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| Webjournal zum Flüchtlingskongress vom 21. April bis 1. Mai in Jena | zurück | back |
- Although African States are today independent of colonialism, they remain heavily dependent and exploited under the effects of neo colonialism and neo liberalism.
- This dependency and exploitation particularly through the activities of Trans National Corporations, adversely affects the living conditions of million of people in Africa. creating economic hardship and in some cases encouraging political repression.
- These problems can be linked to the crisis of underdevelopment in Africa and the attendant refugee problem.
One of the foremost proponents of word neo colonialism was the former Ghanaian leader Kwame Nkrumah who described Neo Colonialism as the worst form of imperlism and capitalist exploitation.
- The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State that is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignity . In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.
- Foreign capital is used for exploitation rather than development of less developed countries; investments increases gap between rich and poor.
- Aid given to neo-colonial state returns to the imperialist country.
Largely because of the world capitalist system and the so-called international Division of Labour which sees Africa only as producers of primary commodities , most African nations have no viable integrated industries which can diversify their economies and supply the rest of the world with finished goods.
- Mining production for example is destined principally for exportations. What stays in Africa is the wages paid for the mineworkers. A majority of money spent on salaries goes to Western directors, and much of the profit goes to Western Trans national corporations.
- Two examples 1) deBeers and diamond trade in Angola, Sierra Leone and the Congo that has encouraged the War in these countries and impoverished them. A recent UN report implicated Western firm and countries including Belgium in the illegal diamond trade. 2) Shell in Nigeria and the Ogoni crisis which led to the state execution of the environmental right activist Ken Saro Wiwa.
- Due the centuries of slavery and imperialism, Africa does not have very much capital with which to begin industrialization. Although agriculture is important, industrialization is more important in today`s industrial world.
- African states often do not get fair prices for their primary export commodities, which are usually their only source of income. This is because they have little control over the international money market. The prices of cocoa, timber, rubber have all collapsed. Recently the price of oil which is the main source of revenue for some developing African and Arab countries increased but the big financial powers in the West rallied to make sure that it came down within days because it affected them. But for many years, such inflation in the prices of imported consumer goods has affected Africans without anyone coming to their aid.
- The global outcry and opposition over the inequitable trade regulations being put in in place by the World Trade Organization has drawn attention to the inequities in the global economic system. The demonstrations in Seattle against the WTO meeting there are an example of this growing awareness. At no ohther time in history has there been greater disparity between very rich nations and very poor nations.
- Nations in the West are forming coalitions to integrate protect their economies (NAFTA in the North America and the European Union in Europe). Yet at the same time, poor developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are contiually told by the world bank and the IMF to liberalize and remove protectionist policies from their economic programs.
- For Africa, redressing this is an urgent challenge. Africa needs continental planning more than national planning, because "Africa is clearly fragmented into too many small, uneconomic and non-viable states.
- Neo-colonialism and Neo liberalism makes continental planning harder over time, because narrow national markets become structurally entrenched.
- THe domination of Africa`s economy by foreign firms must be ended and a more equitable international economic system established if we are to achieve rounded economic growth.
- Although many people may not readily see it, there is an obvious link between contemporary neo coloniolism in Africa and the refugee question which currently confronts many Western states and affects the life of so many displaced Africans.
- HIstorically, the wave of refugee migrations has always been associated with political and economic difficulties. People have also moved to other countries when confronted by economic hardship and political persecution.
- The history of Canada, considerd by many, as one of the most liberal nations in the world is an example of this pattern of refugee migration. In the 17th and 18th century, the first migrants were English common men who were seeking a better economic life in the New World. The english were followed by poor starving Irish who were fleeing the Irish Famine of 1845-50. Then came the Italian in the early part if the 19th century, again fleeing the economic hardship in post war Europe and later , came the Ukrainians fleeing communist persecution. Today, it is the turn Africans and Asians fleeing economic hardships and political persecution. Thus, historically Canada is a nation built of waves of refugees immigrants which has given the country the appealing multiehtnic diversity that it has today.
- In the same way economic hardship and political persecutuion induced by the working neo colonialism hys been one of the major reasons for the influx of refugees from developing countries in Africa to the West. Bur as I have pointed out these migrations are not unique to Africa or historically unprecedented. They only reflect the present global economic and political realities.
- Thus, to adequately address the refugee question, we must first address the problem of neo-colonialism , global economic inqualities among the nations iof the world, the exploitation of multinationals and the complicity of Western countries in the poitical persecution of opponents by african regimes.
THe refugee question therefor has to be put in proper historical context and address in the light of the fundsmental economic problems that give risecto it. The clamp down and harrasment of refugees now being carried out by some Western countries wilnot adequately address the problem. Such tactic onla addresses the symptom rather than the ailment.
| top of page | Bonny Ibhawoh,Dalhousie University, Canada | The_VOICE_Jena@gmx.de | back |