George W Bush’s Visit to Africa

Workers' Daily Internet Edition: Article Index :

George W Bush’s Visit to Africa

US Military Seeks to Expand Access to Africa

South African Anti-War Coalition Press Statement on George Bush Visit

CARICOM: A Driving Force for Caribbean Economies

CARICOM Summit:
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Rejects US Pressure

Message from Fidel Castro, President of the Councils of State and Ministers of the Republic of Cuba to the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the Caribbean Community

The visit of US President, George W Bush, to five African countries, the first ever by a Republican president, has already been met by protests.

According to news agency reports, Bush, who will also be visiting Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana and South Africa was met both with protests and empty streets during his visit to Senegal in west Africa. Protestors had taken to the streets even before the start of his visit but were then cleared from the streets by police. Bush has also received a largely hostile reception from Africa’s press, while President Mugabe of Zimbabwe condemned US interference in Africa’s affairs and commented: "If he is coming to dictate to us to how we should run our countries, then we will say Go back. Go home Yankee."

Bush’s visit to Africa, which is officially described as being designed to help African nations "with policies and initiatives designed to extend liberty, prosperity and peace on the continent", is taking place at a time when all the big powers are scrambling for influence in the continent and when Africa is assuming a much greater importance as far as US foreign policy is concerned. At the same time many commentators have made it clear that Bush also has one eye on domestic politics in the US and is hoping to use his trip to Africa to present himself as a great humanitarian as well as to boost his electoral support amongst African Americans. This seems to have been the main purpose of the much-publicised speech on slavery in Senegal.

It seems clear that in West Africa, the US is seeking to strengthen its role in the war-torn country of Liberia, which for much of its history has been dominated economically and politically by the US. After meeting with other West African political leaders, George W Bush would not rule out the intervention of US troops in that country. It is interesting to note that the British government is also active in this part of Africa and throughout this week is organising "Exercise Blue Helmet" which is described as "a seminar for peacekeeping experts from the West And North Africa regions". The seminar, which is run by the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College, will require delegates "to find solutions to the problems posed by the deployment of an imaginary peacekeeping operation in a mythical country".

US interference in West Africa cannot be detached from its interests in that region’s oil wealth. At the present time the US gets 15% of its crude oil from West Africa and that figure is set to rise to 25% in the next ten years. After massive stocks of oil have been discovered recently in the Gulf of Guinea this is now seen as one of the most important strategic areas in the world. The possible use of US troops in Liberia may also be in line with Pentagon plans to establish a military base in West Africa for a new rapid reaction force. According to reports the US are also seeking to extent their military links and access to bases throughout the continent.

The US government has also made it clear that Bush’s African tour is to encourage further support for NePAD and "good governance", globalisation and the opening up of Africa’s markets. Thus the US president’s tour to the five countries has been designed to encourage African leaders to embrace those Eurocentric values which facilitate the furtherance of the US government’s neo-liberal agenda in Africa, through various financial and other incentives. During the tour he is also expected to discuss possible further intervention in Zimbabwe.

Following his visit to Senegal, George Bush will visit South Africa, Botswana and Uganda and will end his tour in Nigeria.

The United States military is seeking to expand its presence in the Arab countries of northern Africa and in sub-Saharan Africa through new basing agreements and training exercises intended to combat a growing terrorist threat in the region, The New York Times newspaper reported on Saturday.

Even as US military planners are preparing options for American troops to join an international peacekeeping force to oversee a cease-fire in Liberia, a west African country, the Pentagon wants to enhance military ties with allies like Morocco and Tunisia in northern Africa, a report in the newspaper said.

It is also seeking to gain long-term access to bases in countries like Mali and Algeria, which US forces could use for periodic training or to strike terrorists.

The Pentagon aims to build on aircraft refuelling agreements in places like Senegal and Uganda, two countries that President George W Bush is to visit on his African trip.

However, there are no plans to build permanent American bases in Africa, the report quoted Pentagon officials as saying.

