Sarkozy’s Racist Africa Attack

Sifelani Tsiko , Posted: Nov 23, 2007
Culled from Black Star News

The latest incident in which authorities in Chad rescued 103 children who were to be flown to France under unclear circumstances by a team of French aid workers from the so-called Zoe's Ark charity organization raises a number of issues, more importantly, African unity and Africa's relationship with the pan-European world.

It was demeaning and pathetic to see an African president being utterly powerless to prevent the interference of French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the internal affairs of Chad.

It took Sarkozy, nicknamed "Speedy Sarkozy" just a day to secure the release of three French journalists and four Spanish flight attendants, on November 4, undermining the Chad's judiciary and sovereignty.

As if this is not enough, Speedy Sarkozy says he will return to Chad to bring home the other remaining detainees made up of 10 Europeans who are facing charges of extortion and child kidnapping.

Sarkozy's actions amply demonstrate that Western interference and meddling into the internal affairs of African countries did not start with nor is it going to end with Zimbabwe. His actions are racist and belittle Africans as poor managers of their lives and destiny.

Some BSN [Black Star News] readers might think I'm a “racist in reverse.” But before you say anything hold your fire. Let us just hear what 'our friend' from Paris said at the Cheik Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal on 26 July 2007.

"The colonials," Sarkozy said, "came and looted, helped themselves, exploited, took resources and wealth that did not belong to them. They stripped the colonized of their personalities, of their freedom, of their lands, and of the fruits of their labors."

He went further: "They took, but I would also like to say, with respect, that they also gave -they built bridges, roads, hospitals, chemists, schools. They made the virgin soil bear fruit, they invested their concern, their labors and their knowledge. I want to say here: the colonials were not all thieves, they were not all exploiters.

"There were bad men among them, but there were also among them men of goodwill, men who thought they were carrying out a civilizing mission...They thought they were bringing freedom when they were feeding alienation. They thought they were breaking the chains of obscurantism, superstition and servitude.

"In fact, they were forging far heavier chains and imposing a far more onerous form of servitude, one that weighed on spirits and souls...Colonialism is not responsible for all of Africa's current difficulties. It is not responsible for the bloody wars that Africans fight against each other. It is not responsible for genocides. It is not responsible for dictators. It is not responsible for corruption and prevarication..

"Colonialism was an offence that destroyed the subjects' self esteem and gave birth in their hearts to that self-hatred that always ends up being turned on other people.

But perhaps this part better depicts Sarkozy's racist instincts and drive: "The tragedy of Africa is that the African man has never really entered history. The African peasant has known only the eternal renewal of time via the endless repetition of the same actions and the same words. In this mentality, where everything always starts over again, there is no place for human adventure nor for any idea of progress." He added: "Africa's problem is that its present is permeated with nostalgia for the paradise of its lost childhood..."

His speech is a mockery to the struggling African peasants who toil everyday on the land to feed Europe without getting a fair price for their labor. Sarkozy should read history correctly. Who controls the international prices of cocoa, coffee, tea, beef, minerals and other products? Who supplies weapons to African rebels? Who controls world trade and finance?

His actions are a painful mockery of the integrity of Africans. What could have happened if the 10 Europeans including members of Zoe's Ark were Africans attempting to traffic white children from say Paris to an unknown destination in Africa?

Do you think it will be possible for Chadian President Idriss Deby to secure the release of the Africans? "The intervention and interference by the French president at a personal level can best be described as the 'devil getting into detail,' a Zimbabwean political commentator says.

"Why Sarkozy decided to deal with the issue personally is part of the bigger picture in this fiasco. It is also part of the answer to the puzzle of why westerners that commit crimes on African soil are not supposed to stand trial in those countries and if they do and are found guilty, they are not supposed to save their jail terms there.

"But, how many Africans are locked up in western jails for various crimes and how many African leaders have intervened on behalf of their citizens, notwithstanding that they would have broken the laws of those western countries? the Harare-based political commentator asked.

Honestly speaking, if this incident had happened in France and not Chad, involved European children, the perpetrators could have faced a different fate. Europe would have called for a Nuremberg-style trial.

Today, Africa is on trial from the same world that persecuted it for centuries, the same world that boasts of being the guardians of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the same world that thinks it is the champion in the fight against child trafficking and the same world that talks about the equality of sovereign nations and peoples.

In our African eyes Sarkozy is a disgrace, a raw racist whose crude intervention blunts Africa's march to unity and right to self determination.

Comments

[ako]

Once more gadhaffi is courageously calling for an african union.This is because he understands that france is trying to keep africa divided .The first step in this evil french agenda is to call for a north african/southern european union which will in effect split africa and make unity much harder. Is african leadership too self centered to seize this oppurtunity? .Are the leaders going to think only about themselves at the cost of the continent? (Just like evil kibaki is sacrificing kenya to get his way?) African leaders must understand that the day of reckoning is coming, when they will be held accountable for the the decision they make.The month is january, and the year is 2008. May God bless the lybyan leader for bieng the most patriotic african president.

[Samira Edi]

Before I continue, I believe the title is manipulative and deceitful.

I believe that many Africans; especially those self-deluded, self-styled intellectuals in the Diasporas jumped onto Sarkozy's speech with emotional immaturity and a racist mindset.

What Sarkozy said was an uncomfortable truth; uneasy to digest. They want turn around a well-intentioned remark on its head, simply out of malevolence and prejudicial historical suspicions and hatred between France and its colonialists.

If they had only read or listened to the speech with a more open mindset, they would have realized the incontrovertible truth. And like Sarkozy put his finger on the pulse of our ignorance, we cling too long to past baggages to move forward.

[SJ]

Sarkozy said Africa has never really entered history. Obvioulsy Sarkozy forgets that the world economic system as we know it today, was for 500 years built on the free labor provided by Africans as slaves. The smart Africans who are not in the Diaspora wants us to forget the past and move on. While the stupid Jews keep reminding the world "Never Again."

Sarkozy says, Africans have never entered history, but forgets the role Africans played in liberating France and that since 1945, 65% of francophone Africa's foreign reserves sits in a special account in the French Treasury with only the French having the undettered access to it.

Ms Samira Edi, please get informed, start by reading the New African edition of January 2008.

[PAOLO LAURENT]

THE DAY BLACK AFRICA BUILD A NUCLEAR BOMB.

AND THREATEN FRANCE TO LEAVE AFRICA.
THEN AFRICA WILL BE COMPLETELY FREE.

WHITE FRENCHMAN PRODUCE NO OIL, NO GAZ, NO DIAMOND, NO GOLD, NO TIMBER, NO AGRICULTURES. NO URANIUM, NO MANGANESE, NO COPPERS , NO FISHERY, NO NOTHING YET

FRENCH WHITE MEN SAYS ITS GUARANTEEING AFRICAN CURRENCY IN THE WORLD MARKET, HOW CAN SOME NATION WITHPOPULATION OF ONLY 60 MILLION, GUARRANTEE ANOTHER NATIONS OF 800M WITH VAST WEALTH? ITS THE OTHER WAY AROUND, UNTILL WE STAND UP ANDD FIGHT THE FRENCH MAN SQUARELY IN AFRICA. WE WONT BE FREE ATLAST.

THEY ARE THE FILTHIEST WRETHCED LOT OF EUROPE. HITLER WAS RIGHT AFTER ALL.