Dévaluation imminente du Franc CFA

Billet de 10000 FCFA (1992)
Billet de 10000 FCFA (1992)

Un article du journal Notre Voie vient d’annoncer la dévaluation imminente du Franc CFA, prévue pour le 1 er Janvier 2012.  Bien que cela m’étonne, c’était à envisager, vu que l’Europe va mal, que la France est en faillite, quoi de mieux que de dévaluer le FCFA et multiplier son argent par 2, et les dettes des pays francophones envers la France qui vont aussi être multipliées.  Les seules personnes à déplorer là-dedans sont bel et bien ces africains, intello ou ignorants, qui ont applaudis lorsque les bombes françaises tombaient sur les civils ivoiriens et le président Gbagbo, tous ceux-là qui ont gloussé de joie quand le peuple libyen se faisait bombarder par 42 nations (l’OTAN) pendant plus de 8 mois.  Ils ont applaudis, disaient-ils, parce que le ‘dictateur’ Gbagbo devait partir… dommage car c’est bien Gbagbo qui avait commencé à imprimer une monnaie ivoirienne (le MIR).  Ils applaudissaient parce que, disaient-ils, le ‘dictateur’ Kadhafi devait partir… dommage car c’est bien Kadhafi qui avait crée et financé le fonds monetaire africain et la Banque centrale africaine qui devaient ouvrir leurs portes ce Décembre… dommage car c’est bien Kadhafi qui préconisait l’indépendance réelle de l’Afrique et une monnaie telle l’or pour les échanges.  Au lieu de cela, les africains sont restés silencieux ou ont gloussé de joie quand deux pays souverains africains étaient bombardés par des forces externes sans aucune déclaration de guerre.  N’avions-nous pas vu le peuple ivoirien se réunir à l’appel de Charles Blé Goudé le 26 Mars pour une veillée en support à leur président? N’avions-nous pas vu le peuple libyen se reunir a Bab-Al-Aziziyah le 1er Juillet, liant leurs mains et leurs drapeaux verts sur plusieurs kilomètres, en support a leur Guide? Que dire de quelqu’un qui applaudit quand la maison de son voisin vole en flammes? Que dire de quelqu’un qui ne bouge pas d’un pouce lorsque la maison de son voisin brûle? Ou lorsqu’elle est pillée de toutes parts? Est-ce un lâche? Est-ce un idiot? Non… plutôt un fou!

1000cfa (BEAO - 1983)
1000cfa (BEAO – 1983)

Aujourd’hui la dévaluation du Franc CFA est imminente… que faire de ce continent plein de lâches et fous? Qu’est-ce-que le peuple qui a supporté Gbagbo ou Kadhafi doit faire… car là-dedans il y a bien eu des gens censés, il y en a qui ont denoncé et continue de denoncer… Que faire quand il y en a parmi nous qui sont hypnotisés par le mot ‘démocratie’ sans vraiment comprendre ce que c’est que la democratie? … le 26 Mars nous avons vu le peuple ivoirien à Abidjan clamer son amour du beau et de l’indépendance; le 1er Juillet nous avons vu le peuple libyen clamer sa joie et son amour du Guide… c’est ça la vraie démocratie… et non la fusicratie (‘Je ne t’aime pas, je te tue’… ou plutot ‘je désire ton or, alors je te bombarde’).

25000 FCFA (Banque Malgache-1994)
25000 FCFA (Banque Malgache-1994)

J’ai appris il y a de cela quelques jours que la compagnie aérienne Swiss ne s’arrêterait plus au Cameroun, que Air Ivoire avait été vendue à Air France… et j’ai crié le ciel pour cette grosse malédiction, car comme je le disais en Avril lorsqu’on bombardait la Cote d’Ivoire, ‘si on ne fait rien la recolonisation de l’Afrique aura bel et bien commencé!‘  Que penser de ce continent ou on doit prendre Air France pour se déplacer d’une capitale africaine à une autre? Comment comprendre que l’on prenne Air France pour aller de Yaoundé à Brazzaville? de Dakar à Abidjan? ou de Lomé à Ouagadougou? ou de Niamey à Nouakchott? Quelle incongruité? et avec la dévaluation, mes freres africains seront servis! … bonjour l’asservissement total! Comment traiter avec la Chine avec une monnaie de singe? Comment prétendre vouloir de nouveaux rapports et se tourner vers la Chine pour les profits commerciaux quand on doit encore verser 70% de ses revenus à la métropole à cause de cette monnaie? Quelle incongruité! Oh je pleure pour toi, pauvre Afrique… tu es trop pleine de lâches et de fous! Je vous invite a voir cette vidéo sur l’histoire du Franc CFA (N’oubliez pas de regarder Parties 2, and 3).

