the GERD (Guidelines and Rules) is completed. The “text” reportedly initialed by the Arab Republic of Egypt in Washington D.C. is not the outcome of the negotiation or the technical and legal discussion of the three countries. Ethiopia made it clear that the Guidelines and Rules must be prepared by the three countries. The Countries are yet to address outstanding issues pertaining to the finalization of the Guidelines and Rules.

Ethiopia, with the full knowledge and agreement of Egypt and Sudan has addressed all dam safety related issues during the International Panel of Experts process. Egypt and the Sudan had expressed their appreciation under Principle 8 of the DOP and Ethiopia will continue to implement it in good faith.

Ethiopia is committed to continue its engagement with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of the Sudan to address the outstanding issues and finalize the Guidelines and Rules on the first filling and annual operation of the GERD.

United States Issued a Statement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Secretary of United States Department Of The Treasury has issued a statement regarding Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. It says that Dam should not be filled before the signing of the agreement with Egypt and Sudan.

Borkena
February 28, 2020

Secretary of United States Department Of The Treasury has been participating in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam negotiation as an “observer.” Today, it has issued a statement after two days talks between Egypt and Sudan in Washington D.C. in the absence of Ethiopia.

While noting that Ethiopia is having national consultation, it says that filling the dam should not happen before signing of agreement with Egypt and Sudan.

Read the entire statement below :

Statement by the Secretary of the Treasury on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam

Washington, DC – On February 27-28, 2020, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin participated in separate bilateral meetings with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Ministers of Water Resources of Egypt and Sudan.

The United States facilitated the preparation of an agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) based on provisions proposed by the legal and technical teams of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan and with the technical input of the World Bank.

In separate bilateral meetings, the Ministers shared their comments on the agreement.  The United States believes that the work completed over the last four months has resulted in an agreement that addresses all issues in a balanced and equitable manner, taking into account the interests of the three countries.

This process has built on the prior seven years of technical studies and consultations between the three countries, and the resulting agreement, in our view, provides for the resolution of all outstanding issues on the filling and operation of the GERD.  The foundation of the agreement is the principles agreed between the three countries in the 2015 Agreement on Declaration of Principles (DOP), in particular the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization, of not causing significant harm, and of cooperation.

We appreciate the readiness of the government of Egypt to sign the agreement and its initialing of the agreement to evidence its commitment.  We also recognize that Ethiopia continues its national consultations, and look forward to its concluding its process as soon as possible to provide for the signing of the agreement at the earliest possible time.  Consistent with the principles set out in the DOP, and in particular the principles of not causing significant harm to downstream countries, final testing and filling should not take place without an agreement.  We also note the concern of downstream populations in Sudan and Egypt due to unfinished work on the safe operation of the GERD, and the need to implement all necessary dam safety measures in accordance with international standards before filling begins.

The United States reaffirms its commitment to remain engaged with the three countries until they sign the final agreement.

We note that a signed agreement on the GERD will be transformational for the region, resulting in significant transboundary cooperation, regional development and economic integration, and improvement in the lives of the more than 250 million people of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.  We are pleased with the significant work by the countries over the last four months, which has only been possible due to the strong commitment to constructive dialogue and cooperation. 

Ethiopia Says it Will Not Take Part in GERD Negotiation in Washington

Borkena
February 26, 2020

Ethiopia will not take part in GERD negotiation in Washington, which is scheduled to take place on February 27 and 28.

The Ministry of Water, Irrigation, and Energy said on Wednesday that it has not completed consultations with stakeholders in the country and that Ethiopia will not be able to make the negotiation.

The United States Department of the Treasury organized the meeting. The Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, is notified that Ethiopia will not attend it.

The meeting organizer and The World Bank claim that they are attending negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan as “observers.”

Egypt and Ethiopia were unable to reach an agreement on legal documents prepared to govern the operation and filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Ethiopians, both in the country and abroad, are mounting pressure on the Ethiopian government that it should not compromise Ethiopia’s right to use water from the Nile river to generate Hydroelectric power.

Ethiopians in the United States are planning a protest rally in Washington to oppose pressure from the United States against Ethiopia in the negotiation.

The US denied that it is not putting pressure on Ethiopia.

Public opinion in Ethiopia is swinging to the idea that bringing more neutral mediators to the negotiation could make reaching a fair agreement possible.

Prosperity Party to Open Branches in All Areas of Tigray

Prosperity Party intents to exercise constitutional right, as a recognized national party, to open zone and district level offices in Tigray region of Ethiopia. TPLF is silent about it.

Awolu Abdi, Prosperity Party’s Public Relation and International Relation Head. Photo : From Prosperity Party social media page

Borkena
February 28, 2020

Prosperity Party said on Friday that it would open district level branch offices in all areas of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. 

The Party’s Public Relations and International Relations Head, Awolu Abdi,  told Addis Zemen newspaper that as a national party, as opposed to a regional one, Prosperity Party (PP) will open branches in all zones, districts, and kebeles of the Tigray region.

He claimed that PP has a considerable number of supporters in the region, and over half of those within the TPLF party are also supporters of his party.

“Prosperity Party is a party of change that is born out of popular disenchantment, and that it is inclusive, ”  he said.

Awolu also called those who are opposing PP in Tigray as “minorities.”

“Those forces intimidate the people with a point of a gun going house to house, but the people [in the region] will not accept them. Because people in Tigray are also supporters of the party and the change,” he claimed.

For him, PP is working on “genuine federalism” by rectifying mistakes that the EPRDF coalition made.

However, other local sources cited Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)’s public relations officer, Getachew Reda, to report that authorities in the region ( which means TPLF) do not know anything about the opening of PP branches in the region. 

TPLF declined to join PP when three former EPRDF coalition member parties and five other support parties merged to form it in November 2019 under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Back then, TPLF condemned the move as illegal, arguing that it violated the constitution. TPLF also claimed that abandoning “revolutionary democracy” – an ideology which the former ruling coalition adhered to for over 27 years – undesirable.

After PP and TPLF parted their ways, there have been political bickerings; even confrontations. This week, Debretison Gebremichael disclosed in Mekelle that Federal Security Forces who were sent on a mission to the region were besieged soon after the plane that carried them touched down at At Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle (borkena reported about it at the time ). In that act, TPLF demonstrated rebellion over the Federal government. 

The difference between the Federal government and the Tigray regional government, Debretison said a few weeks ago, is widening. National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) decided that TPLF and Prosperity party share wealth proportionally after settling debts.

As it turns out, the hostility between the two seems to have changed. Capital, a local newspaper, reported this week that TPLF and Prosperity Party have already formed a committee to discuss a “way forward.