Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2014 23:44:47 +0200
Djibouti: the new playground of modern cold war
By Mohamed Awaleh,
June 6, 2014
One wonders by now, why are so many nations want to make their military
bases into the tiny Republic of Djibouti of the Horn of Africa? Especially,
countries like France, UK, Japan, the Unites States, Germany and Spain.
Needless to say, the President of the Republic has also expressed in his
last interview by "Jeune Afrique" Magazine, (the Paris based African weekly
news print, who charges money the African Heads of States for interviews;
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/JA2776p034.xml0) that, China and Russia
would like to have their share as well. It seems that he's quite content to
reduce his country a cesspool of prostitution. Obviously, there are no other
opportunities available right now for these young Djiboutian girls.
Having said that, who knew? The geographically tiny but big in terms of its
strategic location of Republic of Djibouti , would have become, someday the
gateway of the new form of imperialism rivalry between the Golf countries,
the Western and the emerging power (China, Russia, Brazil and Turkey) in
Africa. Indeed, the Oil and Gas rich Golf countries are working to get the
piece of the pie of Africa's 95% of unexploited fertile lands - so that they
could supply the necessity food crops to their people; and, the West and the
Eastern bloc as well, would like to grab the 47% of Oil and Gas reserve and
the other rich minerals of African countries.
Well! It is not a secret that Djibouti is still and has been the most
important cross road of Mediterranean and Red seas ever since the opening of
the Suez Canal in November 17, 1869. The openings of Suez Canal, however,
have had a positive as well as negative impact to the Djiboutians and East
Africans in general.
For one thing, it has opened a whole wave of European Colonialism; and the
positive side was - it link to different cultures and trade expansion.
Although that, in late 1980's, Africans were made believe that the cold war
is over and, democracy will triumph in the twenty first century! And they
were promised; there will be a fair play under the free market economy
system; even though, the African scholars such as Professor Ali A. Mazrui
and Dr. Samir Amin warned the Africans from the trap.
Though, the Africans swallowed it as it was a revelation from the
Supreme-being. Merely, they were told by the Western politicians and their
media.
In spite of the deceptive speech of democratizing Africa in 1990 by the
former President Mitterrand of France (also known, 'le discours' de Bole),
yet the West were employing the same tactic but different set of tone to
re-conquer Africa once again: organize military coups, sponsor Rebellious
movements that often leads to civil wars, invasion by French and American
troupes under the disguises of Peace keeping.etc.). All of this was an empty
rhetoric just was meant to neutralize the home-grown, non-satellite
governments in Africa and, an attempt to re-structure the neo-colonial
system. In other word, it was the beginning of the new round of
re-colonization of African countries
However, it's amazing to know that, twenty five years later, Africa is still
the hottest place to rob in the World - and Africans are naive enough to
still think Americans, Europeans and Chinese would help them.
Despite of all that mentioned above; what are the Djiboutian people are
getting out of this huge military presence into their country? Nevertheless,
the question that we need to ask ourselves is: is President Ismail Omar
Guelleh's government serious of genuine change to their country - knowing
the extreme poverty that exists in the country as we speak?
To begin with, he has to focus on the education of the young population.
Even though, the Djiboutian Embassy in the United States has not far secured
one single scholarship that we know of for a young Djiboutian student since
the current Ambassador, Mr. Robleh Olhaye, is in Washington D.C - for the
last 25 years. There's no secret that America for that matter awards
hundred-thousand of scholarships and professionally train personnel of
foreign countries that have commercial or strategically ties with America
like Djibouti.
They must indeed take advantage with this new European, American, Chinese,
Japanese and Russian dubious relationship and aggressively seek scholarships
pertaining of Science and technology fields before it's too late - for their
High Schools and Djiboutian University students - so that they could better
their lives and contributing the development of their country for the coming
years (for the Grace of Allah).
dj
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