28 Nov. 2011: Presidential Elections in DRC

Map of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Map of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Today is election day in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I would like to share with you this article by Antoine Roger Lokongo which I found quite interesting and deep, about the third presidential elections in the DRC after 51 years of independence, with a brief history of DRC since independence.  I have included some snippets from the article which I liked. You can read the full article on Panafrican Vision; it is entitled: D.R. Congo Democracy at crossroads – One election, two sources of legitimacy.

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‘Countries do not have permanent friends or allies, they have only permanent interests’

… when Joseph Kabila turned to the Western powers for assistance after the 2006 elections, they said they had other priorities.  Perhaps this was a wake-up call for Joseph Kabila.  This is how, in an interview given to Gettleman of the New York Times, Joseph Kabila himself explained why he turned to the Chinese for help after being disappointed with the West’s empty promises:
‘We said we had five priorities: infrastructure; health; education; water and electricity; and housing.  Now, how do we deal with these priorities?  We need money, a lot of money.  Not a 100 million U.S. dollars from the World Bank or 300 from the IMF [International Monetary Fund].  No, a lot of money, and especially that we’re still servicing a debt of close to 12 billion dollars, and it’s 50 to 60 million U.S. dollars per month, which is huge.  You give me 50 million dollars each month for the social sector and we move forward.  Anyway, that’s another chapter.  But we said: so, we have these priorities, and we talked to everybody.  Americans, do you have the money?  No!  Not for now!  The European Union, do you have three or four billion for these priorities?  No!  We have our own priorities.  Then we said: ‘why not talk to other people, the Chinese?’  So we said, [Chinese] do you have the money? And they [the Chinese] said, well, we can discuss.  So we discussed’.

Joseph Kabila, President of DRC
Joseph Kabila, President of DRC

This interview suggests that Joseph Kabila turned to the Chinese only after seeking help from Western powers.  That is exactly the dilemma Patrice Lumumba faced. Increasingly desperate, Patrice Lumumba went on an international trip to enlist Western support (including to Washington, London, Brussels…) to have Belgian troops who had orchestrated the secession of Katanga to leave immediately.  He did not get the support he expected and turned to the Russians for help.  He was immediately accused of being a communist and eventually assassinated.
Congolese leaders turn to other partners other than the ‘traditional Western partners’ because they are in need; and a friend in need is a friend indeed!  They do not mean necessarily to play of the West against the East and so on.  When Joseph Kabila turned to the West, the DRC was almost on the verge of bankruptcy. …

The question we want to deal with now therefore is: ‘What happened after Joseph Kabila turned to the Chinese in his country’s hours of needs?’ Continue reading “28 Nov. 2011: Presidential Elections in DRC”

Western Media Lies in Libya

The destruction of Libya: the cake
The destruction of Libya: the cake

With yet another lie today (the presumed death of colonel Mouammar Kadhafi… buried in the desert), I thought about recapitulating all the lies we’ve been served by western media since the attack of NATO on Libya:

21/02/2011 : The British minister of foreign affairs, William Hague, announced that Mouammar Kadhafi with his wife and daughter, had left the Libyan territory, and were in Venezuela (Lie!!!)

21/02/2011 : Saif Al Islam Kadhafi had been wounded in a fight with rebels (Lie!!!)

23/02/2011 : Aïcha Kadhafi had ran away to Malta (Lie!!!)

20/03/2011 : Khamis Kadhafi died in Brega in a plane crash (Lie!!!)

