GOVERNMENT PAPER CRITICIZES U.S. POLICY ON

UNCLAS HARARE 002205

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER
LONDON FOR GURNEY
PARIS FOR NEARY
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO KMDR ZI
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT PAPER CRITICIZES U.S. POLICY ON
AFRICA


1. Under the title "DRC has chance to develop" the
government-controlled weekly "The Sunday News"
dedicated its September 29 editorial to accusing the
United States of triggering "the continuing strife in
most parts of Africa," adding that the West has
everything to benefit from an unstable Africa. "In a
bid to loot natural resources from Africa as well as
support its arms industry, the U.S. Government will
use one hand to supply weapons to armed bandits while
raising the other hand in the name of promoting peace
and democracy," the editorial claims. Excerpts:


2. ". . .Through the legacy of the Cold War (1950 to
1989),the U.S. bears responsibility for the
continuing strife in most parts of Africa. During the
Cold War, the U.S. delivered weapons worth US$2
billion to the continent. While the U.S. ranks number
one in global exports of arms of war, it comes last
among industrialized nations providing non-military
foreign aid to developing nations. Curiously, in 1997
- when the DRC conflict intensified - the U.S.
Government devoted only 0.09 percent of gross national
product to international development assistance, the
lowest proportion of all developed countries. Pan-
Africanists were hardly shocked when the Clinton
administration employed divide and rule tactics by
sidelining governments led by independence war heroes
while striking up warm friendships with warlords in
Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, branding them `the new,
progressive leaders of Africa.' But these same
regimes sponsored and armed the rampaging bandits who
invaded the DRC, slaughtered innocent civilians and
pillaged diamonds.

"So, in a bid to loot natural resources from
Africa as well as support its arms industry, the
U.S. Government will use one hand to supply
weapons to armed bandits while raising the other
hand in the name of promoting peace and
democracy. Those who underestimate the
dangerous nature of Western capitalism need only
look at the ongoing warmongering against Iraq to
understand the crude forces that govern
international relations. President George W.
Bush is waging war on the people of Iraq so that
he can topple President Saddam Hussein, install
a puppet in Baghdad and secure a cheap source of
petroleum for the U.S. As Africans, we must ask
ourselves why the Western powers assassinated
the DRC's first and only democratically elected
Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. Africans must
resist manipulation and stand up for their
rights.

SULLIVAN