African Unification Front
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ON THE MILITARY, GENOCIDE AND NEOCOLONIALISM
Dear Comrade Okurut,
It is critical that in the discourse about finding order in Africa, we frame the discussion in terms that acknowledge the logical sequence of cause and effect. To dismiss neo-colonialism as irrelevant creates a void of causation, and ignores the context of the present state of African relations with the rest of the world.
The terms "Residual Colonialism" and "Neo-Colonialism", denote the existence (at the present time) of relations that foster the continued exchange of African wealth and labour for below cost prices. Whatever else is wrong with Africa...this matter of international relations is the most pertinent and most amenable to resolution. Otherwise we might be dealing with intractable problems that ascribe African misery to genetic and spiritual unknowables. I suggest we steer clear of these two last propositions and deal with concrete tangibles.
Rectifying African disorder is not simply a matter of eliminating the people "in our midst" as you propose. This kind of tangential extrapolation of the "Bad VS Good people" distorts reality and is counterproductive. Nor is it merely a matter of reorganizing the "bad" military model...although these two are essential components in the solution to our problems, they represent only a small facet of the solution.
The military in Africa is no more and no less a product of African conditions than other sectors of our society. We have to be careful that we don't mischaracterise the problem, or we risk losing another fifty years molesting everything that wears a uniform. The solution to genocide is more profound than merely proscribing the movements of "bad" people. If we at least agree on this, we have a start.
I have been asked by Dr. Africanus Horton to look into the Biafra genocide. Biafra is an issue that has modified the conduct of African politics and profoundly impacted on the future options for peace in Africa. Biafra is a source of bitter lessons that we would do well to inscribe in our hearts.
I am quite certain that the aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide will replicate Biafra's, perhaps more so than any of the other genocides that have taken place in Africa...notably the Congo Genocide that came to a halt in 1907 (10 million deaths), and the Nama Herero Genocide (perhaps the most decisive of the four as it annihilated 80% of the population).
However, I have to make it clear that in my personal dealings I have always maintained that there cannot be a hierarchy of African genocides. I believe that in fact all of these genocides in fact constitute A SINGLE GENOCIDE. It is dangerous to continue pitting one ethnic group against another, and failing to understand that in fact the killings are all part and parcel of a single process of disfraching Africans. That the engine of this disfranchisement is the harsh regime of international relations.
The blacks in Brazil and America are dying from the very same genocidal machinery that killed and enslaved millions of blacks, killed 1 million Tutsis, perhaps as many as 500,000 Hutus, millions of Biafrans, Hereros, and more millions of Africans whose ethnicities are not acknoweldged because their communities were able to stave off extermination.
best regards,
Kashagama
,
>Subject: Re: Analyzing Africa & Assassinations
>Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 03:47:55 -0800
>
>Dan:
>
>We live in confusing times. It is becoming less clear as who the real
>African enemies are. We can no longer blame all our problems on colonialism.
>If we insist on this route, we would only be proving what the colonialists
>were saying in the 50s and 60s - that we were not ready for independence.
>There are also our own elements: greed, delusions of grandeur, magalomenia,
>tribalism, etc.
>
>In my opinion the first step that African should take to shake the status
>quo is to firmly establish that the military factor is not a solution to our
>problems. I cannot think of a single military government that eradicated
>corruption, built a truly democratic state and reduced poverty for the
>masses. To achieve these social objectives, we need Africans trained in
>social development, not some rigid military types whose skills are limited
>to military maneouvers.
>
>The military can never hope to instill their rigid military descipline on
>civilians. We should stop kidding ourselves, and target the real culprits in
>our midst.
>Ok.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Dan Kashagama"
>To: ; ; ;
>; ;
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>Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 12:48 AM
>Subject: Analyzing Africa & Assassinations
>
>
> > Dear All,
> >
> > I believe that the assassinating of African leaders is a result of
> > misunderstanding the problems of Africa. Congo, and the rest of Africa, is
> > at the mercy of neocolonialism...and so are most of the leaders in Africa.
> > It is self-defeating to shoot each other or those among us we see as more
> > guilty. But in the end we are all victims, and we are turning on each
>other.
> > Instead we should address the real problems of Africa, without ascribing
> > ethnic sentiments...or using incivility as the means to resolve our
> > concerns. Assassination is not a solution...nor is genocide, torture,
>lies,
> > and propaganda.
> >
> > No one in Africa can succeed when the root of our problems is not being
> > addressed. At the root of the violence and failure of governance is the
> > curse of residual colonialism.
> >
> > All the countries in the region are growing at less than 7 percent per
> > annum, the rate needed for Africa to meet the international development
> > target of reducing poverty in half by the year 2015. What is more, there
>are
> > significant sub-regional differences in Africa's growth performance. The
> > majority of Africans live in countries where performance fared poorly or
> > declined last year.
> >
> > Of the five sub-regions in Africa, only two, accounting for only about 25
> > percent of the continent's population -- enjoyed a positive growth
> > performance. Growth decelerated in the remaining three sub-regions where
>the
> > over-whelming 75% of the population reside. The evidence also clearly
>shows
> > that a key factor accounting for this sub-regional differences in economic
> > performance was the incidence of war and civil unrest.
> >
> > Best regards,
> > Kashagama
> >
> >
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