10/08/2011 or 05/08/2011? : Khamis Kadhafi died in Zliten, after a NATO raid (Lie!!!).

22/08/2011 : Saif Al Islam was captured by rebels, and his brother Mohamed had surrendered. Obama even came out of vacation to confirm in a speech… the next day, guess who was free? Saif!!! Never captured, etc…

27/08/2011 : Mouammar Kadhafi had ran to Algeria (Lie!!!)

29/08/2011 : Khamis Kadhafi had died in Tarhuna after intense combats, and was burried in Zliten… officially listed on the Wikipedia page. (Lie!)

29/09/2011: Mouammar Kadhafi was hiding near Algeria (Lie ?)

Libyan flag
Libyan flag

Last week: Moutassim Kadhafi had died (another Lie!!!)

Kadhafi is in Niger (Lie!!!) – Kadhafi is sick and will be transported to Saudi Arabia (Lie!!!) – Kadhafi is in the south of Libya (Lie!!!) – Kadhafi has been cornered in his campground (Lie!!!) – and the biggest of all, the start of it all, Kadhafi has killed 6000 of his own people (or was it 10,000?) (Lie!!!)

The list is so long… How many times has Khamis died again? 8 times! and how many times was Saif captured? at least twice! How many times did Kadhafi run away? Did we ever see OBL’s body after his supposed death in May? No wait… it was disposed off at sea! Now Kadhafi’s body has been disposed of in the desert! I guess one lie couldn’t fly twice. Well… my friends, the message is simple: stop being gullible… open your eyes and learn. Read Mathaba!

La charte de l’impérialisme

La présente « charte » a été élaborée à Washington pendant la « traite négrière », ensuite discrètement négociée à la « conférence de Berlin en 1885 » pendant que les puissances Occidentales se partageaient l’Afrique ; renégociée secrètement à Yalta au moment du partage du monde en deux blocs après la deuxième guerre mondiale et pendant la création de la « Société des Nations », l’ancêtre de l’« ONU ».  Source : « Musée de Tervuren ».

La charte de l'imperialisme telle publiee dans le journal "La Nouvelle Expression"
La charte de l’imperialisme telle publiee dans le journal “Germinal “

I. DISPOSITION GÉNÉRALE

Article 1° :
De la Devise : – Devise  de  l’impérialisme : Gouverner le monde et contrôler les richesses de la planète ; Notre politique est de diviser pour mieux régner, dominer, exploiter et piller pour remplir nos banques et faire d’elles les plus puissantes du monde.

Article 2° :
Aucun pays du tiers-monde ne constitue un Etat souverain et indépendant.

Article 3° :
Tout pouvoir dans les pays du tiers-monde émane de nous, qui l’exerçons par la pression sur les dirigeants qui ne sont que nos marionnettes. Aucun organe du tiers-monde ne peut s’en attribuer l’exercice.

Article 4° :
Tous les pays du tiers-monde sont divisibles et leurs frontières  déplaçable selon notre volonté. Le respect de l’intégrité territoriale n’existe pas pour le tiers-monde.

Article 5° :
Tous les dictateurs doivent mettre leurs fortunes dans nos banques pour la sécurité de nos intérêts. Cette fortune servira des dons et crédits accordés par nous comme assistance et aide au développement aux pays du tiers-monde.

II. DU RÉGIME  POLITIQUE

Article 6° :
Tout pouvoir et gouvernement établi par nous est légal, légitime et démocratique. Mais tout autre pouvoir ou gouvernement qui n’émane pas de nous est illégal, illégitime et dictatorial, quelle que soit sa forme et sa légitimité. Continue reading “La charte de l’impérialisme”

