Thank God, The G8 Gala Is Over

Elie B. Smith

Paris, June 09, 2007 – Alleluia, I can now watch my World news on the BBC in peace and not be compelled to watch the numbers played by the head of states of the 8 most industrialise and richest countries on earth. The other actors who were in Germany and who also irritated me were the hordes demonstrating outside the meeting venue of the world’s most powerful leaders. It has become a regular sight and they have become part of the decor. A World meeting without them will be synonymous to a sumptuous party without champagnes.   However, I suspect there should be a sort of connivance between countries organising those big theatrical shows and the assemblage of protesters, who are always present and vying in their garish dresses to be seen. While the formers are showing their financial and military clots, the latter are in a showy display of who knows best how to show sympathy to the poor.

And at a more extreme level, some compare on who best insults America or their whipping boys: George Bush and Tony Blair. When both men leave power, I will be glad to see or hear their justifications for snipping the US and the UK. Strangely as it would appear, Vladimir Putin, the arch assassin of journalists, Press freedom and the man who orchestrates massacres in Chechnya is considered a saint. Well, while I don’t appreciate the ridiculous gesticulations of those so-called anti-globalisation activists or whatever names they call themselves, I still think that, they deserve some praise for their courage. Their demonstration shows that, we are all human beings, for they are crying and pressing rich countries to give their crumbs to the world’s poor. By the way, who are the world’s poor? They have decided already chosen. And as usual, it is Africa. Fine, for if the world’s richest countries were honest, Africans won’t even need to work again, because they will get all the attentions and all the financial aid they have promised.

False promises and new comers

But the richest countries in the world have leaders who are wicked, hypocritical and cynical even with their own very people. Two years ago in Gleneagles, Scotland, the same characters with the exceptions of three individuals: Shinzo Abe of Japan, Nicholas Sarkozy of France and Angela Merkel of Germany, but the same countries, promised to help Africa, the sick heart of the world. And two years after, of all the promises they made, none was respected. It is as though, the leaders of those rich countries have something on their minds which bothers them and whenever they mentioned Africa, they seem exorcise. But why should they keep bothering themselves?   I bet you, contrary to what is being said, Africa and Africans will never die.

I also noted a new character at the just concluded G8 meeting; he was Nicholas Sarkozy, the new President of France. He too claims that, he wants to help Africa. Nicholas Sarkozy was seen playing with a mobile phone like a child and giving it to despot Vladimir Poutin. Was Sarkozy over excited for having met the World’s great? No one knows, but if that was the reason for playing like a school boy in a school yard, he has every right. For he has been mocked in France, he was called a Lilliputian who wanted to a place( president) that belongs to the Old boy network of   Ecole National D’administration . He was even presented by the Socialist as the new poodle of George Bush, a wicked and heartless man.

Ridiculous

But all those smear campaign did not discourage the French and Mr Sarkozy. But Sarkozy is now walking on the air since his electoral triumph and takes the world to be France. He is a hard working man though, but he got all wrong with Africa, for how come that a country such as France, that has been reeling on record 30 years deficit help Africa? The greatest joke of all was not the stomach pain of President George Bush, which I suspect was a result of over eating, but it was the financial packaged that, the world’s 8 richest countries promised to Africa: $ 60 billion. The sum is to fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria & tuberculosis and also help financially. Thank you very much for your help, for there is a saying, in the bible of course, that: there is happiness in giving than in receiving.

So the G8 leaders were happy for their number to a point that, Angela Merkel saw it fit to organise an international Press conference to mock Africans the more. Now, the $ 60 billion aid package to Africa is the foreign reserve of Nigeria. I don’t just want to mention the foreign reserve of South Africa. And these questions: how will the monies the G8 have promised again be shared amongst 53 African states or 54 should Somaliland gains international recognition?   How much will be invested in the fight against HIV/AIDS and Malaria? To say the least, the financial promise is vague and ridiculous and will end up like the other promises they made 2 years earlier.

The fear of China & Questions

The problem of most western countries is that, they are jealous of China and her investments in Africa. The Chinese don’t talk, they act. To the G8 countries, the fear of China’s interest in Africa is their beginning of wisdom. For I suspect, they think the Afro-Chinese relationship may alter the plans that they have earmarked for Africa. Besides the official table talks most western countries want Africa to remain forever underdeveloped. There are even some courageous western countries with selective memories that are accusing China of supporting dictators. Yes, it might be true, but how many African dictators have monies in Chinese Banks? China is being whacked in the West for supporting the Sudanese government. Yes, it is true, but who talks about the Sudanese rebels supported by Western countries?  

Are Sudanese rebels not also committing atrocious acts in Darfur? Did or are western countries not still supporting dictatorial regimes in Africa such as those of Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroon and Zimbabwe? Did western countries not support the Apartheid regime in South Africa for almost half a century? The African continent doesn’t need financial help from the G8. What they need is for G8 countries to support democracy, good governance and help in the fight against corruption. For most corrupt African leaders have the monies of their loots in G8 countries.

Africans will be glad to hear that, corrupt Nigerian governors arrested in London have been detained and not allowed to escape as it was the case of the former governors of Bayalsa and Plateau states. Africans want investments, they will also be glad to know that, the properties and bank accounts of Paul Biya, Robert Mugabe, Albert Bernard Bongo Odimba aka Omar, Obiang Nguema Mbazogo, King Mohamed VI , Housni Moubarak, Abdelaziz Bouteflika have been seized or blocked in France, Germany, US and Britain. Until that happens, everything said and promised by G8 leaders will be for the consumption of their own very public and elsewhere but not for Africa and Africans.

Source: African Path

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