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| A proud Africa states its position to Europe | |
22 Nov 2006
A proud Africa states its position to Europe over foreign aid.Even with a begging bowl in hand, a proud Africa yesterday stood up to Europe over foreign aid: It is our rightful entitlement. Parliamentarians from African Union (AU) member states invoked history, saying the continent had for eons been ripped of its minerals and human resources by Europe, and that it was time the "Big Brother" paid back. They were united in demanding continued assistance from the North, arguing that Africa’s development opportunities were hijacked, if not stood still altogether, by European colonial forces.The poor continent should now be assisted to join the platform of global political, social, technological, and economic growth. Sitting during the fifth day of the sixth session of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), the MPs first listened keenly to a speech by Ms Luisa Morgantini on what the European Union Parliament was doing to enhance cooperation with the continental august House. She doled out benefits to Africa under the New European Strategy for Africa (Nesa), including a 55 million Euros already disbursed to the AU for strengthening its institutions such as the Parliament based in Midrand, South Africa, and training of staff. "We (the European Parliament) is keen on forging strong relations with the Pan African Parliament because we have a lot in common.Peace, justice, good governance, security, non-discrimination, democracy ... These are some of the issues uniting us," Ms Morgantini told her audience. She spoke of a standing committee being in place to audit the use of the funds, and that the European Parliament (EP) was doing all in its powers to rope in civil society support for the 10-year Nesa. The EP representative struck a positive chord with the Assembly when she urged European countries to forgive some of the debts owed by African states, "since some of them were fraudulently obtained. " In the same breath, Ms Morgantini asked foreign countries to return traditional artefacts they had stolen from Africa. That, she explained, would restore the dignity of the continent, abused over many years through colonial rule. However, the real feelings of Africa were expressed by the 18 members from different countries who reacted to the speech by the EP representative.The planned Euro-Africa dialogue was turned into a platform for Africa - through the continental Union - to express disgust with her former colonisers. In their view, Africa was "rightfully" entitled to aid from former colonizers who had benefited from its human and natural resources. In any case, they argued, millions of skilled Africans were working in Europe and helping develop its economy at the expense of their original countries.A call was made for a stop to the brain-drain. The meeting observed that through local initiatives such as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), several countries on the continent had volunteered to audit their performance in democracy, human rights, and delivery of basic human needs. After adopting the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, African leaders accepted to take ownership and responsibility for their own development. It led to the initiation of New Partnerships for Africa’s Development (Nepad through which presidents of member states undertake to be accountable to their people and to each other. And avenues such as APRM are to meet that requirement. Yesterday, the Pan African Parliament members blamed Europe of double-standards in international trade: Pushing poor countries to open up their markets through liberalisation, while defending their own factories and handing them hefty subsidies. Europe was also fingered for its tough immigration laws that restricted entry of Africans and also asked to stop selling arms to rebel groups on the continent.The Assembly said most unending wars now ravaging Africa were directly fuelled by the flow of firearms from Europe. Ms Morgantini defended the EP, saying it was an amalgamation of many state governments which held different views. "We (EP and PAP) need each other like fish needs water. " She said Europe’s august House "is pursuing a policy of development through partnership, not neo-colonisation", and challenged African leaders to lead the way in seeking solutions to the continent’s problems. "What are you (African leaders) doing to resolve wars, beat poverty and correct imbalances in resource allocations?" she posed. Ms Morgantini added: "It is true there are double-standards on both sides (Europe and Africa), but each one of us must take responsibility. I’m fed up with this apportioning of blame!" And was Europe panicking because of the Afro-China relations? "Nay; may be some governments and multinational companies," she said, and asked Africa to continue bargaining as a bloc for higher gains. On twisted immigration arrangements between Africa and Europe, Ms Margentini agreed with the Assembly members, and expressed the EP’s concern over the matter. No tangible promise was forthcoming on this. She said the future of Africa was in the hands of the continent’s population, and quoted words of retired President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela: "Poverty is not a destiny. It’s something we must work together to fight. " Earlier, a plain-speaking Dowarkasing Mokshanand from Mauritius said the recent warm relationship between African countries and China must have jolted Europe to urgently resume increased aid to the continent. But even in that new arrangement, he warned Africa to beware of the renewed competition for its resources: "We don’t want to change from one yoke of colonialism to another. " He was supported by Mr Chara Bachir of Algeria who urged African states to improve internal conditions to tame the brain drain of its best skills to Europe. A voice from Gambia through Mr Haliffa Sallah was even more blunt: "Let the EP representative return to Europe and tell Europe that Africa is becoming democratic because it wants, but not because of Europe’s demand. " And Ms Mary Mugyenyi from Uganda proposed that any intervention by Europe into Africa’s conflicts and other problems should be done through the African Union and existing regional structures. "It is true that the poor have got no choice.We may be poor, but that does not kill our human ideals," she said. The PAP was established in March 2004, by Article 17 of The Constitutive Act of the African Union, as one of the nine Organs provided for in the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community signed in Abuja , Nigeria , in 1991. The establishment of the Pan-African Parliament is informed by a vision to provide a common platform for African peoples and their grass-roots organizations to be more involved in discussions and decision-making on the problems and challenges facing the continent. NEPAD News |
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