Instead, the US European Command, which oversees military operations in most of Africa, wants troops now in Europe to rotate more frequently into bare bones camps or airfields in Africa while US Marines may spend more time sailing off the west African coast, the report added.

4th July 2003

Bush’s African safari is a cheap publicity stunt in his election campaign. It is in the interest of the monopolies behind the presidency that he be re-elected so that their profiteering can continue. Remember that this President came into office on the back of denying the right to vote of thousands of black people in Florida. He now presumes to lecture us about human rights and democracy. Bush comes, cheque book in hand and expects the African masses to bow and scrape to his imperial majesty. Let us unpack the true role of US imperialism in the world today to explain why we demand the South African government cancel Bush’s visit and why working class and middle class people in South Africa should be part of the protests against the visit.

First of all, there is no such thing as aid without conditions. Aid is given so that the South African state is locked into purchasing US products at prices determined by them. This is nothing else but securing the market for US monopolies. Even bargain-based prices are nothing but a price war with the competitors of the US companies. The whole of Africa makes up less than 4% of the world pharmaceutical market, so why is the US so keen on controlling the market here? The answer lies in the profit levels in the metropolitan countries. The profit levels run at 4,000%. Thus even a free distribution of drugs in Africa could seep into the rest of the world market and bring down the average price of treatment. This means reduced profit levels and this is intolerable to the US drug cartel. This is one of the main reasons for the supposed attention to HIV/Aids. If the US government really cared about the HIV/Aids pandemic, why did they not come forward over the past 13 years when the HIV positive level in the population steadily rose from 1% to the current 26.5%? The graveyards are overflowing and over 5 million are infected and still the US state wants to dictate that no cheaper generics be imported from other parts of the world or even be manufactured here in sufficient quantities to allow free treatment to all HIV+ people.

The other spin-off from a "humanitarian" campaign in Africa is to canvass support for the pending presidential elections next year.

The amount on offer over the next three years is less than what the US military spent in the Iraq invasion in two days. But in any case, these funds come from the super-exploitation of the people in the neo-colonies and the US working class. It is not out of the goodwill of Bush’s heart!

Speaking of the illegitimate Iraq invasion by the US and UK states, where are the weapons of mass destruction? Even the imperialist UN was undermined. No wonder the US wants exemption from the International Criminal Court – their very method of operation is of perpetrating war crimes to achieve absolute control of markets for the US monopolies. By any measure of civilised norms, Bush, Blair and Powell are war criminals. The South African government should declare them persona non grata and have them arrested the moment they set foot in South Africa. It is an outrage that the South African government is considering a deal with the US regime over exemption from the ICC. We demand that there be no deals, secret or otherwise with US imperialism. The illegitimate occupation of Iraq should end and we salute the ongoing heroic resistance of the Iraqis to the invaders. It is clear that the priority for US imperialism was not the cultural heritage of humanity, but the control of the oil fields and the contracts for "reconstruction".

The US supplies weapons to all governments involved in the conflict in the DRC that has directly and indirectly led to the death of almost 5 million people since 1998. The fact, for example, that 80% of the world supply of special minerals for the use in cellphones is in the DRC, plays no small part in the US imperialist drive for absolute control in the DRC. The DRC has many mineral riches and is a huge ground for plunder by imperialism. Many of the wars across Africa can be directly linked to some or other imperialist power, mainly the US, that has supplied weapons to one or other group. Now we see that "rebel" groups in Liberia are even demanding US troops be sent in, no doubt to assist defending US imperialist interests. The greatest destabilising effect in Africa has been and still is, the role of US imperialism, its military industrial complex, the World Bank, who in a multi-faceted manner ensure that self-sufficient food production is destabilised and the population of Africa kept in a state of starvation and dependency on the US monopolies. The "aid" that is on offer is only a fraction of what is daily plundered from Africa and the rest of the neo-colonial world.

Due to the increasing worldwide working class resistance to neo-fascism by the US imperialism, the US is trying to impose "anti-terror" legislation. This is nothing but a thinly veiled attack on all working class protest movements around the world. We call on the South African government to scrap the Anti-Terrorism Bill.

