https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230922/colonizers-must-stop-robbing-africa-and-should-return-the-stolen-experts-argue--1062278576.html
Colonizers Must Stop Robbing Africa and Return Stolen Items, Experts Argue
Colonizers Must Stop Robbing Africa and Return Stolen Items, Experts Argue
Sputnik Africa
Ghana's and Angola's presidents addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, bringing up the issues of external interference in the continent's affairs, the... 22.09.2023, Sputnik Africa
2023-09-22T17:16+0200
2023-09-22T17:16+0200
2023-09-22T18:04+0200
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Ghanian President Nana Akufo-Addo has told the UN that the US and much of Europe were founded on riches "harvested from the sweat, tears, blood and horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade" and centuries of exploitation.He also pointed to the difficulty of achieving prosperity for nations that, "for centuries, had their natural resources looted and their peoples traded as commodities." Commenting on the president's speech, Dr. Aaron Ogundiwin, an associate professor of political science at Nigeria's Babcock University, told Sputnik Africa that Africa's colonial masters who plundered and continue to exploit the continent must stop thieving.Ogundiwin specified that the continent "is still being exploited" by the UK, the US, France and other Western European powers. In this vein, the expert noted that the payment of reparations by colonial countries to African nations "will not solve the problem completely."He was echoed by Koffi Kouakou, a senior lecturer at the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Africa-China Studies, who doubted that reparations would help African countries to keep pace with Western powers, arguing that "the times are not the same."Kouakou told Sputnik Africa that the West, "which traded on the blood and fear and suffering of other people, especially African," is not going to pay reparations or even ask for forgiveness.Given this, Africans should not "waste energy" seeking reparations, but rather they need to build themselves, following the example of China, which after a century of humiliation was able "to build their own and to bootstrap themselves so much so that today they're proud of being who they are."Another expert, Dr. Ongama Mtimka, a senior researcher, political analyst, lecturer, and nonprofit organization executive based at the Nelson Mandela University, believes that Western reparations to Africa are necessary, but noted that African nations themselves have the resources to grow their economies.'Invisible Hand'Apart from the Ghanaian president, Angola's President Joao Lourenco also made a speech to the General Assembly on Wednesday in which he pointed to the existence of an "invisible hand interested in destabilizing our continent, only concerned with expanding its sphere of influence."Lecturer Kouakou of the University of Johannesburg agreed with the Angolan president and explained that there is "an enormous amount of evidence" that certain forces are, as they have been for a century, "destabilizing the continent."The researcher clarified that this "hand" does not have a specific location, but "moves where it can have power: to England, to the US, to Europe in general." Kouakou added that one of the goals of this unknown force may be to divide Africans.Dr. Ogundiwin, commenting on the issue, noted that Moscow does not follow the same logic as this "hand."Ogundiwin reasoned that among young people on the continent, especially in West Africa, Moscow is "well-received and well-accepted."The 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which takes place between September 19 and 22, has given the floor to a number of African leaders, including the presidents of South Africa and Nigeria, who addressed the assembly with their vision of world problems from the perspective of the African continent.
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230921/global-support-is-needed-to-make-western-countries-admit-guilt-for-years-of-enslavement-expert-says-1062260011.html
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230920/the-era-of-african-development-has-arrived-what-african-leaders-said-at-un-general-assembly-1062234859.html
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Colonizers Must Stop Robbing Africa and Return Stolen Items, Experts Argue
17:16 22.09.2023 (Updated: 18:04 22.09.2023) Ghana's and Angola's presidents addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, bringing up the issues of external interference in the continent's affairs, the exploitation of Africa by colonialists and the need for fair representation in multilateral bodies. Sputnik Africa sat down with experts to discuss the leaders' remarks.
Ghanian President Nana Akufo-Addo has
told the UN that the US and much of Europe were founded on riches "harvested from the sweat, tears, blood and horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade" and centuries of exploitation.
He also pointed to the difficulty of achieving prosperity for nations that, "for centuries, had their natural resources looted and their peoples traded as commodities."
Commenting on the president's speech, Dr. Aaron Ogundiwin, an associate professor of political science at Nigeria's Babcock University, told Sputnik Africa that Africa's colonial masters who plundered and continue to exploit the continent must stop thieving.
"What we should advocate for is that these countries who have been stealing from Africa, who stole through the slave trade and through colonialism and neocolonialism, should not only pay back what they have stolen, but also should put a stop to the stealing tendencies and put a stop to destabilizing the continent of Africa," the expert noted.
Ogundiwin specified that the continent "is still being exploited" by the UK, the US, France and other Western European powers. In this vein, the expert noted that the payment of reparations by colonial countries to African nations "will not solve the problem completely."
He was echoed by Koffi Kouakou, a senior lecturer at the University of Johannesburg's Centre for Africa-China Studies, who doubted that reparations would help African countries to keep pace with Western powers, arguing that "the times are not the same."
Kouakou told
Sputnik Africa that the West, "which traded on the blood and fear and suffering of other people, especially African," is not going to
pay reparations or even ask for forgiveness.
"They're still in denial. They're still struggling to even think about thinking about forgiveness, let alone reparation. And even more important they are in a position of force today, as they have been for centuries. So they're not going to bother with it," the pundit remarked.
Given this, Africans should not "waste energy" seeking reparations, but rather they need to build themselves, following the example of China, which after a century of humiliation was able "to build their own and to bootstrap themselves so much so that today they're proud of being who they are."
Another expert, Dr. Ongama Mtimka, a senior researcher, political analyst, lecturer, and nonprofit organization executive based at the Nelson Mandela University, believes that Western reparations to Africa are necessary, but noted that African nations themselves have the resources to grow their economies.
"Reparations are necessary, but to develop African economies, our presidents do not actually lack the alternatives. We still have the minerals and other resources that we have at our disposal and can be able to leverage for African development," he said.
Apart from the Ghanaian president, Angola's President
Joao Lourenco also made a speech to the General Assembly on Wednesday in which he pointed to the existence of an "invisible hand interested in destabilizing our continent,
only concerned with expanding its sphere of influence."
Lecturer Kouakou of the University of Johannesburg agreed with the Angolan president and explained that there is "an enormous amount of evidence" that certain forces are, as they have been for a century, "destabilizing the continent."
"Angola's president, what he said about that invisible hand is really true [...] Every time this continent, or at least the countries of this continent, try to get themselves back on track to be able to have decent sovereignty, they're thrown into all sorts of chaotic wars," the expert added.
The researcher clarified that this
"hand" does not have a specific location, but "moves where it can have power: to England, to the US, to Europe in general."
Kouakou added that one of the goals of this unknown force may be to divide Africans.
Dr. Ogundiwin, commenting on the issue, noted that Moscow does not follow the same logic as this "hand."
"Of all the powers that are interested in Africa, different interests though, I can exonerate Russia. I will say Russia is not the power, the invisible hand that he is referring to that wants to destabilize the African continent," the pundit opined.
Ogundiwin reasoned that among young people on the continent, especially in West Africa, Moscow is "well-received and well-accepted."
The 78th session of the UN General Assembly, which takes place between September 19 and 22, has given the floor to a number of African leaders, including the presidents of South Africa and Nigeria, who addressed the assembly with their vision of world problems from the perspective of the African continent.
