Lagos — President Yar'Adua was reported to have expressed shame that Nigeria was absent from the tea party of the world's most influential economies, recently concluded in London.
While the President's recompense has much been the subject of media analysis and deconstruction, the more troubling signs for Nigeria and indeed Africa took place at the same period, but far closer to home at the Island of Mayotte off the African country of Comoros. The people of Mayotte voted to be recolonized by France.
Every African should be worried about the telltale signs held out by the events at this tiny Island of nearly 200,000 people. What happened in Mayotte is a harbinger of an impending fate for other countries, as the victories of the 60s - fought and paid many times with the blood, sweat, spit and ink of our ancestors - are rolled back under the guise of referendum and willful surrender of African sovereignty. Many falsely assume that Africa's first colonization was achieved largely by military means. Not true. In fact, many African rulers of those days willfully signed away their independence much the same way the people of Mayotte did at the ballot box; they did so in exchange for so called "greater protection" from their neighbors with whom they have previously fought.
The sad dimension to Mayotte is that we are responsible for the turn of events: the vote of the people of Mayotte was a vote of no confidence in an independent African future. The people of Mayotte voted for their survival, and who is to blame them? Mayotte having previewed the failure of contemporary African leadership: one that extends from the top to the bottom- decided to go with Plan B. This failure of leadership is largely characterized by maddening corruption, self dealing, cruelty and brutality- one that is repeated across the continent from Mugabe to Bokassa, from Abacha to Idi-Amin. Mayotte refused this future. Who won't prefer to remain under French overlords, who absent giving them substantial aid - at least will not resort to killing them?
This is not Mayotte's first contact with the French. In fact, Mayotte has always been a French satellite state- short of being a client state. In return for its status, Mayotte has largely been afforded protection from its larger confederated cousins in Comoros who thus far has failed to convince them to join their turbulent and sometimes sad union. Mayotte did not get great education or economy in exchange for this servile relationship with the French; rather it got exotic diseases brought to the Island by French sex tourists and mercenaries that serve the French diplomatic mission of destabilizing the region and milking their economies in a parasitic relationship. In other words, Mayotte is very much like every other independent African country except the carnage being wrought on her land is not by design, but by the whims and caprices of Paris.
Sad as it may portend, Mayotte is a test bed for an oncoming onslaught of re-colonization drives that will be styled as giving Africans what they want (I fully expect Arab Africa to escape this threat for very obvious reasons). Much as chunks of Africa are already written off as hopeless by the Western media, where foreign aid disappears into black holes, with manic leaders incapable of governing - the template is being readied for enforcing UN plebiscite to give European agitators a slate on the ballot paper: to colonize or not to. While the freedom fighters amongst us might see an opportunity in this future, don't count on it. In so far as the European Union can prove, just like the French just did, that such colonization efforts were the express will of Africans, there is nothing the freedom fighters amongst us can do about it.
With the best of Sub-Saharan Africa fleeing the continent, and their children emerging leaders in their own right in these Western States, it is a sure thing that one day we shall witness another Berlin Conference, where in the "interest of African people", the land and resources of Africa will be divided up for the benefits of foreigners who could care less the shape of the future for African children, states or economies.
To avert this future, something must be done. First, Black Africans must demand representative, humane government: rule of law, fair elections and human rights should be the standards. This will create a template for governments focused on economic development rather than petty political bickering. It is incumbent on Africans to demand this, and not expect their elite will suddenly change without some form of persistent and sometimes revolutionary process. Freedom does usually come at an expense, and every European, Asian or American power today has been a product of the expense of life, blood and liberty of ordinary citizens that refused a dark future for their wards in the past.
Also, sub-Sahara Africa in its current miniaturized states of weak, deeply divided and grossly inefficient states cannot measure up to the competition. There must be a necessary agglomeration of African borders to reflect the relative advantages of larger states, devoid of unnecessary competition, and based on practical economic interests instead of colonial legacies that paid no thought to compatibility or access. The focal points of these emerging super-states must be existing countries that show promise as centres of enterprise and culture. Few countries like Black Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Senegal meet these criteria. The sad reality is that of all these countries mentioned, all but two (South Africa and Ghana) are naturally sick - and perhaps even of these two, only one (Ghana) is not absolutely headed in the wrong direction. It is left for us to salvage what is left of a possibly ruinous future.
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What took place in Mayotte was no election, it was a farce. Even the United Nations has urged France not to do it, yet they did. As for the people of Mayotte, it is indeed sad to note that it wasn't long ago that street protests and mass uprisings occurred in so-called DOM/TOM, or French overseas territories. They are treated like dirt.
Theres the on-going legacy of Slavery which has taken on another form lynchings, murders, rapes, etc..
Be careful what you ask for..God is Listening to you Robbers of our People ; as Daniel 11:14 says.
HERES JUST A LITTLE OF THE BLOODY TRAIL EUROPE AND OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE LEFT UPON BLACK AFRICA.
