From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sun Aug 23 2009 - 07:31:38 EDT
AFRICOM: Western Self-Serving Interests or African Security?
by Paul I. Adujie
http://www.globalresearch.ca/coverStoryPictures/14878.jpg
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Global Research <http://www.globalresearch.ca> , August 23, 2009
China is as well a major financier of America's public debt, in the
trillions. Sino-phobia in Western countries can also be blamed for America's
sudden desire to establish military presence in Africa.
In my view, therefore, America's Africa Command, in conceptual terms and
actual implementation, is not intended to serve Africa's best interests. It
is just happens that Africa has grown in geopolitical and geo-economic
importance to America and her allies. Africa has been there all along.
There were, for instance, reports of how the American military, acting
supposedly in partnership or cooperation with the Nigerian military,
literally took over Nigerian Defense Headquarters. I know for a fact that
the US military would not brook such behaviors by foreign military personnel
at the Pentagon, the US Department of Defense or military complex.
It is probably important to mention that the United States already operates
at least three other commands, namely, the European Command (EUCOM), Central
Command, (CENTCOM) and Pacific Command (PACOM), therefore, Africa Command or
(AFRICOM) will be the fourth leg of US military global spread.
America's Africa Command is instead seen as machinery for Western
governments to pursue their vaunted economic, political and hegemonic
hemispheric influence at the expense of Africans as well as a backdoor
through which Westerners can outmaneuver rivals such as China and perhaps
Russia in addition.
America's establishment of the so-called African Command(AFRICOM), should be
seen for what it is: America's self-interested armada of protection for
America, and her allies and not for Africa's security.
Africa has steadily and increasingly become more important by playing the
role for Westerners as repository of energy resources which powers the
engine-rooms of Western economies.
Additionally, America and her Western allies are in trepidation and a
stampede to stem China's forays into Africa with a plethora of real
investments in solid infrastructures in many African nations.
The formation of this command was made official by former president of the
United States, George W. Bush on February 6, 2007. It has been controversial
since, particularly among Africans.
There is as well a lively debate by Americans in the Department of Defense,
the War College, US State Department, and various Policy Foundations by
policy wonks, aside from the Africans.
A major component and a key element in these debates is the fear of China.
China is buoyed by her recent economic progress. China has, for more than a
decade, attained major economic expansion of more than nine percent
annually.
China has become exceedingly confident on the world stage. America and her
Western allies are therefore deeply troubled by this state of affairs. China
is seen by Western governments as a nuisance, an irritant and a competitor
worth her weight in gold.
The sheer size of China, her industrial and technological ascendancy,
tripled with her ability to produce with low overhead costs, empowers China
like no other nation. China is as well a major financier of America's public
debt, in the trillions. Sino-phobia in Western countries can also be blamed
for America's sudden desire to establish military presence in Africa.
In my view, therefore, America's Africa Command, in conceptual terms and
actual implementation, is not intended to serve Africa's best interests. It
is just happens that Africa has grown in geopolitical and geo-economic
importance to America and her allies. Africa has been there all along.
Africa suddenly has the attention of Western governments? Africa is suddenly
a priority? I very much doubt it. As America and her allies are ensnared in
the volatile Persian Gulf-Middle East, there is suddenly this self-serving
attention being paid to the long neglected, ridiculed and forlorn Africa?
Given Africa's experience at the hands of Western governments, from the
slave trade to colonialism to the hemispheric Cold War hegemonic struggles
for chunks of the African continent, it should be no surprise to the United
States and other Western governments that Africans view them with
enlightened and sanguine suspicions. These suspicions are informed by
Africa's extremely checkered history and the role of Westerners in it.
There are, in addition to African historical experiences with Westerners,
the experiences of other regions and nations outside of Africa. These are
such places such the Honduras, Grenada, Panama, Haiti, Dominican Republic to
mention a few, where American military presence has not served the best
interests of the local populations.
The collective experience of these countries in which American military
presence has been parceled out and touted as being of some sort of mutual
benefit for America and the host country, has turned out, in many cases,
that America's interests were all she was interested in.
There were, for instance, reports of how the American military, acting
supposedly in partnership or cooperation with the Nigerian military,
literally took over Nigerian Defense Headquarters. I know for a fact that
the US military would not brook such behaviors by foreign military personnel
at the Pentagon, the US Department of Defense or military complex.
It is probably important to mention that the United States already operates
at least three other commands, namely, the European Command (EUCOM), Central
Command, (CENTCOM) and Pacific Command (PACOM), therefore, Africa Command or
(AFRICOM) will be the fourth leg of US military global spread.
