WORLD POWERS MUST STOP PLUNDERING AFRICA

Pay heed to Pope Francis' call

 

WORLD POWERS MUST STOP PLUNDERING AFRICA

By Nicholas Okaijah. Thompson

Pope Francis echoed the late great Pan-Africanist, Kwame Nkrumah, during his recent African visit. But will the foreign powers heed his call to stop plundering Africa?


The pope's "Hands off Africa" call mirrored the declaration by Nkrumah, Ghana's first president, when he opened the African nationalist leaders conference in 1958. In an iconic speech, Nkrumah declared, "Hands off Africa;" "Africa must be free, united and prosperous."

Sixty-five years later, little has changed in the lives of the African people, compelling the world's foremost religious leader to make a similar call on his arrival in the Congo. A U.N. report says Africa loses between $30 billion and $52 billion annually due to trade mis-invoicing, particularly under invoicing in the extractive sector. Although Africa is a potentially a rich continent, most of her population of about 1.5 billion are poor.

The economic condition of the average African has worsened due to the negative impact of COVID-19, and by foreign interests working in league with corrupt African ruling elite. According to a 2022 survey published by Statista, poor people live on less than $1.90 a day in Nigeria, Africa's largest economy. In the U.S., the hourly wage ranges from $11.98 to $29.81. Due to the meager pay Africans receive, most cannot afford decent housing and clothing; they also lack clean water and nutritious food that cause diseases and premature deaths without proper medical care.

In echoing Nkrumah's words, "Hands off Africa," the pope rightly demanded that foreign powers "stop plundering Africa's natural resources for the poison of their own greed." He denounced the centuries-long exploitation by colonial powers and today's multinational extraction industries in Africa. "Stop choking Africa. It is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered." he asserted. The African situation has been compounded by questionable foreign debts worth billions that foster their dependency on the world powers.

In the light of this situation, the pope made his call out of compassion. It gives legitimacy in moral and spiritual terms to Africa's struggle which has cost the lives of millions of people, including their leaders. Barely seven months after assuming office as Congolese prime minister in 1960, 35-year-old Patrice Lumumba, was brutally murdered. He had demanded an end to the foreign exploitation of his country's rich resources, which continues today. After surviving many assassination attempts, Nkrumah, himself, was overthrown in a foreign-inspired military coup while he was out of his country. He later died in exile.

No doubt, the pope's call is a major diplomatic victory and morale booster for the African struggle. Scripturally, it is a support for the oppressed people of Africa. In his first maiden sermon, Jesus Christ, among others, stated that he came "to set at liberty those who are oppressed." (Luke 4:18)

This is the compassion or love the world must show for the struggling people of Africa.

Hailing from Latin America where the concept of liberation theology evolved, the pope understands the plight of the African people. He must be applauded for his courageous call. But action must be the next step. The Catholic Church, other religious bodies including the All-Africa Conference of Churches must now wage coordinated efforts to bring this about.

Such efforts are necessary as the world powers now seem to be embarking on a new scramble for Africa. China is leading this; it has surpassed the U.S. in trade and other economic activities with Africa. According to information published by the Council of Foreign Affairs, China's trade with Africa has soared from $13 billion a decade ago to $180 billion, three times the value of U.S. trade with Africa. The latest African project the Chinese are funding is a $1.5 billion major seaport which opened this January in Nigeria, the continent's largest economy. The Chinese are now aiming at building military ties with African countries.

In addition to economic cooperation with several African countries, Russia has also established military cooperation with some African governments. Russia is expanding its influence in Africa through the Wagner Group, a paramilitary organization. The group is reportedly engaged in various military, political and economic projects, and the profits are channeled to fund the war against Ukraine.

The U.S. has military ties and economic cooperation with some African countries, and now seems to be on the diplomatic offensive. At a U.S.- African summit in Washington last December, President Biden promised billions in American funding for health, infrastructure, business, and technology in Africa. According to the White House, the summit was more of a listening session than an effort to counter Chinese influence in Africa. But six weeks later, the Biden Administration dispatched the Treasury Secretary and the U.N. Ambassador separately to African capitals. Reports say the U.S. is trying to appeal to African countries on moral terms that its aid and loans will be transparent and fair in ways that Chinese investments have not been. President Biden, himself, will visit Africa this year. Meanwhile, ex-colonial powers like Britain and France, are also striving to maintain their influence, partly through the European Union.

In their dealings with Africa, foreign powers must now be guided by the pope's call and by the policy of true fairness. They must support the development of the African people. Enough is enough of the exploitation of Africa, while Africans languish in poverty, lacking basic amenities. It's time for foreign interests to shake off their extreme love for profits over human beings. African people, especially the youth, are frustrated about their condition and are calling for transformation. Failing to heed the pope's call, African youths would one-day rise to take control of their God-given resources to utilize them in uplifting themselves. After all, Africans have the right to live decently as any other people.


Nicholas Okaijah Thompson, a former news editor of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, now heads the Chicago-based Africa Resurrection and Restoration Ministries. He holds degrees in political science, journalism, and theology.


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