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Cameroon A France–Africa «Counter Summit» |
GLOBALISATION
There’s a wealth of accusations coming from the National Committee for Civic Action vis à vis the France-Africa summit due to take place in Yaoundé. «A Mafia Family», «Francophile Dictatorships», «looting natural resources», «frequent grandiose jamborees», are just some of the more colourful allegations from the National Committee for Civic Action which is preparing to organise its own «counter-summit» at the same time
The National Committee for Civic Action (CNAC) continues to recruit new followers just months before the next France-Africa summit in January 2001. It has sent out a call to the whole country and the world to hold a «counter-summit» to the official France-Africa summit. Its followers come from the public at large, plus personalities such as Barrister Yondo Black, Professor Eboussi Boulaga, the writer Mongo Beti, the novelist Calixte Beyala, the Pan-Africanist Hubert Kamgang who are among those organising this «counter-summit». In an official announcement, the CNAC members eschew the niceties of diplomatic language in their condemnation: «For decades we have been denouncing these recurring solemn jamborees which bring together the Mafioso-like family called the Francophones, with the President of France as the “pompous godfather”; with African heads of state playing second fiddle and showing him obsequious devotion. However, our denunciations have never put a damper on the hateful sessions which cost billions, while our little children die of malaria because of lack of quinine». To get down to basics, the CNAC proposes the organisation of a large gathering of protesters in Yaoundé, as at the Seattle summit. Likewise, the CNAC invites friends of Africa to join with them «in expressing their anger at francophone dictatorships; the despoliation of their natural riches; the confiscation of their monetary sovereignty; the deliberate impoverishment of their peoples».
Some people criticise the methodology normally used on such international occasions: First comes the meetings of experts; then the heads of state solemnly initial prepared documents. Thus, observers protest that bureaucrats end up by deciding on their own matters which often have a bearing on the destiny of ordinary people. This is the reason why women’s associations, university specialists etc., and in short, what is normally called the ordinary people, get no opportunity to contribute to the establishment of priorities and solutions to the problems of their countries. In a word, the France-Africa summit appears to the National Committee for Civic Action as a means of permitting the old French colonial power to defend its interests and to perpetuate its position for exploiting its own «patch» in Africa.
This point of view is shared by the philosopher, Marcien Towa, even though he is not a member of the CNAC. Marcien Towa starts from the observation that the France-Africa summit brings together a number of important heads of state and governments. His concern arises from the fact that the France-Africa summit is in competition with the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) which represents for him «the best platform to raise problems and to defend African interests. We must be sufficiently true to ourselves and united at a time when hubs of development are being formed in North America, in south-east Asia and in Europe. Africa is large enough to have its own hub of development». Marcien Towa, who is a convinced panafricanist, thinks that the OAU alone, could enable Africa to play a role commensurate with its immense potential, and open the way to renewal. That is why he looks with a jaundiced eye on the activities of the old colonial powers, «thus putting us in danger of being reduced to a mere appendage of Europe, and of using us to promote their own interests and their ambitions as great powers». He explains: «Speaking of democracy, our real problem is one of independence. There is a need to unite. That is the reason why the independence of Ghana without panafricanism had no meaning for Kwame Nkrumah.»
Preparation of the Summit
These different expressions of opinion do not discourage the government of Cameroon, which considers the organisation of the upcoming France-Africa summit as one of the proofs of «Outreach Diplomacy». It is in this way of thinking, that Cameroon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised pre-seminars and international consultations on «Africa facing the challenge of globalisation», the theme which has been chosen for the next France-Africa summit. These events were held respectively on 28-29 August and 11–12 September 2000 in Yaoundé, with support from United Nations Programme for Development and the International Francophone Organisation.
The work of participants from Africa and elsewhere, focused on an evaluation of the present international situation, and the formulation of strategies and recommendations making for a better preparation of the 21st France-Africa summit. As regards peace and security, participants at the Yaoundé seminars proposed strengthening personnel and institutions, capable of maintaining and re-establishing peace on international, regional and sub-regional levels. The establishment of an African Court of Human Rights and Freedoms was not put on the back burner. The same with the annulment of the external debts of African states and the orientation of the flow of capital towards Africa, in order to re-launch development and growth in the continent. Some people were of the opinion that the inclusion of Africa in globalisation, should be through mastering science, the preservation of the environment, adopting new technologies and the development of international co-operation. The substance of these files will form the matters to be discussed at the forthcoming summit.
Taking part in those meetings, the novelist, Calixte Beyala, (already regarded as the «bête noire» in this meeting) was not afraid to speak out: «Africa accepts everything. After democracy, it’s now globalisation. But we are not ready, we have no hope. Our children must first be educated and looked after...» More explicitly: «If intellectuals are silent, it’s serious. For Africa to gain by participation in these France-Africa meetings, which make a mockery of globalisation, there must be an answer to many questions, and human, ideological, political, and economic parameters must be defined.»
The reaction of the government daily was not long in coming: «If the franco-sceptics, who are numerous here as elsewhere, still doubt about the utility of France-Africa summits which are considered wasteful of state resources and bits of folklore, the forthcoming summit, centred on Africa and globalisation, which Yaoundé will host at the beginning of next year, will perhaps convince them». So said the Cameroon Tribune on 13 September, 2000.
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