George Bush, the President of USA, was visiting Africa for the first time with a post- September 11th agenda. Pictures of Mr and Mrs Bush walking the lanes of Africa must be sending shivers up and down the spines of Heads of African governments. USA is making the right noises in Africa with sack full of dollars of aid and health improvement programmes. Will the African Presidents accept and implement the presents wrapped in dollar notes? What does Bush expect in return? Could Africa be the next Middle East? Which regime Bush will topple next? Remember, this is the President who said ?you are either with us or against us? and now smarting in the premature glory of ?bringing about regime change? in post-war Iraq where USA has won the war but lost the peace.

The policy that USA has adopted is not about empowering the African continent and providing the African nations with a net so that they can fish for life and never go hungry again. USA is providing plenty of dollars with a policy implementation booklet, which says the African nations can fish, but only according to the policy and procedures in the booklet. This is to protect the USA against a massive increase in the economy of the African nations. It must be noted that Africa is a vast continent and the power that a successful and rich African Union can exert will tip the economic balance adversely against USA. The camouflaged role of the benefactor that USA loves to play will no longer be welcome as it did happen in the eighties with the Asian countries with a prosperous economy. Africa must learn from the Asian experience and not look at the gift horse in the mouth. The directive from the Bush administration is very clear and unequivocal. The interest of USA is and will be first, and any nation with links with anti-USA organisation such as Al-Quaeda, will suffer regime change by diplomatic or military means. This has now been proven in Iraq; once Saddam Hussein was enjoying the warmth of USA but ended up facing the fire of USA. Will Africa be next? So, the African nations must be careful not to accept dollars on any basis because today?s dollars could be tomorrow?s USA bullets. The sight of a strange US administrator talking to the Iraqis via his TV about Iraq and its future is indeed sickening because the former knows nothing about the heritage and culture of Iraq. Could this happen in Africa? Could we soon see US military escorting Robert Mugabe or Charles Taylor of Liberia into exile or offering a reward for their capture?

Firm grip on Africa

The hidden agenda behind the dollars is that USA is worried about the spread of anti-US organisations in Africa and its substantial muslim population. Africa is unfortunately facing poverty and corruption, which anti-US organisations can use to build networks in Africa and recruit sympathisers. The US is adopting a preventative measure instead of a pre-emptive attack by giving aid to Africa. This is a deliberate strategy to show the world that US is and will continue its caring and humanitarian role and alleviate poverty, hunger and misery. This is the message Bush is busy pumping to the media with him in Africa. In Senegal, Bush said ?With the power and resources given to us, the United States seeks to bring peace where there is conflict, hope where there is suffering, and liberty where there is tyranny (Africa has some tyranny!). And these commitments bring me and other distinguished leaders of my government across the Atlantic to Africa?. The message is clear to autocratic tyrannical African regimes. Introduce democracy and liberalise your approaches on American terms or else US will do it for you. This is why Bush wants to get a firm grip on Africa.

The invasion of Iraq has damaged US badly. A recent trans-international poll conducted by a live BBC programme confirmed that the world sees US as the most dangerous and fearful country; and although the world admires US economic prosperity, nobody would like to move to US to live there. The world is saying to the ordinary Americans ?yes, you have the dollars but we do not like you?. Thus, Bush has gone to an area of the world, which is not in a position to say ?Keep your dollars because we do not like you?. Africa needs the money to resurrect years of destruction by despots. It has dawned on Mr Bush and his hawks that the might of USA is not as popular as they thought and a change of strategy are infiltrating the White House. However, brave South Africans will not let Bush forget his sins and placards such as ?We have enough Bushes in Africa, Go Home? demonstrating against his visit is enough reminders that at least the ordinary public in Africa do not welcome forceful government. People are alert to the fact that US will destroy their families, kill innocent people, falsify intelligence, and devastate their country to bring about regime change and impose US imperialism. International law means nothing to US and Bush has shown he will make up his own laws and pull out of any treaty he wishes.