America's Africa Command, in the circumstances, cannot be seen by Africans
as an instrument for African security. America's Africa Command is instead
seen as machinery for Western governments to pursue their vaunted economic,
political and hegemonic hemispheric influence at the expense of Africans as
well as a backdoor through which Westerners can outmaneuver rivals such as
China and perhaps, Russia in addition.
Interestingly, the only interests which Westerners pursue, have ever pursued
in Africa, are Western interests regardless of their protestations to the
contrary; regardless of new and improved fanciful packaging.
Just think about it. Africa has lain as the greenest field and fallow before
the very eyes of Westerners for hundreds of years. Westerners have exploited
Africa for Western benefit enough already. Africans can do without Western
nations' afterthoughts. AFRICOM and the current debate about China are two
sides of the same coin.
There is a renewed scramble for Africa that is motivated mostly by the
search for hydrocarbons and, beyond that, an opportunity for those in the
scramble to expand their global market share in this era of globalization.
Africa is still their pawn, sadly! They have never been committed or
dedicated to our cause or best interests.
This is the crux of the matter for Africans who have become deeply and
extremely suspicious about the motives by Westerners who are pretending,
permanently, to be on right side of all that is good for Africa.
Meanwhile, all through history, there has been no scintilla of truth in
claims by Western governments which have pretended to be assisting Africa in
some sort of altruistic, disinterested, selfless or gratuitous way.
History is the witness and it is verifiably the case that Western contacts
with Africa have had most negative consequences. It began with the slave
trade, then colonialism, neocolonialism, the Cold War and through all these
Westerners stripped and exploited Africa for Africa's human, mineral and
sundry other resources.
As a consequence, discerning Africans have gone beyond merely being wary of
Westerners. Again, we should be mindful of when an umbrella seller doubles
as someone who predicts daily rain fall. Africans have become more
circumspect in evaluating advice offered by Westerners, in matters of
continental, regional security or matters of trade and investments on the
continent.
The attitudes of Westerners to Africans have been based mostly on some sorts
of ad hoc policy thrusts. It is marked by the absence of a well thought-out
and well reasoned substantive and significant policy position for Africa.
Be it economic, political or military-strategic, Africa has always been seen
as of no strategic or national security relevance to Westerners. Recount how
many Western policy papers which explicitly and implicitly state such
positions abundantly. But suddenly, exigent circumstances, which are
propelled solely by Western interests, are now pushing Western governments
to a waking moment of Africa's importance.
And Westerners expect Africans to be jumping for joy and dance in the
streets in excitement? Should Africans be overjoyed and happily receive
America's Africa Command? If past is prologue, think again.
For starters, former president of the United States George W. Bush's
administration underestimated what would be Africans' reaction to the
presence of America's AFRICOM. Non-Africans are too frequently presumptuous
about Africans. Africans are taken for granted quite too often.
This all has smudges of condescension and it is an attitude which smacks of
Western paternalistic talk-down in dealings with Africans. This is why
unpleasant failure results are consequences sometimes. Herein lies the
difference between the West and resurgent China in Africa. China invited
African countries to Beijing, China. And together, Africans and the Chinese,
created the China-Africa Cooperation Forum (CACF). This Africa-China body
has met in China and in parts of Africa since its creation.
And this is the sort of partnership, the sort of friends and robust
engagement which have been absent between the West and Africa. Africa, for
far too long remained an inconvenient part of the world in the eyes of
Western governments.
Westerners have only been in exploitation mode and Africa as the butt of
their dinner jokes, bluntly put. China on the other hand is, practical,
engaged and straightforward. When was the last time the United States
invited African leaders together to a joint summit or conference on
economic, strategic or military cooperation?
When was the last time (ever) did the United states or Western nations
practice active engagements and rapprochement with African leaders the way
China has demonstrated her leadership in that direction? China has excelled
in action and not rhetoric and false promises.
China has over the years sent almost 20,000 medical doctors into many
nations on the African continent. Beyond that, China has given loans,
guaranteed loans for infrastructure development for African nations. China
has been engaged, as well, in the direct creation of public infrastructure
in some African nations.
Railways, refineries and sundry public works are abundant evidence which is
already on the ground in different parts of Africa and these, it must be
said, tell you where China stands.
Africans are tired of profound platitudinous proclamations by Western
governments. China in a short span of time has proven its worthiness to
Africans, through its actions.
Westerners are alarmed, understandably so, because it is becoming obvious to
the Africans that there are tremendous differences between hundreds of years
of words by Western governments compared with the the recent Chinese
presence. China does not seek to dictate leadership choices to Africans.
