Cyprian Musoke And Agencies
17 June 2009
Kampala — PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has assured Western powers that Africa is capable of protecting its resources from any exploitation by foreign countries.
He was responding to concerns expressed by German President Horst Kohler over the growing Chinese influence in Africa on his second day of his visit to Germany.
Kohler observed that Africa had opened its doors wide for Chinese investments because the Beijing authorities do not put conditions in terms of democracy or human rights.
"For this reason, Africans believe that China is better than the West because for us we raise issues regarding democracy, corruption and human rights," the German President said at his Berlin palace.
Museveni, accompanied by the First Lady, Janet, said unlike in colonial times, African leaders have identified their priorities and are capable of protecting the continent's interests.
"Therefore, no power can exploit Africa," a press release from the State House quoted him.
Kohler's remarks come two days after the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China expressed interest in building an oil refinery and pipeline in Uganda.
Meeting Museveni at Entebbe Airport just before his departure for Germany, the Chinese bank's chairperson also said they were keen on constructing hydro-power stations and transmission lines.
Beijing a few years ago embarked on a policy to strengthen cooperation and trade ties with Africa.
The move is seen in Europe as China's scramble for Africa's natural resources, needed to meet the demands of its rapidly growing industries.
Trade between the Asian giant and Africa reached a record $107b in 2008, a 45% increase compared to the previous year and triple the total trade volume of 2004, according to statistics.
The surge is fuelled by China's increased imports of African oil and minerals, while Africa is buying more Chinese-made goods. Angola remained China's largest trading partner in Africa last year, followed by South Africa.
Museveni told his host in Berlin that the priorities identified by African leaders were infrastructure development, cheap energy and transport in the form of a modern and efficient railway system.
In addition, he said, there was need for education and industries that will provide jobs to the young educated Africans.
On the DRC, he said the country needed a strong army to ensure that terrorist organisations do not use their soil to terrorise neighbouring countries.
The joint military operation against the LRA has reduced the rebels' capacity to terrorise Ugandans at the border, he noted.
Kohler announced that Germany and other European countries want to start a new cooperation arrangement with Africa.
"We need a meeting with a few African Presidents to discuss the implementation of this new cooperation. We do not want to make the same mistakes Europe made during the colonial period."
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2009 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
The massive imports of cheap (and sometimes nasty) products from China have had an impact on the closing of many manufacturing industries - e.g. the cotton mills, clothing factories, etc. to name but a few - resulting in the retrenchment of thousands of workers and the loss of high quality local products. I do not perceive this as any good for SA where unemployment is very high. My perception is that the mushrooming of Chinese businesses, where the owners can sometimes not even speak English (let alone any of the other local languages)and treat the local people at best with indifference and sometimes with contempt, take away the chance of local people to trade. Most of these foreigners have no loyalty towards our country and only want to make a quick buck off their customers while not interested in doing anything to improve the situation for the local people.
Yes Museveni is 100% right, the problem is that most Africans think whatever Europe does is good for us, what stupid thinking. Thats why Europe is taking us for granted and not respecting us in any way. We are deeply mentally colonised that in our sleep, if one is told WAKE UP quickily one shouts EUROPE!, what a decay. Pliz GOD save the poor African thinking
But the real question is if friendship with China will lead to slavery to China. What will happen when China's interests are different than Africa's? Will China be a friend? I don't think so. What happens when China starts arming those countries that they want to control Africa?
There’s 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.
HERE’S 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 Leopold’s 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."
For centuries Black Africans have been exploited and exploited in the name of Islam. Then with the coming of the Portueses (so-called Christians) to Ghana around the 1440s , the so-called Christians started their exploitation.
We Black Africans are puzzling. We have a bounty of riches around us, yet we persist in allowing outsiders to steal them; while we fight each other over trivial matters.
Just in case you're wondering, here's some Black Africans who have done wondrous things to change the way we live in the world.
For example : Garrett-Augustus Morgan invented the Traffic Signal to CURB (no pun intended) TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS !!!
* Buridge & Marshman - TYPEWRITER
* George Carruthers - X-RAY MACHINE
* George Washington Carver - PEANUT BUTTER - PAINTS – PAINT STAINS – ETC
* W.A. Dietz - SHOE
* Charles R. Drew - BLOOD PLASMA STORAGE SYSTEM
* Michael Harney - LANTERN
* Augustus Jackson - ICE CREAM
* H.A. Jackson - KITCHEN TABLE
* Isaac R. Johnson - BICYCLE FRAME
* John A. Johnson - WRENCH
* Frederick M. Jones - DEFROSTER - REFRIGERATION CONTROLS – AIR CONDITIONER
* Jones & Long - BOTTLE CAPS
* Lewis Latimer & Nichols - ELECTIC LAMP
* John L. Love - PENCIL SHARPENER
* Tony J. Marshall - FIRE EXTINGUISHER
* Alexander Miles - ELEVATOR
* W.A. Martin - LOCK
* Garrett A. Morgan - GAS MASK - Traffic Signal
* Lydia Newman - HAIR BRUSH - Nov 15, 1898
* W.B. Purvis - FOUNTAIN PEN
* L.P. Ray - DUST PAN
* W.H. Richardson - BABY BUGGY
* G.T. Sampson - CLOTHES DRYER
* .W. Smith - LAWN SPRINKLER
* J. Standard - REFRIGERATOR
* T.W. Stewart - MOP
* Maxine Snowden - RAIN HAT - 1983
* Paul E. Williams - HELICOPTER
* Granville T. Woods - Roller Coaster
* Granville T. Woods - Telegraph Transmission Devices - Dec 2, 1884 Patents # - 308, 816 (7)
Thanks to The Black Inventors Museum P.O. Box 76128 Los Angeles , Calif. (90076) Phone (310) 859-4602)
Director : Ghanaian Mr. Hamza Salifa
Contributor of Information : SEESTAH Imahkus Nzinga Okofo
[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 Doesn’t Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t 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.
It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s 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 WON’T 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