The change of tactics in the White House is also strongly influenced by the imminent Presidential election in America. Bush and Cheney will be facing the electorates again and they have a monumental task in convincing ordinary American that pre-emptive attack and massive financial deficits will make US and the world a safer place. As Blair continues to face public doubts about his honesty and receive body blows of vicious attacks from the opposition parties in the UK, Bush is also facing increasing criticisms and the ordinary Americans have got him on the ropes. The lobby?s chant is still ?where is the weapons of mass destruction (WMD)? Where is Saddam? Did the US go to war on false evidence? Now the Head of the military is openly acknowledging the US is involved in guerrilla war in Iraq instead of being liberators. Americans travelling overseas hate being taunted as warmongers and the whole attitude of the world has changed towards American citizens. Businessmen from US are sometimes ridiculed about their President?s attitude to the world and the violation and disrespect of international law. Not many people want to enter into business deals with US businessmen because of their bullish attitudes and disrespect of international law. The concept of ?you are either with us or against us? instils more paranoia, obsessive compulsive side-taking instead of partnership. The whole standing of the US business community has been damaged. This is why Bush is cajoling, stroking and luring the African nations with dollar signs. The credibility of US in the Middle East has been permanently tarnished and Bush has to look at a continent that he can help to rejuvenate and provide business opportunities for the Americans. Thus, the donations to African nations are not entirely humanitarian but an appeasement therapy for the folks back home in USA. Will the citizens of USA swallow this pill? Will Bush be ?picked? again in an election shamble that we saw, instead of being duly elected as President? Will the American public stomach the death of an average one soldier per day in disorderly Iraq? Can Africa win him a second term at the White House?

The world is bemused that the pulverised bodies of Uday and Qusay were photographed, flashed across the world to salvage a bit of glory for US-UK annihilation of Iraq. What is the ethics of these so-called civilised countries? Has Donald Rumsfeld made another gaffe by showing these pictures and alerting the enemies of US that this is what you should do to the people you do not like? Where is the respect and upholding of international conventions? Saddam?s sons may have been evil people but they were Muslims. Photographing dead bodies deliberately is forbidden in Islam. Thus, the US has again flagrantly violated Islamic principles. This can only breed resentment, antipathy and anger within the Islamic world and from supporters of Saddam. The US is consistently showing its lack of respect for this religion. When countries stop showing regard for a dead person?s religion, then the dark days of doom are here because spirituality is more to do with the sanctity of the soul. Bush has already said that Iraq will not have an Islamic government whether Iraqis like it or not. Africa has to be weary and countries like Nigeria will soon be told that they cannot have an Islamic state just as the legitimately elected Islamic Party of Algeria was thwarted from power. Once the US has the African continent entrapped through aid, there will be no return to self-determination. How long and how far will US go to curb religious beliefs from being part of some duly elected government? Mechanisms such as AGOA and other traps are only claws to grip the African continent. Has the EU and the US made any progress in discussing supportive plans for the smaller African countries? A recent interview with Jayen Cuttaree suggests no progress has been made at all. The EU and the US are busy furthering their own cause.

The world is also baffled; perplexed, mystified and paralysed by the way USA is treating the detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The suspects are being kept in squalid and nasty condition deprived of all human rights. They are in absolute seclusion and no contact with families and lawyers are allowed. Who knows how the US soldiers are treating the detainees? Their condition is just as what Bush described African slavery ?At this place, liberty and life were stolen and sold. Human beings were delivered and sorted, and weighed, and branded with the marks of commercial enterprises, and loaded as cargo on a voyage without return?. The TV camera has shown how badly and shoddily US soldiers have treated Iraqi suspects in their own country. The outside world is in complete darkness and Bush knows nobody in Africa, except Mandela perhaps, will challenge him on violating human rights in Guantanamo Bay. Even the poodle Blair who stood shoulder to shoulder with him has not and will not challenge him on human rights and the status of British detainees. The world needs to be reminded that NO single charge has been levied against any detainee yet, no relatives have been informed of any possible charges and there is no prosecution witness assembled so far to charge them. Now, Bush has declared that selected detainees will face a military tribunal ?kangaroo court? that has the power of inflicting death sentence. Why can?t the accused face an ordinary civilian court and justice? Why should their trial be behind closed doors? What has USA got to hide? Will this be an execution just as Saddam was being accused of inflicting on his enemies? How low will USA stoop to eliminate its enemies? That is why Bush has chosen to focus on Africa.