All over the world the terror of the US imperialism is widely experienced. We need only look to Palestine to see how the US roadmap is leading to a Bantustan for the Palestinians. Jews and Arabs should unite for a common destiny, against the plans of imperialism. Instead the US turns a blind eye to the Zionist construction of a 347 km wall. Already 120km of this wall has been built, which will have the effect of leaving the Palestinians with only 40% of the designated land of the peace deal, in other words, a Bantustan. Yet, the US regime continues to fund the Israeli state and allows the division of parts of Palestine into what cannot pass for a province, let alone a state. But then again, the US companies were of those who benefited for many years under the South African apartheid state – what else could we expect? But then the US state should not presume to be leaders in world peace. Practice has shown that US imperialism is the major obstacle to peace in the Middle East and in the world in general. We demand a united Jewish-Arab state on the land of historic Palestine – no to a Bantustan.

The 4th July celebrated victory over British imperialism but laid the basis for the rise of US imperialism.

The Anti-war Coalition calls on all peace-loving people in South Africa to join us in the national protests on the 5th –9th July 2003. We call for support for the Tuesday picket at the US consulate starting from 12 noon. We call for all peace-loving people to march to parliament on Wed 9th July 2003 starting at 10am from Keizergracht, District 6 in Cape Town to demand that the South African government breaks ties with US imperialism and stands with the people of Iraq, and with the people of South Africa. We will gather afterwards to picket at the US consulate, after the march.

Havana. July 7, 2003

BY MARIA VICTORIA VALDÉS-RODDA –Granma International staff writer–

Some six million people belonging to 14 Caribbean island nations will directly benefit – politically, socially and economically – from immediately joining this just association. And in addition, that favourable panorama could grow to 14 million when Haiti finally receives full membership and rights within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), despite Western questioning so damaging to vulnerable sectors such as children and the elderly.

This prospect was discussed at the 24th Summit of CARICOM presidents in Montego Bay, Jamaica, from July 2-5. Another theme highlighted how the organisation aims to become the future driving force for important concrete actions in the interests of its integrationist objective.

Trade will become the most important element in the series of activities for the future, given expressed concerns over the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) – which comes into force in 2005 – taking into account the debility of small economies. This has been echoed in various press articles and in particular by the Caribbean Export Agency’s press office.

Transport: Maximum Priority

One of the examples of post-summit debate is a seminar on a stronger Caribbean in terms of trade negotiations. Prensa Latina reports that experts consider it to be an opportune and relevant moment as the international context is currently subject to many pressures, in particular due to the hegemonic desire of the United States to have its share in world natural resources and profits. Trinidad and Tobago was selected for this seminar, scheduled for the day after the close of this edition.

For the so-called Antilles – encompassing the Yucatan, all the Caribbean islands and a part of the South American continent – efficient transportation is the key to successful trade and tourism, due to the obvious need for the secure and rapid transport of people and products. This was the logic behind backing the new venture Caribbean Airlines Ltd.

After both BWIA and LIAT airlines went bankrupt, the idea of creating a new air service came from Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines. The project came into being on July 6, and will be based in Trinidad and Tobago.

The company will attempt to alleviate the negative impact on BWIA’s 6,000 unemployed workers following the crisis in the sector and the subsequent $29 million USD losses.

It also seeks to project an important new corporate and promotional image to urgently attract tourists, given that travel has dropped by 10-15% as a result of fears after the September 11 air attack by terrorists.

Desire for Integration

On May 19, CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington affirmed that transportation and communications would undoubtedly be one of the hitherto undiscussed Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) topics.

The CSME, likewise scheduled to begin in 2005, will place importance on efficiency and profits as well as boosting international competition for the nations involved, whose inhabitants will be free to choose employment in whatever Caribbean country they wish. This point was questioned at the last CARICOM session because some of the area’s more consolidated economies are worried about becoming the engines for the less prosperous.

And this was exactly the main dish, now that it is impossible to contract out of the individual conditions of each member country: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Montserrat, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam and Haiti (formally accepted in 2000).