Africans and the Trap of Democracy

Libya, the Prey of the West
Libya, the Prey of the West

With the bombing of the presidential residence in Cote d’Ivoire by French forces for over a week, followed by the arrest of president Laurent Gbagbo, with the current intense bombing of Libya by NATO for the past 6 months, I cannot help but try to answer some of the same justifications used by Africans to approve the bombings by foreign troops on their neighbors’s countries, and ultimately on African soil. Any African who claimed and accepted that Cote d’Ivoire should be bombed by the French, shame on you! Any African who thought that the bombing of Libya was correct… shame on you! Any African who uses the same stupid phrase used by the West to abuse us: “… well Gbagbo had his day, he was in power for 10 years!… or Kadhafi was there 42 years!” Well my friend… Shame on you! Should democracy be imposed using bombs? Should democracy be imposed using warplanes, and Apache helicopters? Is it democracy to bomb the people you plan to help? Is it democracy to deliberately bomb civilian targets, hospitals, state televisions, homes, etc… to, like NATO said “protect civilians”? Was there not a peaceful solution? Was it so hard to re-count the votes in Cote d’Ivoire? Was it so hard to organize elections as Kadhafi asked? Why bomb? Why bomb? Why bomb?…

Libyan flag
Libyan flag

Now tell me, you, African who live in the west, are you in a democracy? When government increases taxes… do they ask you? When airline companies increase the price of air ticket, do they ask you? When school tuition goes up by 15%, have you been asked? Continue reading “Africans and the Trap of Democracy”

A message from the Guide of the Revolution

The current article can be found in its integrality on Mathaba.net

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From the international liaison office of the Green Committees Movement

Oppressed people around the world, the battle has begun. Do not despair, help is nigh. Do you realize that this is the Night of Power? What is the Night of Power? It is better than thousands of other nights, it is the destiny, when the heavens are open to receive your prayers thousands fold.

Watch what is happening now in America. Did we hit them with our missiles? No, they came and struck us, 64 hits on Bab Al-Aziziya which is now destroyed, and finally I had to leave my home, where they killed many innnocents. But I will never leave Libya and in this fight, it is either victory or death. […]

… true friends of Libya, and you are with me. Do not despair of the rat flag on only one house out of one million. All of you can cut pieces of green cloth, measured exactly two by one in dimension, that is your flag, the flag of people’s power, of hope, of truth, of the future.

All you in the world who support truth, freedom, Jamahiriya, hang it on millions homes, cars. The green flag is yours and belongs to all the masses of the world. With the dawn of people’s authority and the end of governments, we chose the green flag and made its colour and dimension easy for all. Choose any green. Cut it one by two, exactly, and hang it everywhere, carry it with you.

Soon the green flag will fly all over the world, as governments collapse, they failed their people, I alone did more than all of them. They served different masters. They did not intend to serve the people, never. They are owned by others. They do nothing for you. Ignore them and they are gone. Prepare yourselves by forming committees, openly or in secret, set up your local mathabas to meet and share. Chart the way forward. The green flag belongs to you all.

The future is jamahiriya, everywhere. Masses self-governing societies. Basic popular congresses and people’s committees. Green committees to guide, defend, expose, call, show the way forward to people’s power. It’s all there in The Green Book, read it, copy it, share it. Use your own communication systems, don’t rely on the enemy. Make your own communications. Take back your resources to your hands, do not be afraid of power, possess it. It is your power, wealth and arms that the governments, banks and militaries stole from you. Continue reading “A message from the Guide of the Revolution”

Libya: Media lies exposed – Saif-al-Islam and a Resurgence like no Other

Dear all,

With the current events in Libya, I cannot help but try to make my contribution to the freedom of the people of Libya who are currently fighting an unjust war brought to them by the imperialistic powers of the world. The war in Libya, under the false pretense of “protecting civilians” has been a set-up from the beginning. In the name of the protection of ‘civilians’, civilians are being killed! Today NATO bombed Bab Al-Aziziya 64 times! Imagine that… 64 times! What in the world requires 64 bombs all at once in one compound? Goodness Gracious! As hatred unfurls in Libya, as my Libyan brothers and sisters are being attacked by the greed of western bankrupt bankers… As the western media continue their saga of lies with a Saif-Al-Islam captured and extradited to the ICC one day, and him resurrecting and giving a tour of Tripoli to western media the next day … I could not help but show you a different side, the side of the Libyan people, the side of our winning Spirit, the spirit of the Guide! Enjoy!

