Category Archives: International Relatons

Somalia Hope

This Video contains graphic images from the Somalian civil war. If you are unable to view such images i advise you to fast forward or to not watch the video.

POSITIVE VIBRATIONS : THE MAKING OF A REGIONAL HUB

Carpe Diem Djibouti! With global trade becoming increasingly competitive, small countries that lack substantial natural resources, technological advancements and model infrastructural setups are at the mercy of unforgiving market forces. Believe it or not, but one such country does exist. The odds are greatly stacked against them. With a population of about 903,0001, all concentrated in the countrys capital, it says volumes about economic set up and general opportunities in the country as a whole. To make matters worse, Djibouti is located in a portion of Africa besieged by instability and conflict. This combination of unfavorable statistics, geology and infrastructure are surely not the sort of cards any leadership would like to be dealt in a globally competitive game where the winner takes all.

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There are various ways to view a situation. The Djiboutian leadership understand this very well in my personal opinion. Knowing their place has enabled them to strive for a better position or better still, to brighten their corner. They have taken the initiative to become regional giants in the midst of the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds them. When the dust settles, they will have a comfortable lead. Sound economic and political decisions will be responsible to Djiboutis call to fame and advancement.

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Located at the southern entrance to the red sea, the port of Djibouti is strategically positioned and placed at the major international shipping lanes connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. Now this position can be abused or its potential profitably tapped to benefit the country and her neighbors who rely on her. As mentioned earlier, Djibouti is surrounded by countries facing internal conflict and land locked countries who are or have been affected adversely by the conflict surrounding them. With a majority of goods coming in from Asia and and Europe, the land locked countries that would normally rely on the ports in larger countries with ports are left with no other choice that to rely on Djibouti. Realizing this, Djibouti has made substantial investments into her ports and gradually expanded her reach within the sub region. It is her target to become a major player in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

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Since 1998, they have handled all of Ethiopias maritime traffic2. Their ambition is evident in the way they have branded themselves, introducing the notion that they are the regional hub that links 19 countries and 138 million people. Looking into the future, they have launched a master plan to ensure that other parts of the country also receive equal attention. This plan involves building another large capacity port in the city of Tadjoura. The plan also includes the improvement of existing infrastructure and the building of new ones to help develop that section of the country. There is already a spawning interest in that project from international businessmen who have a heightened interest in mineral deposits in Ethiopia. This would give Djibouti a share of the mineral wealth of Ethiopia. All this growth and expansion helps creates jobs and spins of new businesses that provide a variety of services. Yet another port is being built to explore what little mineral wealth is found in Djibouti. Lake Assal, located in central western Djibouti,is the worlds largest salt reserve. To better exploit this asset, a new port is being constructed in Goubet to streamline the export of salt and gypsum from the lake. An estimated 5 million tons of salt produced yearly should make Djibouti a contender in the global salt trade. Whatever growth the countries that rely on Djibouti for trade experience, Djibouti stands to gain. This will thus require Djibouti to have a more friendly and involved foreign policy in the region.

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Having chosen a pathway for development, the government of Djibouti is well aware of the obstacles they will encounter. Being an advantage, their location can quickly turn to become more detrimental to their development. Located in a volatile region, puts a lot of security pressure on their budget. Their chosen path could draw potential extremist activities to their turf. It is a well known fact that such groups and organizations thrive in chaos and promote anarchy. Should a force like this surface in Djibouti, their security apparatus will be well overwhelmed. A small kid who walks home with the big boys is seldom or never bullied. Once again, Kudos to the leadership of Djibouti. Already maintaining the presence of French troops in the country, they have gone a step further to allow the United States to have a military base in the country. This will bolster their security and improve investor faith in their stability as a nation. Their position is ideal for the United States also, being close enough to the middle East for them to launch operations from. They also use the base to monitor and protect the international trade routes from pirates that plague the region. There is a mutual benefit for the interests of both countries. Growth requires stability and security, France and America provide that. America needs a presence in the region to keep tabs on her interests both in the sub region and the middle east, Djibouti provides that. Needless to say, but Djibouti will also benefit from training and logistical support from her guests to help bolster her ability to maintain her security and sovereignty.

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Security and prosperity are the key to improving the well being of a people. Djibouti seems to have found not just the recipe, but have also home grown the ingredients necessary to complete the dish. Other aspects of the economy which rely on security, and infrastructural development will gradually pick up as the peace, stability and wealth creation gains traction.

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This type of news is hard to come across in western media. The African success story in the making. Being of African origin, and the fact that I had to do substantial reading and research to come across all this information about Djibouti, nothing surprises me. Besides, I prefer the silence. Knowing how the media blows news out of proportion, a reportage on this successful partnership will only attract unwanted attention to this small country that is bracing itself to do big things. Personally, I am also at fault for not expecting such big strides from Djibouti. I have always been of the impression that small countries with little or no natural resources do not stand much of a chance in world trade. There is still more to learn about Africa, the knowledge to be gained is as vast her cultural and language diversity. Partnerships do make a difference, the difference is determined by the gains and losses to the parties involved. My stereotypical view of the region wrongly encompassed Djibouti, and I had a rather uninformed picture of Djibouti. I am impressed by her dreams and achievements. Carpe Diem Djibouti!!

