Date: Thu Nov 20 17:58:20 2014
Building Solidarity With Africa: Struggle Against Neo-Colonialism,
Imperialism and US-NATO Militarization
All across the continent AFRICOM and NATO must be defeated to liberate the
people
By <http://www.globalresearch.ca/author/abayomi-azikiwe> Abayomi Azikiwe
Global Research, November 20, 2014
imperialism_usa
The following address was delivered at the National Workers World
Conference held in New York City on Nov. 15-16, 2014.
United States and NATO interventions in Africa and throughout the Middle
East are increasing. From Egypt and Morocco in the North to Burkina Faso,
Niger, Nigeria, Mali and others to the West, right down through the Sudans,
Uganda, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa in the Central, Eastern and
Southern regions, the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is
increasing its efforts to thwart the development of Africa.
Africa is rich with mineral resources, agricultural commodities and a young,
vibrant work force which the world capitalist system seeks to exploit at a
maximum level. This phenomenon follows an historical process that extends
back to the middle 15th century when Portugal and Spain began the Atlantic
Slave Trade which led to colonialism and modern day imperialism and
neo-colonialism.
This year represents the 90th anniversary of the transition of V.I. Lenin,
the leader of the Bolshevik tendency within Social Democracy that matured
into the Russian Communist Party and the October Revolution, creating the
world's first socialist state initiating the formation of the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Viewing the organized working class and
its natural allies within the peasantry and the nationally oppressed as the
engine of revolutionary change in the present epoch, we recognize the
paramount importance of the unity of the proletariat in the western
industrialized states with the peoples of the world in the struggle against
global dominance of the international finance capital.
In the final chapter of Lenin's seminal work entitled "Imperialism: The
Highest Stage of Capitalism", he says that "monopoly has grown out of
colonial policy. To the numerous 'old' motives of colonial policy, finance
capital has added the struggle for the sources of raw materials, for the
export of capital, for spheres of influence, i.e., for spheres for
profitable deals, concessions, monopoly profits and so on, economic
territory in general. When the colonies of the European powers, for
instance, comprised only one-tenth of the territory of Africa(as was the
case in 1876), colonial policy was able to develop-by methods other than
those of monopoly-by the 'free grabbing' of territories, so to speak. But
when nine-tenths of Africa had been seized (by 1900), when the whole world
had been divided up, there was inevitably ushered in the era of monopoly
possession of colonies and, consequently, of particularly intense struggle
for the division and the re-division of the world."(1916)
Of course the African people have fought against the ravages of imperialism
since its inception. The destruction of the slave system during the 19th
century and the anti-colonial wars of the same century along with the
emergence of independent African states on the continent and in the
Caribbean during the 20th century, along with the movements for Civil
Rights, Black Power, and Pan-Africanism in the U.S. and other western
states, illustrates the heroic role of the African workers, farmers and
youth. These contributions have informed and re-shaped the contemporary
outlook and contours of the anti-imperialist and socialist movements around
the world.
Neo-Colonialism, Imperialism and Militarism
Despite the existence of 54 independent states on the African continent,
today the principal struggle is against a new and more insidious form of
exploitation and oppression, neo-colonialism. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the leading
strategist and tactician of the African Revolution to emerge during the
post-World War II era, not only fought for the liberation of Ghana, Africa
and the unity of the continent under socialism, he observed and recorded the
working of neo-colonialism noting correctly that it was U.S. imperialism
that posed the greatest threat to the genuine liberation, sovereignty and
unity of the people.
Nkrumah wrote in his book "Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism"
that "Foremost among the neo-colonialists is the United States, which has
long exercised its power in Latin America. Fumblingly at first she turned
towards Europe, and then with more certainty after World War II when most
countries of that continent were indebted to her. Since then, with
methodical thoroughness and touching attention to detail, the Pentagon set
about consolidating its ascendancy, evidence of which can be seen all around
the world."
It is within this context that we must examine recent developments in
Burkina Faso where the masses rose up against the puppet of neo-colonialism
Blaise Compaore. On Oct. 30 millions of people gathered throughout the
capital of Ouagadougou and other cities around the landlocked state in West
Africa demanding the ouster of Compaore, taking over the parliament and
setting it on fire.
Nonetheless, the military comprador elites representing imperialism are
still seeking to maintain control of the state on behalf of the mining
interests and the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). In Burkina Faso, the
country has been utilized as a rear-base in the so-called "anti-terrorism"
programs conducted by the Pentagon.
This struggle of the workers and youth is not confined to Burkina Faso. To
the south in Ghana, workers are emerging from a general strike where the
public sector was paralyzed for two weeks, and the newly-emerging oil sector
was hit by a work stoppage sending chills through petroleum industry
worldwide.
>From Nigeria and Egypt to Zambia and South Africa, workers are demanding a
living wage, decent housing, quality education and a society devoid of
environmental degradation.
Through Workers World newspaper these struggles are given not only
prominence but they are placed within the context of the global class war
encompassing the proletariat and the oppressed internationally. Our
solidarity with the global fight against imperialism is the best policy in
combating institutional racism and national chauvinism.
Revolutionary Cuban Solidarity in the Response to the EVD Outbreak
The most outstanding example of solidarity with Africa is exemplified by the
Socialist Cuba since the early 1960s. As Fidel Castro said in 1976, Cubans
are a Latin-African people opposed to colonialism, racism and imperialism.
Cuba has once again demonstrated its solidarity with the continent in
practice by responding to the latest outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease
(EVD) in three West African states. These are not acts of charity no more
than Cuba's intervention in defense of Algeria during early years of its
independence; its campaign against neo-colonialism in Congo under the
direction of Che Guevara in 1965; and its deployment of 350,000
internationalist volunteers in Angola between 1975 and 1989, playing a
decisive role in the overall liberation of Southern Africa from white
settler-colonialism.
Today Cuba sends thousands of healthcare workers throughout Africa and the
world. The Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) trains physicians
internationally, even those from nationally oppressed communities in the
U.S.
Over the last few months Cuba has shown the way in responding rapidly to the
outbreak of EVD in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, where approximately
5,000 have died and twice as many have been impacted. Cuban officials
recognized along with the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), that the
EVD outbreak and its devastating social and economic effects is a direct
result of the legacy of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism.
In order to reverse the lack of healthcare infrastructure and resources in
far too many African states, it will require a decisive break with
imperialism. Africa must move towards socialist development in order to
ensure its future.
As historical materialists we understand the difference between quantitative
and qualitative development. There can be quantitative growth without real
development. Although African states have experienced escalating rates of
foreign direct investment (FDI), it does not necessarily translate into
qualitative development in the areas of addressing the social conditions of
the majority of the populations.
It is only through a delinking with imperialism and the construction of
socialism that Africa, and indeed the world, will realize the abolition of
poverty, economic exploitation and imperialist militarism. Through the
organization of the working class and nationally oppressed in the
imperialist states we can build solidarity with Africa and the peoples of
the globe.
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