The 5th African-African American Summit, convened in Accra, Ghana, by the Rev. Leon Sullivan brought African leaders and Black leaders from America together to discuss how the continent will progress into the next century.

The leadership deliberated over issues crucial to Black progress on the under-developed continent—issues such as health, the environment, agriculture, democracy and governance, but most of all business, trade and investment.

The key to Africa’s success, according to African heads of state and conference participants, is a successful linkage between Africans and their brethren in America.

Rev. Sullivan and host President Jerry John Rawlings were quite clear in calling for less talk and more action, particularly from Blacks in America. Africans also must find a way to reduce the costs of doing business in Africa, Pres. Rawlings said.

This year Rev. Sullivan launched the People’s Investment Fund for Africa (PIFA) where Black Americans are asked to contribute $500, $1,000 or $2,000 to an interest-bearing account to provide capital for small businesses in Ghana. A six percent interest on the funds is guaranteed and each investment will be matched dollar for dollar. The African Development Bank based in Abidjan will manage the fund.

Rev. Sullivan must be applauded for his tireless efforts to bring dignity to Africa and Black people. His ability to bring corporations and even governments to the table is remarkable.

But Africa must also beware of the motives of those who come to the table. Certainly, if the developed nations wished to see Africa free and independent, Africa would be much more developed than she is now. What these corporations and government interests do is give just enough to keep the African nations wanting for more.

If Africa is to be truly independent, she must be able to take her precious raw materials and process them into finished products. That would allow her to sell at a higher cost instead of shipping raw material to Europe and America for processing and repurchasing a finished product at high prices.

Why won’t the developed white nations help Black Africa to set up her own oil refineries, chocolate-processing plants, and automobile factories? It is because those countries want to maintain control.

America, France and England are fighting their own little war for control, or at least influence, in Africa. We’ve witnessed how Europe carved up the continent at the turn of the last century and the devastation that was visited upon our people and our continent.

Although their strategy is different at the turn of this century, could their motives and goals still be the same?

The American government was well represented at the Summit. She knows that Ghana is a good market and a stable place to invest. It is her launching pad for further influence in Africa.

We want America to really help Ghana and Africa. America must lead the way in canceling debt to Africa; she must invest in a way that will result in jobs for "the little man" in Africa; and while she must expect her investments to reap profits, this next century she must not expect her investments to buy control of the continent where she can rape it of its wealth just as western powers raped her before.