The Palestinian struggle: Africa can make a difference

The nations of Africa and their leaders should reflect on the axiom, "Those who fail to learn the lessons of history, are doomed to repeat them." When Blacks of South Africa were under the vicious, racist apartheid regime, we looked for the support of the civilized world to side with the Black masses. We Africans at home and abroad expected businesses not to do business with South Africa under its former White rulers. We condemned Black entertainers who would entertain in South Africa. We also condemned any African, Caribbean, Asian or Arab government that had diplomatic relations with South Africa at that time.

One of the reasons that Black America and our leadership never accepted Jonas Savimbi, who was recently killed in an ambush in Angola, was because we all knew he was supported by the racist apartheid regime in South Africa. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan tried to sell him to some of our uninformed leaders as a freedom fighter.

As a result of the European occupation, land was stolen. Consequently, Europe made imperialism the order of the day throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The struggle for liberation across Africa was about a fight for land. The first stage of the struggle against imperialism produced a national movement in just about every country where the European imperialists established their rule.

Nationalism is a reaction to European imperialism. This is why it was easy for most of progressive African states to break off diplomatic relations with Israel in 1967. African leaders understood how the occupation of the colonial settlers found a way to use imperialism to justify their thievery of the land from the indigenous people. In the case of Black Africa, they called it the White man�s burden. In the case of Palestine, the Zionists used God�s name, stating that God promised this land to us.

The newly formed African Union, which emerged from the last OAU (Organization of African Unity) Summit held in Lusaka, Zambia, July 2001, now has an opportunity to show its solidarity with the Palestinian people. When the African Union convenes in Pretoria July 2002, it will be its inaugural summit meeting. The African Union will have a symbolic and historical opportunity to make all of their former colonial masters take note that Africa has not forgotten the lessons of history.

Of all the African leaders, President Thabo Mbeki should understand how pressure by the African masses as well as African leadership could make a difference. What if in the ANC�s agreement with the racist apartheid regime of South Africa, it was stated that nearly one million or more Black South Africans could not have the right of return to their own land. Would that be acceptable? All of the African nations should recall how the Palestinian brothers and sisters were granted honorary membership in the OAU. The Palestinians attended most, if not all, of the OAU meetings and strongly supported our struggle to free our lands and people.

What if every African nation that has reopened or opened a new embassy in Israel (many under American pressure) would recall their ambassadors in protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land? The recalling of African ambassadors could also be in protest to how the vice president of America visited Israel and clearly demonstrated the extreme bias that the American administration under President Bush holds towards the Israeli side in this war.

African nations can make a difference and should be principled and stand fearless against the loss of American or Israeli economic aid. The African leadership must stand firm against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon�s campaign of terror, the killing of children, assassinations targeting Palestinian leadership and the destruction of Palestinian Authority infrastructure.

It is clear that Ariel Sharon�s policies are producing more suicide bombers. The next step would be for the African nations representing nearly 800 million people to close all Israeli embassies at one time on the African continent. This will open the way for the strong African leadership to challenge the Arab summit, to push an OPEC call for an oil boycott for 30 days.

Remember the lessons of history, lest we become doomed to repeat them. The military superiority of America in Vietnam and the French military might in Algeria mattered little against a people driven by a belief in his or her own cause of national liberation and sovereignty. The Israelis are learning this lesson the hard way.