Gadhafi
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Ghanaian Chronicle
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Gadhafi |
[Accra, Ghana, May 28, 2007] -- CIVIL SOCIETY groups have started a stiff campaign against the possible adoption of the charter for a United States of Africa as is being pushed by some African leaders, especially Libya's Colonel Muamar Gadhafi.
Even before the issue is put on the drawing board for a thorough discussion and consideration by the various African leaders who would be attending the African Union summit in July in Accra, some civil society groups have set the stage to kick against any such plans in the interim.
Professor Kwame Karikari, a former Head of the University of Ghana's School of Communication and President of Media Foundation for West Africa has launched a blistering attack on any such intentions.
For him, this dream would only seek to benefit a few Leaders who he says have already shown signs of wanting to rule the entire continent of Africa, pointing accusing fingers at Brother Gadhafi, who is playing a pivotal role for the realization of such dream.
He thus cautioned that "despite Gadhafi's rhetoric against colonialism, he and his Arab fellows are colonialists in Africa", describing the Libyan leader as "a white settler colonialist who invaded, conquered, expropriated and settled on 1/3 of Africa beginning in 640."
The learned Professor says Gadhafi's hurry to implement his United States of Africa dream is suspect considering the interest and support he has given this long-standing ambition.
Speaking at the launch of the 'Free Chief Ebrima B. Manneh' campaign in Accra, Prof. Karikari emphasized "there is a vital need to think through the Black African interest and negotiate in detail to secure its requirements before agreeing to this proposal".
This he said is because "we are convinced that this US of Africa is a cover up for Arab colonialism and Arab expansion in Black Africa. We urge every Black African President in the AU to vote against it in Accra in July".
The Professor has charged African leaders to vote to postpone any decision on it for at least five years to enable a vigorous debate to be carried out by the citizenry.
He believes this would offer the people an opportunity to understand the various issues at stake in order to give the mandate to their Presidents.
Having spent a considerable 40 years trying to force Libya's unification with Sudan, trying to annex the Aouzou strip from Chad and sponsoring destabilization in Liberia and Uganda among other African states, the Professor doubts whether indeed the Libyan leader is worthy to be trusted on his intentions for a USAfrica.
"We should be highly suspicious of a project by which he would diplomatically swallow in one gulp all black Africa where he has hitherto failed to militarily grab bits and pieces," he warned.
Prof. Karikari recalled how in the year 2005, Col. Gadhafi strongly pushed for the appointment of Defence and Trade Ministers under the then fledgling African Union as a matter of priority, calling for a continental army in that regard.
According to him, what makes the Libyan leader highly suspicious is the fact that he then urged AU countries to compete to host the institutions of AU/USAfrica.
In effect, he noted that this would have offered the Arab countries who are awash with oil money and unlimited back-up from the rest of the oil-rich Arab league, the opportunity to rule poor black countries, leading to a domination of USAfrica by Arabs just as the United Nations is dominated by the United States of America which plays a domineering role in its affairs, taking into consideration the number of its headquarters situated in that country.
If Gadhafi's formula for hosting its key institutions is allowed, Prof. Karikari has expressed pessimism that "this United States of Africa will become an instrument of Arab colonialism in Africa and will entrench Arab power over black Africa".
After it is signed, he says the Arabs would treat any second thoughts and objections as actions of treason.
For that matter "black Africans must never again repeat the folly of their leaders in 1973 when the OAU lined up behind the Arabs on the oil embargo in hopes of getting concessions on oil without any pre-agreed quid pro quo and got nothing after the Arabs had exploited African support".
Chief Manneh is a Gambian Journalist with the 'Daily Observer' newspaper in Banjul who was arrested on July 11, 2006 by President Yahya Jammeh's notorious National Intelligence Agency.
Since then, he has been held incommunicado and moved from one prison to the other.
Manneh was seen for the first time 188 days after his arrest. However the Gambian police continue to detain him. On May 3, World Press Freedom Day, he had spent 296 days in detention without a charge or fair trial.