China is not dictating to Africans a mode of government as in presidential
or parliamentary systems. China is not interested in meddling in the
internal affairs of Africans. That is how it should be!
Africans are now children of the West! Chinese goods are all over the United
States. Chinese products are known by Westerners and Africans alike to be
cheap and to fulfill the intended utility.
China is not known to hold Chinese products over and above products made in
Africa. Western nations have done just that for decades, for instance,
Schnapps was held up in Nigeria as superior to local brew, which is now
almost extinct.
And this is the practice of the West across the board. And yet some people
wonder why African farmers and manufacturers can not compete against Western
multinationals? For that, we recommend, "Life and Debt of Jamaica" the
negative impact upon developing nations' productive capacities occasioned by
dumpings by Western nations.
And furthermore, on matters of impositions, quite unlike the West which
imposed English, French or Portuguese, etc., so far, China is not known to
be force-feeding Africans any Cantonese and/or Mandarin.
Western contact with Africa began by imposing Christianity as the
"civilized" non-primitive and superior religion. China, unlike the West
which exulted the Christian faith over every and any of Africa's religions,
China has not preached any religion to Africans.
China has given loans to African nations. China has guaranteed loans to
African nations for public projects and sundry public infrastructures.
Western nations on the other hand, have always led African nations to the
World Bank and/or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through which
Western nations put punishing strictures upon developing nations in Africa
and Latin America, etc.
These strictures, which are well coordinated, act to stifle development in
Africa and elsewhere. You the reader must have heard of something called the
Structural Adjustment Program or SAP. It ruined many nations in Africa and
Latin America and ruined millions of lives elsewhere.
China has given loans, guaranteed loans to some African nations. China has
also speedily executed some key projects in some African nations they go
busily like acts and voila.
End results or outcomes are seen by the Africans. China has, in loan grants
and loan guarantees, been acting for some African nations the way the United
States acted on behalf of Israel when the US single-handedly made a $10
billion loan guarantee for Israel in one single year.
And this excludes the $5 billion yearly financial aid to Israel with no
strings attached, with no meddling and interference with Israel domestic and
foreign policies.
The amount of US foreign aid to all of the 53 countries in Africa during the
last ten years is less than $10 billion. This despite the presence of over
900 million people in Africa and this despite the recognition that the need
in Africa is greater than in Israel with her 5 million in population.
Africans are tired of ostentatious pledges and promises which are never
fulfilled and never redeemed. China is a suitable alternative and a welcome
change.
On matters of repressive and undemocratic governments in Africa, Western
nations are friends to Hosni Mubarak of Egypt with his notoriously
repressive government.
He is a man who has been president for about thirty years. Most Western
nations had dealings with Mobutu Sese Seku, a tyrant and dictator, who was
as corrupt as corruption itself. Western nations have historically been
strange-bedfellows with the world's worst dictators and tyrannical, brutal
leaders.
The West has perennially been in marriages of convenience with political
leaders of other nations, particularly leaders who do not pursue the
interests of local electorates, but rather selfish personal interests of
select individuals and the West winks and nods so long as Western interests
are amply protected.
The West practices permanent Expediency, with an uppercase E. And frequently
it is counterproductive and chickens come home to roost. Afghanistan, Iraq,
Pakistan, Iran, etc., are historical examples. Expediency can never be a
good substitute for a thorough policy which contemplates and anticipates
long-term outcomes and consequences.
Western nations seem to have no issues with governments in [the Middle
East], that is, regarding the abject absence of democracy and human rights,
women's rights, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Emirates.
And yet, the West lectures us about how China has been uninterested in
Africans' progress through forms of government.
And that China deals with repressive African governments. And how China is
willing to deal with some corrupt officials. Swiss banks are notorious for
being safe havens for the prodigiously corrupt and criminal looters who
pillage and plunder and not banks in Beijing or Shanghai.
Western nations serve as harbors for fleeing thieves and their families.
Western nations serve as their refuge and hospitals and choice places to
acquire sumptuous opulence, mansions and investments, and squander resources
stolen from Africa. Show me a mansion in China which belongs to an African
rogue. China actually executes corrupt officials by firing squad.
It should be obvious to even the undiscerning that Western nations excel in
hypocrisy and double standards. The only things of importance to hypocrites
are usually their self-serving sanctimonious sermons which serve their
self-interests.
Discerning Africans already know those who are friends and partners to
Africa. Africans do not need Western nations' preachment of the West as
being holier than thou in comparison to China. And someday Africans and
peoples of African descent will rise up upon seeing the difference.
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