I used to doubt the sovereignty of almost all African countries in the matters to prove that they are independent and worth just like any other nations. Truly, I used not only to doubt but pooh-pooh it. This is because since Africa gained its fake independence, remained cowardly and pointlessly dependent on its former and new colonial masters. However, the arrival of the COVID-19’s pandemic has proved me very wrong. For, to the contrary, what transpired recently in a very poor and small country of Guinea but assertive turned my understanding to its head. I was one of those who wrongly believed that China has Africa by the balls little I knew they are some Africans worth salt who wouldn’t take anything for their independence ala the founder of Guinea Ahmed Sekou Toure who turned tables on French colonial masters when they wanted to give him fake independence just like they did to the rest of their ex-colonies whose reserves they retained up until tomorrow. After evidencing of the clips of Africans being maltreated, Guinea decided to take the bull by the horns timely and quickly. In the footages, Guinea decided to arrest Chinese nations up until Africans will be returned back to Africa from China without necessarily going on being discriminated against.
For those who do not know what Toure did is that he flatly refused half-baked freedom. For, French wanted to offer independence and retain the reserve of the country and keep on charging it for keeping and printing its currency as has been the case for its other ex-colonies. This step infuriate the then highly feared French President Charles de Gaulle who order the removal of some French aid. To prove his seriousness, Toure told France to take everything including even pins and papers. As of recently, this relatively poor country flexed its muscles after footages showing Africans being racially discriminated against in China by arresting Chinese nations who are within its jurisdiction as a quid pro quo to what racist China did to Africans whom those maltreating them thought were spreading covid-19 despite the fact that covid-19 started in China but not in Africa. Guinea provided motivation for other African countries to take step––by, at least––showing their discomfort with what happened to their people though not all.
Thereafter, other video footages surfaced online showing South African police interrogating some Chinese nations which they had never done before. Ironically, it is this South African police who never take on xenophobic attacks carried on other Africans from neighbouring countries that contributed hugely in the struggle for the liberation of South Africa. It was interesting to see how the country whose citizen commit the same sin feel when its citizens are subjected to the same atrocities they have been committing against others, especially of the same brethren of the same pedigree. Swahili sage has it that mkuki kwa nguruwe kwa binadamu mchungu namely the spear is pleasant to a big but it is bitter to a human. Before long, some guys in Nigeria also were shown as they were attacking Chinese factory in Nigeria to send message to Chinese that Africa they used to bully, and fool is long gone.
In Uganda, the authorities had the guts of apprehending Chinese nations who were escaping self-quarantine as they headed for the DRC. As well, this is a new trend for African countries whose law enforcers are renowned for bribe-taking. Standing up against those who were deemed and thought untouchable is a is not only a new trend but also an emancipatory gesture that many Africans who are still sleeping at the wheel need to heed.
The lesson we get here is that the nation does not need to be a superpower or rich to stand for its interests. Instead, it needs just courage whenever an opportunity avails itself as is the case in question here. When Northern Korean regime decided to stand against world’s superpowers over many issues, it only needs what some thought was a kamikaze spirit.
Africa needs to wisely deal with China. For, its coming has been misunderstood to be friendly while it is actually colonial. China has tried to hoodwink Africa that is a friendly partner but not a colonial power like the West has been while its agendas are not different from the West. While the West was sending a few of its officials to colonise Africa by using local chiefs and sell-outs, to the contrary, China is now dispatching its jobless army to occupy Africa thanks to its joblessness and overpopulation. Thus, poor and unwanted Chinese have somewhere to go and thrive thanks to Africans’ docility not to mention their corrupt and myopic regimes that allow them to occupy their countries. Apart from getting job and settlement, Chinese aim at taking over Africa. This is a lasting mission of occupation through elimination thereafter colonising.
Another face of China in Africa is nothing but substandard goods that it has been dumping to Africa. In this, India, another rising power, has been doing the same plus dumping its poor and unqualified people to Africa despite having been doing this for many decades. More importantly, racism against Africans does exist in India and even in Africa as well. Like the West, China would like to see a dependent Africa which is easy to exploit perpetually. On top of such raw deals, China has been so generous in issuing toxic loans to many corrupt and inept regimes with the aim of taking their economies and resources even land over soon after failing to repay such loans.
Now, what should Africa do? There are many measures Africa needs to consider among which are: stop supplying China with crucial resources that it needs for the development of its industries. So, too, Africa must stop allowing jobless and unqualified to inundate it. As well, Africa needs to apply international law of reciprocity by taking the same actions against China so as to force it to respect Africans and stop its racism against them. Africa should know one important reality that China needs it more than Africa needs China. For, if it is the supply of manufactured goods, Africa used to get them from the West before China became a world workshop. So, too, Africa should not act severally. Instead, all African countries should come together and issue an ultimatum to Chinese authorities to see to it that they commit themselves to respecting human rights by thwarting xenophobia attacks against Africa. More importantly, African countries such as those in the Maghreb and South Africa that tolerate xenophobic attacks against Africans should put their house in order first for them to make sense and been take seriously.
Source: African Executive Magazine
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