Globalization: When the IMF manufactures Misery/ Mondialisation: Quand le FMI fabrique la Misere

In view of the current debt crisis grabbing the western hemisphere these days, and the floods of austerity measures brought in by the IMF/World Banks/European Central Banks/Federal Reserve, etc…, austerity measures which never solve a thing but make the situation worse than ever… I thought about showing you this great documentary entitled “Globalization: When the IMF manufactures Misery (Mondialisation: Quand le FMI fabrique la Misere).” It reminds me of all these austerity measures implemented on third world countries by the IMF/World Banks in the 1980s and 1990s, which totally crippled their economies, and created even greater poverty. Not a real solution… but a way for the big banks and corporations of the Western hemisphere to fill their pockets, and keep the other people of the world in chains. Watch and enjoy!

Don’t forget to watch part 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Le Président Gbagbo s’adresse aux Ivoiriens à L’occasion de la fête nationale

Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Gbagbo

J’ai trouvé le discours du Président Gbagbo à l’occasion de la fête d’independance Ivoirienne très très pertinent, surtout face aux problemes actuels de l’Afrique (Côte d’Ivoire, Libye, Zimbabwe, …) dans le nouvel ordre mondial du gangsterisme! J’invite tout africain à le lire. L’intégralité du discours se trouve sur Revue de Presse CI ——

Ivoiriens, Ivoiriennes, peuples de CÔTE D’IVOIRE, très chers compatriotes, très chers habitants de la CÔTE D’IVOIRE.

Je voudrais, en ce jour solennel qui marque le 51ème anniversaire de l’Indépendance de notre pays, me joindre à chacun de vous pour rendre d’abord gloire à Dieu, notre Maître qui continue de manifester sa fidélité à notre pays, malgré les tribulations de ces derniers moments. […]

Cette réflexion est un exercice de prospection de nous-mêmes qui s’impose à chaque citoyen de ce pays, mais surtout aux dirigeants, et aux responsables politiques et administratifs qui ont la charge de conduire le destin de notre nation, surtout dans le contexte actuel de grands traumatismes causés à notre peuple, qui n’aspire qu’à vivre sa souveraineté en tant qu’acteur et sujet de l’humanité, et non pas comme simple objet ou simple spectateur de la construction de sa propre histoire.

L’Indépendance est une notion forte, qui renvoie à un mouvement de rupture. La rupture ici ne s’entend point d’un isolement ou d’un repli sur soi, position idéale des faibles, mais elle correspond plutôt à une métamorphose de la conscience, qui fait passer celui qui s’en prévaut, de la servitude à sa pleine responsabilisation dans le processus de construction de l’humanité. […]

Je mesure mieux de ma position, les grandes souffrances, mais en même temps le grand mérite de tous ces hommes qui, à travers l’Histoire, ont combattu pour la Liberté et l’Indépendance de leur peuple. Je pense notamment à Martin LUTHER KING, dont l’engagement politique jusqu’à la mort a permis, plus de quarante ans après, l’élection de Barack OBAMA comme Président des ETATS-UNIS d’Amérique; à GHANDI, dont l’ œuvre continue de nourrir l’âme de la grande INDE; au Général de GAULLE qui a refusé la fatalité de la défaite pour restaurer la grandeur perdue de la France; à Mao TSE TOUNG, qui a rompu les liens de la servitude au prix d’énormes sacrifices pour donner à la CHINE sa gloire d’aujourd’hui.

Je loue le courage de MANDELA, de Kwame NKRUMAH, de Patrice LUMUMBA et de tous les autres dignes combattants de l’Afrique, qui sont des exemples de don de soi pour la liberté et la fierté du peuple africain. Je salue plus particulièrement la mémoire de nos illustres pères qui ont combattu pour dessiner les contours de ce que nous appelons Indépendance. Leur mérite est tout à fait grand dans le contexte qui était le leur.

Mais nous devons avoir à l’esprit que leur combat serait vain si nous nous arrêtions à admirer seulement leurs acquis. Les symboles de l’Etat et les armoiries de la République nous rappellent chaque jour notre devoir et notre responsabilité devant notre propre destin. Chacun est appelé à leur donner un sens réel. C’est le combat permanent qui doit mobiliser toutes les énergies des filles et fils de notre pays. […] Continue reading “Le Président Gbagbo s’adresse aux Ivoiriens à L’occasion de la fête nationale”

NATO’s debacle in Libya

Libyan flag
Libyan flag

This article by Alexander Cockburn is on the Pambazuka website.