Despite each island’s characteristics, the participants focused attention on the Dominican Republic, pointing out the complex situation following a multi-million dollar embezzlement that has put them at the mercy of international financial organisations.

Dominican President Hipólito Mejias affirmed he would do everything within his reach to ensure that the region’s negotiations with the European Union within the framework of the African-Caribbean-Pacific Group would be advantageous for CARICOM. Santo Domingo’s position will be to defend the rights of small nations confronted by the power of the industrialised countries.

In case of similar situations to the one experienced by the Dominican Republic, the organisation is planning to instigate a Regional Stabilisation Fund, and likewise affirmed that the Caribbean Court of Justice would be an excellent instrument to regulate domestic affairs without outside interference, given that issues of democracy, drug trafficking and other crimes are frequently utilised to condition international aid.

Aware that nothing or nobody can fully develop behind the backs of third parties, CARICOM discussed its international relations with Canada, Russia, India and other organisations such as the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) and the Organisation of American States (OAS), confirms Prensa Latina.

Messages from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Luis Inacio da Silva, Brazil’s president, motivated optimism for the future, thanks to both leaders’ confidence and calls for unity.

The speech by special guest Ricardo Lagos, the Chilean president, generated the same feelings, given the possibilities of increased trade exchange with one of the American continent’s stronger economies.

At the opening session, Jamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson indicated that the only felicitous alternative for our peoples is to pool their interests, something that he perceives as inherent in the founding spirit of CARICOM, created on July 4, 1973.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, reiterated on July 4 that his country's support of the International Criminal Court is not negotiable, referring to pressure from the United States. It is a matter of principle for us, Patrick Manning said at the CARICOM summit.

Washington’s pressure to obtain immunity for US soldiers that commit war crimes abroad culminated last week with the announcement by the White House that it will cut military support to 35 countries which refused to accede to its demand. In the Caribbean context, the measure will specifically affect Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominique, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, the six nations of the region that ratified their joining the institution created by UN in 1998 to judge crimes of genocide and against humanity.

The Trinidadian Prime Minister also defended the CARICOM request to the US to delay the implementation of the so-called Free Trade Area of Americas (FTAA) scheduled for January 2005. We need more time as we are in the midst of separate negotiations with the European Union and the World Trade Organisation, explained Manning. However Washington trade representative Robert Zoellick reiterated last Wednesday to CARICOM its decision to implement the FTAA on schedule.

Havana, July 2, 2003

Your Excellencies, dear friends:

It has not been possible on this occasion to meet with my brothers and sisters from the Caribbean Community. I regret it most deeply, as it would have given me great satisfaction to share with friends like yourselves this moment of rejoicing and celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Caribbean Community, mindful of your response to the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Jamaica. I consider your presence in Havana last December 8 a demonstration of friendship and affection, the same you have always showed the Cuban people, and for which we are eternally grateful.

Sometimes we are not fully aware of the significance of our achievements. It is very likely that in reviewing the work of the Caribbean Community in the last three years you will focus on what remains to be achieved. However we congratulate you all on your achievements in the process of integration and unity of the Caribbean Community. Indeed, no other group of countries in our hemisphere has attained what CARICOM has in terms of political, economic and social coordination.

We are attentively following current efforts to implement the Community’s Single Economy and Market, and the Caribbean Court of Justice, as well as other initiatives aimed at building a unified position to face the challenges posed by globalisation given the creation of alliances representing external and hegemonic interests.

I am sure that your deliberations during this 30th anniversary of the Caribbean Community will boost such noble endeavours. To that end, as always, you may certainly count on the selfless, unconditional, concrete and active support of Cuba.

We feel this is a propitious occasion to reaffirm the cooperation proposals that we announced last December 8 in Havana. Since then, our cooperation has continued to grow in the areas of education, public health and others. At present new students from the CARICOM countries are preparing to commence their studies in medicine and other careers at Cuban universities. We are extremely happy at and confident of the success and progress of these young people who are studying hard to serve their peoples!

We also share with you the defence of the interests of the small economies and the call for special and differentiated treatment so far ignored by the most powerful nations.