The world has to wake up

The challenge facing the Chairman of the African Union is not how to distribute the donations but to be blunt with Bush and question his treatment over the Guantanamo Bay prisoners? Which African leader will have the guts to look Bush in the eye and point out that the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay are human beings and they should be treated so? Who will say ?thanks but no thanks to US dollars and demand just treatment for human beings?? Will Mauritius make representations to USA to ask for human rights and international law to be upheld? Mauritius has the experience of ruffling British and American feathers over Diego Garcia. I paraphrase Martin Luther King who said that ?silence is betrayal. The time to speak up is now?. Those African leaders who remain silent have to search hard, high and low, their conscience and their political motives. No Nation should be allowed to hold the rest of the world to ransom just because it has better economic prosperity and military superiority. If the African leaders and especially the African Union do not speak up against human rights now, then they are adopting a betrayal posture. The world has to wake up and realise that Bush is not silly because he realises the damage he has done to his own country and he has to portray the compassionate and charitable side of the American people by banging the African drums. He also knows he has to play an easy and simple tune to get Africa dancing on his side and return to USA with international accolade. Failure in Iraq will be masked by plaudits from Africa. That is the game.

The hypocrisy of international politics has been accentuated by the death of Dr David Kelly, the British advisor on WMD. Two days before his suicide, Dr Kelly was cross-examined by a stern parliamentary committee on the dodgy dossiers and the issue of Saddam?s WMD ready in forty-five minutes to strike. The Ministry of Defence released Dr Kelly?s name as the suspected mole to the BBC to the committee. Such an unprecedented action was taken to protect the British PM and to carve a route for his third term battle to remain at No.10 Downing Street. If the super power and its associate are driving their own people to suicide, what chance does an ordinary African stand when they start firing on Africa? The African continent should not and must not swap poverty for US political and economic stronghold. If they do, they will be embracing a double-edged sword of surrender of their autonomy and freedom. African leaders must look at the bigger picture and value ordinary African lives, its unique civilisation, rich traditions and economic self-sufficiency. The US quick fix solution is indeed a chronic problem and not a solution at all. Opening up US market and engaging in Joint Marketing Initiatives will only benefit US businesses as other continents frown upon and turn down US imperialism. In today?s politics, alliance with the superpower is not seen as strength but a subservient role to police the master?s policies. Africa may be in difficulty but should not adopt a passive and deferential role in the longer term. The African Union must be more imaginative and creative in harnessing its human talents and natural resources instead of being a meek Oliver Twist with a begging bowl pleading ?can I have a little more, Sir?. The US will only seek more by camouflaging overseas aid as an investment with an expected advantageous return. Africa must have its own sentinel up and use its own style of politics to further the cause of Africans because nobody else will.

Africa does not want to be another Middle East where leaders are powerless and have become US policy implementers. It must keep its identity, distinctiveness and right of self-determination. There is no pretence that everything is rosy in Africa. Time is really hard and the African nations must learn quickly that war such as in Liberia and Sierra Leone will not further the cause of Africa. The whole continent will be better off by developing a class of African society that can think independently as individuals, value life, stop the maiming, the shooting and the systematic chopping off of limbs of women and children. Africa has failed to educate its people and it is high time education for the masses is reviewed and restarted. Only Africans will save Africa.

Taleb Durgahee