{UAH} OBAMA IN AFRICA: ARROGANCE AND CONTRADICTIONS ~ Ugandans At Heart (UAH)

Obama in Africa: Arrogance and contradictions(Color added by RTAC Journal)

Crowds line up at the fence line and wait in trees for a view of President Barack Obama disembarking Marine One upon arrival at the Kenyatta landing zone in Nairobi, Kenya, July 26. Photo: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza, Top Photo: MGN-Online

President Barack Obama recently made his fourth official trip to Africa going to Kenya, the home of his father, and Ethiopia where he addressed presidents, leaders of civil society, faith communities and the entire continent from the headquarters of the African Union.

While some applauded the visit by the United States president, some said the trip was full of contradictions and strengthened American militarization of Africa.

“The trip has to be looked at symbolically on a number of different levels; one is Obama and his family, his heritage,” said Bill Fletcher Jr., justice, labor and international human rights activist.

“But also to solidify U.S.-Kenyan anti-terrorism activity as was his visit to Ethiopia,” Mr. Fletcher added. Speaking July 28 from the “Mandela Hall,” at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, President Obama covered a wide range of themes on countering terrorism; human rights and democracy; good governance; the continent’s growing middle class; the advancement of women and youth; and lectured other presidents on term limits and holding on to power too long.

“New thinking, unleashing growth that creates opportunity; promoting development that lifts all people out of poverty; supporting democracy that gives citizens their say; advancing the security and justice that delivers peace; respecting the human rights of all people—these are the keys to progress,” President Obama said.

President Obama condemned old stereotypes of Africa mired in poverty and conflict and said its progress must be recognized as one of the fastest-growing regions economically.

“Africa is on the move, a new Africa is emerging,” he said.

An impressive speech amid contradictions

As a “son of Africa,” President Obama’s words at the AU, aired throughout the world were well received by Africa’s power elite who normally attends such functions. However some observers weren’t as impressed and raised contradictions in what he said and didn’t say.

Photo: MGN-Online

“It was a mixed bag,” said Dr. Gerald Horne, history professor at the University of Houston, referring to the president’s honorable reception in contrast to America’s diminished place in the global competition for trade and influence in Africa, particularly against China.

“The specter of China was taunting his trip … like a seesaw; U.S. trade with Africa has gone down. China trade with Africa has risen to the point where now it’s three times larger than U.S. trade and investment,” said Dr. Horne.

“The United States isn’t the only country that sees your growth as an opportunity,” said President Obama. When more countries invest “responsibly” in Africa there are more jobs and prosperity for everyone. He encouraged African countries to do business with all countries.

“But economic relationships can’t simply be about building countries’ infrastructure with foreign labor or extracting Africa’s natural resources. Real economic partnerships have to be a good deal for Africa—they have to create jobs and capacity for Africans,” President Obama said, not mentioning China by name, but by inference.

Critics of Western imperialism and inequitable business arrangements say China achieved the top trade spot in Africa partly by implementing a policy of not meddling in government’s internal affairs and investing heavy on infrastructure development like roads and major railway projects.

In May 2014, the Export Import Bank of China guaranteed finance for construction of the East Africa Central Corridor railway-line that will cut trade costs and link up landlocked countries of the region to coastal sea ports. The first phase ties Nairobi, Kenya to its port city Mombasa, costing $3.8 billion—90 percent funded by China and 10 percent by Kenya.

Dr. Horne pointed out ironically that China constructed the ultra modern conference center President Obama was speaking in.

Lagging behind China and other geopolitical concerns, President Obama was attempting to strengthen U.S. foreign policy in East Africa, “trying to show that the U.S. is still engaged and interested,” said Abayomi Azikiwe, political analyst and editor of Pan African Newswire.

Obama lectures African leaders

Being critical of democratic and human rights records in some African governments, President Obama said nations cannot realize full independence until human rights are guarded. “Democracy is not just formal elections. When journalists are put behind bars for doing their jobs or activists are threatened as governments crackdown on civil society then you may have democracy in name, but not in substance.”

He told the leaders “no country is perfect,” however must be honest and strive to expand freedoms and broaden democracy. When citizens cannot exercise rights; the world has a responsibility to respond. “And America will, even if it’s sometimes uncomfortable, even when it’s sometimes directed toward our friends,” President Obama said in a speech that critics say at times was condescending.

But for Mr. Azikiwe, U.S. failed policy and role in ongoing conflicts in the region and President Obama’s lecturing African leaders on democracy and human rights, only highlights U.S. contradictions at home. He cited recent deaths in the U.S. of citizens in the hands of authorities.

“He’s criticizing other countries for human rights violations, which definitely go on there. But at the same time you look at what’s going on here; hundreds of Black people have been killed just this year by the police,” said Mr. Azikiwe. “It’s a lot of work that needs to be done here. You can’t talk about other folks … people know what’s going on with Sandra Bland and the others.”

Numbers reflect that a Black person is killed by the police every 28 hours in America. In Black and Brown communities across America the police posture more so are a force of occupation. Critics say these contradictions are real in the face of President Obama lecturing African leaders on abuse.

Co-opting the African Union?

President Obama announced a summit at the United Nations he is convening later this year to drum up more support for “peacekeeping” efforts that include Africa. He intends to develop a “new partnership between the U.N. and the AU” that can provide reliable support for AU peace operations. “If African governments and international partners step up with strong support, we can transform how we work together” to promote security and peace in Africa.

With Ethiopia as an important ally of the U.S. and the AU headquartered in Addis Ababa, one can possibly infer America could be giving the organization a new “nod of acknowledgement,” Mr. Fletcher said.

“The U.S. has had a very ambivalent relationship toward the AU,” since 2011, said Mr. Fletcher.

It stemmed from the anti-Muammar Gadhafi uprising in Libya, when the AU pursued a political solution that America and NATO-North Atlantic Treaty Organization disregarded and continued air assaults over Libya that ultimately led to the overthrow and assassination of Mr. Gadhafi, explained Mr. Fletcher.

The U.S.-NATO backed overthrow of Col. Gadhafi set the stage for a weakened AU that previously was kept strong by the resources of Libya under Mr. Gadhafi. Since then problems across Africa and the region were exacerbated by American militarization through AFRICOM—the U.S. pentagon command for Africa.

President Obama emphasis at the AU for AFRICOM to continue its militarization of Africa in the name of “training and support” of African militaries is another source of upset hidden beneath his glowing words on trade and opportunity in Africa. What was left largely untold by the president were the true implications of a U.S. “partnership” in a region where U.S. militarization also fuels conflict, war and destabilization.

“That’s unfortunate,” said Dr. Horne.

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