We are also brought together by the deepest conviction that we need to defend the basic principles of international law and resolutely oppose any attempt at overriding it.

No circumstances can change Cuba’s interest and willingness to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation with its sister nations of the Caribbean. We shall spare no efforts to achieve regional integration and unity among our peoples.

As I indicated in my remarks during our meeting in Havana last year, "the Caribbean countries face the challenge of surviving and advancing in the midst of the deepest economic, social and political crisis that our hemisphere and the world has ever sustained, at a time when neo-liberal globalisation is threatening to destroy not only our right to development but even our cultural diversity and our identity. The only way out for our peoples is integration and cooperation not only among states but also among diverse regional groups and organisations."

Indeed, this would have been an excellent opportunity to exchange views on the difficult situation that we are facing given the recent increase of hostile actions and threats from the United States of America.

We are experiencing extremely difficult and dangerous times. The traditional enemies of the Cuban Revolution are presently bent on fabricating pretexts to allow the US government to justify a military aggression against Cuba. We are aware that, in the final analysis, the superpower, determined to demonstrate its hegemonic pretensions in this unipolar world, does not even need any plausible pretext to attack a sovereign nation. The painful case of Iraq is just one eloquent example. It is only the strength and value of our cause, the unity of our people, the unshakable determination to stand up to any attack and the international solidarity that can prevent such an aggression.

We are being subjected to a subversive war that impinges on the most sacred principles of International Law and other regulations that guide peaceful coexistence among States. Attempts are being made to destroy Cuba’s constitutional order by using a handful of mercenaries to fabricate a fictitious opposition. The Cuban Adjustment Act and the practice of receiving in the US territory even those who resort to terrorism and violence to get there paved the way for a spate of hijackings of Cuban aircraft and maritime vessels that endangered the lives of innocent people with the purpose of creating a migratory crisis that would prepare the conditions for an aggression against Cuba.

Stimulated by President Bush’s anti-Cuban rhetoric, the Miami media has recently announced the creation of another organisation advocating an international blockade on Cuba and  "multilateral" military intervention against our country.

In an effort to readjust its relations with the United States affected by the war on Iraq, the European Union has joined that aggressive policy against Cuba.

The withdrawal of our application for membership of the Cotonou Pact is a response to the decision made by the European Community to suspend its considerations of this issue, which it additionally subordinated to unacceptable prerequisites. Cuba will always be grateful to its Caribbean brothers and sisters for their support for our application for admission into the Cotonou Agreement. It was our interest to be together with you and the countries of Africa and the Pacific that led to our filing for admission.

I would have availed myself of this meeting, dear brothers and sisters, to explain to you some of the principal programmes that we are currently embarked upon. I would have told you about the great efforts made in Cuba today to raise the comprehensive education and culture of our people to unprecedented levels; of the scores of ongoing programmes aimed at multiplying study capacities and opportunities for our children and youth, and the countless social programmes underway, as all of these experiences could be very useful to the Caribbean countries. It would certainly give us great pleasure to make them all available to you. Likewise, I would have explained the tremendous battle we are waging for the release of five Cuban heroes who have been brutally incarcerated and humiliated in the United States for the crime of defending their homeland and fighting terrorism.

As for Cuba, dear friends, allow me to reiterate our profoundest conviction that regardless of the empire’s new aggressive designs, the Cuban people will not cease their fight for a better future and will firmly abide by their principles. We shall continue to advance. Cuba can count on the unity of its people who are willing to fight on to victory. We take pride in our yesterday’s dreams that are our today’s realities. Our dreams today will also become beautiful realities. We have no doubts about that.

Despite aggression, blockades and threats, with the unceasing effort of our people, the indestructible stance of our ideas and principles and the invaluable support of hundreds of millions of men and women all over the world, we are convinced of our victory.

We are also encouraged by the certainty that while defending our independence, our right to development, the path freely chosen by our sovereign people, we are also defending those same rights for any small nation of the Caribbean that could one day find itself similarly threatened by the arrogance of the empire.

Most sincerely,

Fidel Castro Ruz