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After three and a half months of bombing and arms supply to various rebel factions, NATO’s (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) failure in its efforts to promote ‘regime change’ in Libya is now glaring. Obviously NATO’s commanders are still hoping that a lucky bomb may kill Gaddafi, but to date the staying power has been with the Libyan leader, whereas it is the relevant NATO powers who are fighting among themselves.

The reports from Istanbul of the deliberations of NATO’s contact group have a surreal quality as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Foreign Minister William Hague gravely re-emphasise their commitment to regime change and the strengthening of ties to the Transitional Council in Benghazi, while the humiliation of the entire NATO expedition is entering the history books as an advertisement of the dangers of political fantasy in the service of ‘humanitarian interventionism’, appalling intelligence work, illusions about bombing and air power and some of the worst press coverage in living memory.

[….] Cameron, like Sarkozy, Clinton and Barack Obama presumably had intelligence assessments of the situation in Libya. Did any of them say that Gaddafi might be a tougher nut to crack than the presidents of Tunisia or Egypt, might even command some popular support in Tripoli and western Libya, historically at odds with Benghazi and the eastern region? If they did, did they pay any attention?

The Western press, along with al-Jazeera, was no help. The early charges of Gaddafi committing ‘genocide’ against his own people or ordering mass rapes were based on unverified rumour or propaganda bulletins from Benghazi and have now been decisively discredited by reputable organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Any pretensions the International Criminal Court (ICC) might have had to judicial impartiality have been undermined by the ICC’s role as NATO’s creature, rushing out indictments of Gaddafi and his closest associates whenever NATO’s propaganda agenda has demanded it. […]

All history shows that the dropping of thousands of bombs and missiles, with whatever supposed standards of ‘pin point accuracy’, never elicits the enthusiastic support of civilians on the receiving end, even if a certificate of humanitarian assistance and merciful intent is stamped on every projectile. Recent pro-government rallies in Tripoli have been vast. Libya has a population of about 6 million, with 4 million in Tripoli. Gaddafi barrels around the city in an open jeep. Large amounts of AK-47s have been distributed to civilian defence committees. Were they all compelled to demonstrate by Gaddafi’s enforcers? It seems unlikely. […]

In early March, Sarkozy, languishing in the polls, believed the counsel of ‘new philosopher’ Bernard-Henri Lévy, after the latter’s 6 March excursion to Benghazi, that Libya and its oil were up for grabs. On 11 March Sarkozy took the precipitate step of recognising the Benghazi gang as the legitimate government of Libya and awaited Gaddafi’s collapse with a confident heart. In a hilarious inside account of the NATO debacle, Vincent Jauvert of Le Nouvel Observateur has recently disclosed that French intelligence services assured Sarkozy and Foreign Minister Alain Juppé ‘from the first [air] strike, thousands of soldiers would defect from Gaddafi’. They also predicted that the rebels would move quickly to Sirte, the hometown of Gaddafi and force him to flee the country. This was triumphantly and erroneously trumpeted by the NATO powers, which even proclaimed that he had flown to Venezuela. By all means opt for the ‘big lie’ as a propaganda ploy, but not if it is inevitably going to be discredited 24 hours later.

We underestimated al-Gaddafi,’ one French officer told Jauvert. ‘He was preparing for forty-one years for an invasion. We did not imagine he would adapt as quickly. No one expects, for example, to transport its troops and missile batteries, Gaddafi will go out and buy hundreds of Toyota pick-up in Niger and Mali. It is a stroke of genius: the trucks are identical to those used by the rebels. NATO is paralysed. It delays its strikes. Before bombing the vehicles, drivers need to be sure they are whose forces are Gaddafi’s. “We asked the rebels to a particular signal on the roof of their pick-up truck,” said a soldier, “but we were never sure. They are so disorganised…?”’

Read the rest here → Pambazuka: Nato’s debacle in Libya