|
Note: I realize the account below, is over a week old, but I just received it today. Though there is no way to check the accuracy, I still think it's worth sharing. I apoligize if it's a dupe.
-Maine Mary
What follows are two accounts of George W. Bush's visit to Sub-Saharan
Africa. In my opinion they reveal the true attitudes of our current
administration and their cynical approach to domestic politics and
international aid. The implicit message that Bush has sent to the
people of Sub-Saharan Africa is nothing short of shocking. As a U.S.
citizen I wish to personally apologize for this unacceptable behavior
and open disdain for the hard won sovereignty of the nations of
Sub-Saharan Africa.
Jim Igoe
University of Colorado at Denver
Bush in Senegal
FYI. Not knowing the Senegalese writer of this private message and not
wanting to cause him/her any trouble, I have deleted the routing
information.
Dearest friends,
As you probably know, this week George Bush is visiting Africa.
Starting with Senegal, he arrived this morning at 7.20 AM and left at
1.30 PM. This visit has been such an ordeal that a petition is being
circulated for this Tuesday July 8th be named Dependency Day.
Let me share with you what we have been through since last week.
1- Arrestations : more than 1,500 persons have been arrested and put
in jail between Thursday and Monday. Hopefully they will be released now that the Big Man is gone
2- The US Army's planes flying day and night over Dakar. The noise they make is so loud that one hardly sleeps at night
3- About 700 security people from the US for Bush's Senegal, with
their dogs, and their cars. Senegalese security forces were not allowed to come near the US president
4- All trees in places where Bush will pass have been cut. Some of
them are over 100 years old
5- All roads going down town (were hospitals, businesses, schools
are located) were closed from Monday night to Tuesday at 3 PM. This means that we could not go to our offices or schools. Sick people were also obliged to stay at home.
6- National exams for high schools that started on Monday are
postponed until Wednesday.
Bush's visit to the Goree Island is another story. As you may know
Goree is a small Island facing Dakar where from the 15th to the 19th
century, the African slaves to be shipped to America were parked in
special houses called slave houses. One of these houses has become a
Museum to remind humanity about this dark period and has been visited by kings, queens, presidents. Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, and before them, Nelson Mandela, the Pope, and many other distinguished guests or ordinary tourists visited it without bothering the islanders. But for "security reasons" this time, the local population was chased out of their houses from 5 to 12AM. They were forced by the American security to leave their houses and leaves everything open, including their wardrobes to be searched by special dogs brought from the US. The ferry that links the island to Dakar was stopped and offices and businesses closed for the day.
According to an economist who was interviewed by a private radio, Senegal that is a very poor country has lost huge amount of money in this visit, because workers have been prevented from walking
out of their homes. In addition to us being prevented to go out, other
humiliating things happened also. Not only Bush brought did not want to be with Senegalese but he did not want to use our things. He brought his own armchairs, and of course his own cars, and meals and drinks. He came with his own journalists and ours were forbidden inside the airport and in place he was visiting. Our president was not allowed to make a speech. Only Bush spoke when he was in Goree. He spoke about slavery. It seems that he needs the vote of the African American to be elected in the next elections, and wanted to please them. That's why he visited Goree.
Several protest marches against American politics have been organized yesterday and even when Bush was here, but we think he does
not care. We have the feeling that everything has been done to convince us that we are nothing, and that America can behave the way it wants, everywhere, even in our country. Believe me friends, it is a terrible feeling. But according to a Ugandan friend of mine, I should not complain because it Uganda one of the country he is going to visit, Bush does not intend to go out of the airport. He will receive the Ugandan President in the airport lounge.
Homes bulldozed to clear way for Bush
ABUJA - Armed police backed by bulldozers tore down illegally built
homes and shops in the Nigerian capital Abuja today ahead of a visit by US President George W Bush. The operation began yesterday after an order from President Olusegun Obasanjo to clean up the city ahead of his American counterpart's arrival, officials said.
In one residential quarter of the city reporter saw around 60 buildings ranging from brick-built structures to makeshift wooden shanties -ploughed down as hundreds of residents looked on in despair.
"They didn't give us any warning," wailed tailor John Emeka, who saved
his sewing machine but lost much of his stock when a joint taskforce of police and environmental protection agents pulled down his business.
Nearby a stock of computers lay mangled in the wreckage of an electronic goods store, and the ownwer of a grilled meat stand argued with officers attempting to condemn his barbecue. The police came armed with assault rifles and tear gas, but there was no violence as the bulldozers rolled in.
A senior local official, Babangida Aliyu, told reporters that Obasanjo
had personally ordered the destruction on a visit last week to the
Federal Capital Territory's lawmakers. "Obasanjo gave specific instructions when he visited, and we have no qualms in carrying them out," he said.
More than 2,000 Nigerian police and intelligence officers have been
deployed around Abuja to provide security for Bush's visit, the last
stage in a whirlwind five-nation tour of Africa.
The US leader is due in Abuja late today after a stopover in Uganda and is to return to Washington on Saturday.His trip has so far taken him to Senegal, South Africa and Botswana.
AFP
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