REFERENCES

1United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2013). World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision, DVD Edition.

2www.portdedjibouti.com

COLONIALISM: BEFORE AND NOW

Social creatures is what best defines us as humans. Our history bears proof of this. We have lived in communities for as long as we can remember. We co-operate with each other both on the individual and community level. Just like a family, each community needs a head, these community heads are those who represent our interests when it comes to inter community relations. A well organized community structure is one that thrives and benefits in all facets of inter community interaction. Like individuals, groups tend to take undue advantage of other groups. This often leads to issues and can breed never ending conflicts, or on the other hand undeserved servitude for generations, these last so long it becomes the norm. The world has seen more than enough of such behaviour from the so called powerful nations. From the days of slavery through to colonialism and imperialism. It is ironical when the history of the current powerful nations of the world is scrutinized. It appears they have all been subjects to another authority of some sort one way or the other.

No matter how you look at it, I do not share the notion that colonization has any advantages. There are so many effects of colonization and in my opinion they leave nothing but whole generations dependent on others for their well being. Those however being looked up to have not the slightest interest in the well being of those they have subdued, they are indulging in self preservation.

MEANING AND HISTORY OF COLONIALISM
Colonialism is the process or policy where a state or group of states acquire political control of another state or states either through military invasion or diplomatic ways. The number one reason for this is economic, and it is resource (natural and human) based. Current political and economic ties between most nations stem from colonialism. Although it stretches far back into human history, destructive colonialism as I prefer to call it started in the 15th century when Europeans started to travel the world in the name of discovery, these trips were pioneered by the Portuguese and Spanish exploration of the American continent, and the coasts of Africa, the Middle East, India, and East Asia. Even the mere mention of discovery sparks another debate, as most of these lands were already inhabited upon their arrival, however, this is a topic for another day. Upon their arrival, they were astounded by the wealth, order and diversity they found in these places. Most of these explorations were financed by the crowns of their respective states, so it was mandatory that they claim the “new found land” in the name of the crown. During the 16th and 17th centuries,England, France and the Dutch Republic had established empires overseas and were competing with each other. Evidently, this was taking on a competitive dimension. All colonies were property of the crown, that is to say the royal family of the colonialists owned the lands they had colonized, as strange as it sounds this was the order of the day. It must be noted that not all colonies fell without a fight. Some of them fought back and were killed almost to the point of extinction.

COLONIES
The world as we know it today has been shaped by events of the past, notably colonization. Countries are labeled either as french, english or spanish speaking,this is a direct result of colonization. Most Asian, African and middle eastern countries were colonies of one western power or the other. At one point in time, the queen of England was known as the largest land owner in the world. The most interesting colony based on its history and current policies is the United States of America. America was a british colony that completely severed all political control from england with the help of the french. This help was motivated by a longstanding rivalry between the french and english. It was a way of redeeming french pride from their defeat in the seven year war, and also heavily influenced by econmic gains should the enterprise succeed.
In the case of Africa, because there were a lot of players in the division of Africa, and the potential for Africa to be a break away colony, no western country aided in the independence of any African country. After all they all gained from the loot, and there was no reason to stir the boat. Even after independence, most countries still had to battle the political hurdles that were placed before them. That is where the concept of Neocolonialism comes in, this is simply indirect colonization or imperialism. Colonial masters still wanted a say in the politics of independent nations. America was a front runner in these practices. A CIA declassified document outlines these plans though not to the exact detail. There is however an admission of involvement. An example is the CIA “backed” coup that over threw Ghana’s first president.

EFFECTS OF COLONIZATION
The effects of colonization is evident today in many forms. It includes the extinction or near extinction of tribes,economic dependence, stymied development, corruption ( brought on by more modern forms of colonization), wide spread poverty, change of cultures and a loss of self esteem and identity. Most of the colonized territories were forced to change their way of life and to adapt that of their masters. The French for instance had the policy of assimilation, this was an ideological basis of French colonial policy in the 19th and 20th centuries. The French taught their subjects that, by adopting French language and culture, they could eventually become French. This led to the demise of various cultures within current french speaking countries of Africa. Economically, the colonists exploited the natural resources of the colonies after they had taken political control of them. A close study of the colonial transportation systems of West Africa reveals just that. Railways were laid from resource rich areas to the coast for transport to the west. All of these resources were taken free of charge, and they continue to be taken today for next to nothing. When the colonialists were finally thrown out, they ensured that they held a political influence on their old lands. This they did through various means, including but not limited to murder, espionage and economic hits. The new born countries were denied their rightful place in the modern trade of resources, the buyers fixed the prices of both the raw materials and finished goods. In a speech to the british parliament on 2nd February 1835, Lord Macaulay said “I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief. Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation.”the bristish therefore developed methods to achieve just that. They referred to natives where ever they conquered as savages and bushmen. And where the people refused to be governed, they were subdued militarily. This trend persists today in the part of west africa where I come from. Anything european is considered better than its indigenous equal. This method is applied to materials as well as humans. All the third world countries can be found in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the middle East. Most or all of these countries were once colonies of one power or the other. Today African countries that are rich in natural resources are surprisingly dependent upon western powers. This defys common sense.

