Do African issues non-race related interest us as black Americans? While you think on that question, check out these excerpts from an article that appeared in the Washington Post.
Joseph Kony
Leader, Lord’s Resistance Army, Uganda
For nearly 20 years, the 45-year-old Kony has led a guerrilla paramilitary group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army, claiming to cut off the lips and ears of those who refuse to acknowledge him as their divine leader. Kony’s principal targets are civilian villages, where his army hacks to death the adults and abducts the children. Most LRA captives are between the ages of 11 and 16. Young males are trained for combat, and girls are used as sex slaves and beasts of burden. Kony’s rituals include elements of Christianity, Islam and black magic. Some 200,000 people have died.
– Nina Shea, Director, Freedom House’s Center For Religious Freedom
Isaias Afwerki
President, Eritrea
One of Africa’s most repressive leaders, President Isaias tolerates few checks on his hold on power. National elections have not been held since independence from Ethiopia in 1993. The government prohibits the existence of any opposition party, strictly controls the media and forbids independent media from publishing or broadcasting. Torture, including bondage, heat exposure and beatings, has been used on national service evaders, government critics and members of minority religious groups. Numerous detainees have been required to sign statements repudiating their faith.
– Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Chairman, House International Relations subcommittee on Africa, global human rights and international operations.
Meles Zenawi
Prime Minister, Ethiopia
Zenawi was widely criticized for responding to accusations of fraud in May 2005 parliamentary elections by gunning down scores of demonstrators and putting prominent opposition politicians on trial for genocide and treason. But in smaller towns and villages throughout Ethiopia, his systemic repression escapes meaningful scrutiny. In the vast Oromia region, thousands of alleged government critics have been harassed, imprisoned, tortured and killed in the past decade. Millions have been intimidated into silence.
– Kenneth Roth, Director, Human Rights Watch
Teodoro Obiang Nguema
President, Equatorial Guinea
Obiang came to power in 1979 in a violent coup d’état and has since brooked no opposition to his dictatorial rule. Until 1996, when oil was discovered, Equatorial Guinea was desperately poor, subsisting largely on cocoa exports and foreign aid. Since then, Obiang has been stealing most of the oil profits. A 2004 Senate report says that Obiang and his cronies siphoned off tens of millions of dollars. Oil revenues are substantial, so the country’s per capita income is among the highest in Africa–yet most people remain in abject poverty.
– Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
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Here is comment I made recently on BookerRising concerning the low turnout of black Americans at the recent rallies against the oppression in Sudan:
“Unfortunately I was not surprised at all to see the low turnout of black folks for the rallies against the crimes in the Sudan (I watched part of the DC rally on CSPAN). Something I keep saying and I will say it again: Unless there is a “white-against-black” element, you can forget about seeing any large-scale involvement from the black American community. The only other way to get the “folks” involved is by using the “blame America” option…”
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So in the meantime, while thousands of African men, women and children are beaten, tortured, starved, sold into slavery, etc. , we as black Americans (sorry, African-Americans) will conveniently step over these crimes against humanity. Why? Because those stories do not align with our eternal belief that the white establishment is the source of all that grieves us. So in other words, Africans have become our brothers and sisters of convenience.
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