PART I : BERLIN CONFERENCE ( General Act Of Berlin )
Saturday Novemeber 15, 1884 to Feb, 1885 according to the book King Leopolds Ghost (1998) Adam Hochschild
1884 - In November 14 European nations (Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey) and the US meet at the Conference of Berlin, called to carve up central Africa among them.
1885 - The Conference of Berlin concludes in February. France is given 670,000 square kilometres on the north bank of the Congo (modern Congo-Brazzaville and the Central African Republic) and Portugal 910,000 square kilometres to the south (modern Angola).
Over the next 23 years Léopold will amass a huge personal fortune by exploiting the Congo directly and by leasing concessions to private companies prepared to pay him 50% of their profits. The period will witness some of the worst atrocities ever committed on the African continent. However, Léopold will never visit the region, ruling instead by decree from Belgium.
PART II : BRUSSELS CONFERENCE
November 18, 1889 to July 2, 1890 a total of 16 Nations met :
A) Their cover story for meeting was : SUPRESSING THE SLAVE TRADE
B) Their secret agreements were on dividing up Black Africa among themselves
C) It took 33 sessions to reach agreement between these nations Heads Of States Names are inserted as they were in charge at the time of these plots :
1) Austria-Hungary - Francis Joseph I Charles - August 18, 1830 -
2) Belgium - King Leopold II April 9, 1835
3) Denmark - Frederik VIII - June 3, 1843
4) France - Marie François Sadi Carnot August 11, 1837 -
5) Germany - Wilhelm II - January 27, 1859
6) Great Britain - Queen Victoria May 24, 1819 British Ruler 2nd
7) Holland William III February 19, 1817
8) Italy - Umberto I - March 14, 1844 -
9 & 13 - Norway & Sweden - Oscar II January 21, 1829
10) Portugal - Carlos I - September 28, 1863
11) Russia - Alexander III March 10, 1845
12) Spain - Alfonso XIII May 17, 1886
14) Turkey - Abdülhamid II, - September 21 or September 22 - 1842 -
15) United States - Benjamin Harrison August 20, 1833 -
16) Persia (Iran) - Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar July 16, 1831 -
1889 - On 18 November the 15 signatories to 1885's 'General Act of Berlin', along with Persia, gather on Léopold's invitation at the 'Conference of Brussels' to discuss further measures for the suppression of the slave trade on the African continent.
1890 - After 33 sessions the Conference of Brussels concludes on 2 July with the participants declaring they are "animated by the firm intention of putting an end to the crimes and devastation engendered by the traffic in African slaves, of protecting effectually the aboriginal populations of Africa, and of insuring for the vast continent the benefits of peace and civilisation."
The general act ratified by the conference includes an article binding the signatories to "support and, if necessary, to serve as a refuge for the native populations; ... to diminish intertribal wars by means of arbitration; ... to raise them by civilisation and bring about the extinction of barbarous customs, such as cannibalism and human sacrifices; and, in giving aid to commercial enterprises, to watch over their legality, controlling especially the contracts for service entered into with natives."
[This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie Coach Carter ]
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesnt Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Wont Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
Its Not Just In Some Of Us; Its In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
- Marianne Williamson -
[NOTE BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WONT STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!
[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com] Life Is A Game. Have Fun . Luke 18:17 - Isaiah 11:6
The tendency towards recolonization of Africa is unfutunately real and scary. How can it be explained that president Yar'Adua had to invite US and Britain to the meeting to formulate the security of independent Nigeria or openly support US AFRICON to put troops in Africa? THESE ARE TENDENCIES TOWARDS RECOLONIZATION which people did not object to at all. IT IS SCARY!
Uplift144, thanks for the heavy dose of history,we must overcome these demons that,ve made life hell for generations of Africans. It,s unbelievable what the imperialists can and are ready to do to destroy,steal,confuse the African. These rulers of today,s Africa must be called to order and shown the real threat we face as a result of their ineffectiveness and greed,never again should we allow what happened in berlin and elsewhere occur once more,for the future generations should not go through what countless generations have had to endure.The president of Nigeria should be called to order and guided by the most patriotic of advices so that he does,nt sell out the country,those he,s telling to come and protect us are the very same evil forces that,ve put us where we are today,beware Yar Adua. We need visionaries taking over Africa again even though we also know they won,t be safe from the evil forces, we can do all in our power to protect them from the only evil to befall us to date(imperialists).Africans wake up and protect Africa from alien forces from afar hellbent on taking over the continent.
Africans need to come clean and stop blaming other countries. Africa's socalled leaders are faling Africa. Because they are illegitimate, corrupt and selfish, and have no respect for the people the rule they will never be accountable to Africa and Africans. To the contrary they are accountable to selfish foreign interests. This time around its irresponsible Africans (both the socalled leaders and the led) who have needlessly and selfishly let Africa down.
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