MODERN DAY COLONIALISM
Today, quite contrary to what most believe, colonialism still exists, but in more subtle forms. They come in the form of military co-operation, economic partnership and other forms that create the impression of trying to help. Like the popular american saying, “there is nothing like free lunch”. However most of the leaders of the third world do not realize this, or are coerced into accepting such programs. America is believed to be in the fore front of modern day colonization. Coming from a colonial past, you think they would know better. In his book “Confessions of an economic hit man1”, John Perkins outlines an intricate plan to form a global empire, this is identical to colonialism as we know it. It however takes on a complex form that can range from bribery of political leaders to mass murder through conflicts. Many of the current global political crises have their roots deeply embedded in modern day colonialism and rebellion.

Colonialism has its winners and losers. However you look at it, it is a bad practice that has profited many if not all the countries in the western world. It has worked to the detriment of the the victim countries. It still continues today albeit in different forms and under several guises. Many have suffered and continue to suffer because of this.
1. Perkins, J. (2004). Confessions of an economic hit man. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Colony in Africa and in America

Europeans started their colonization in late 16th century due to the fast development in European countries, especially in England and France. Both America and Africa was colonies of Europe in the past. However, the colonial experience of Africa was not quite similar to that of America even though they share some similarities.

The colonization of America started in late 16th century when several major European countries launched their colonization in north America. After many years of settlement, the colonization ended since American people fought for their independence. In 18th century, the United States of America established. The establishment of United States gradually ended the colonization of Europeans. Another place far away from America, Africa, also suffered from the European colonization. The colonization of Africa started roughly in the late 18th century and early 19th century because of European growing fascination with Africa. In the name of exploration and religious mission, the Europeans started their colonization in Africa.

There are several similarities in these two colonization. The settlers in both America and Africa were from Europe and most of them were from England and France. Besides this basic fact, the biggest similarity of these two colonization is that the colonization effected that region in a lot of ways and some of the effects have remained until nowadays. The colonization shaped the society in a huge way. The way people lived, the way government ruled and the way a country developed. Some of those effects were bad but some effects actually promoted the development in general. For example, colonization brought both America and Africa into world economy and promoted the trade. But meanwhile, the Europeans used all local workers but took nearly all the profits of the trades.

However, there are also differences between the colonization of Africa and that of America.   One of the differences is the slavery system. In America, the very first slave was brought to Virginia in the 17th century from Africa. After that, numerous slaves were brought to America for many years. The slaves in America were the major work forces at that time. They worked mostly at plantations in the South and did heavy jobs. Those slaves helped to develop the plantation economy in the South and gradually made the plantation become the biggest industry in the South. On the contrary, the slavery situation was different in Africa. Numerous African free people were transformed to slaves and then were brought to Europe, America and other places. The slave trade was prosperous at that time. Men, women and children were all involved in the big slave trade.

The trade of slaves from Africa to America was called Atlantic slave trade. Slaves once became the only “crop” to export from Africa. The Atlantic slave trade gradually became a “triangle trade”. First, Europeans traded cheap industrial products and munitions to some Kings or leaders in African countries for slaves or sometime they just “hunt” for slaves illegally. Then they sold slaves to the owners of plantations in North America in order to get minerals and crops. Last, they sold American minerals and crops in Europe to get profits. Almost every step in the triangle trade brought merchants numerous profits. As a result, the trade developed and expanded. For instance, in 1709, there was only one ship used for slave trade in Liverpool. Then in 1730, the number of ship became 15. Growing so quickly , in 1792, there were 132 ships used for slave trade just in Liverpool.

The slave trade brought African people pains and sufferings. African people never stopped fighting for themselves even though European countries promote so-called “peace trade”. Nobody wanted to become slave so that almost every slave in Africa tried to fight. There were several groups of people in Congo and Angola formed armed group to attack those tribes or villages which were involved in slave trade in order to free the slaves. Fortunately, in late 18th century and early 19th century, European countries started to abolish the slavery system. Britain abolished the system in 1807, then United States in1808, France in 1818 and Brazil in 1825. Although the abolishment was published, the slave trade hadn’t stopped until the Berlin Conference in 1885 and the Brussels Conference in 1890. The 4-century-long slave trade gave Africa people irreversible and huge lost.

Although the colonial histories are different in Africa and in America, there’s one truth always existing that colony brings sufferings and pains to people. We are so lucky that we live in a humane society right now and we hope that the colonization will never happen again.