Complicity between the West and corrupt African leaders

http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,3604,1520547,00.html

A letter to the Guardian, 4 July 2005, deals with the root of Africa's problems:

The first problem mentioned is:

complicity between the west and corrupt leaders.

The writers state: In instances where Africans have democratically elected promising leaders, western governments have undermined or conspired in their political elimination and replaced them with puppet regimes.

The letter is signed by -
Patricia Daley Jesus College, Oxford; Firoze Manji Pambazuka News; Paul OkojieManchester Metropolitan University; Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem Global Pan African Movement; And four others

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http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/US_ThirdWorld/dictators.html

NIGERIA

General Sani Abacha was the reportedly corrupt dictator of oil-rich Nigeria. He 'rigged' elections. More than 100 government executions occurred in 1994, and numerous pro-democracy demonstrators were killed by police.

"Shell Oil provides most of the country's wealth by extracting oil from the Ogoniland region, while in the process causing severe environmental destruction and devastating the local economy."

"More than 700 Ogoni environmentalists protesting the destruction of their way of life, were executed."

In November 1995, environmental leader Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 associates, were hanged despite an international outcry.

"Shell supported Abacha's policies by its silence."

"Despite an outcry that Nigerian oil be boycotted, the US government refused to do so."

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UGANDA

General Amin once ruled Uganda.

When Amin had been a non-commissioned officer in the British Army he had helped to manage Britain's concentration camps in Kenya.

"Amin was picked by the British to replace the elected Ugandan government in a 1971 coup."

"Amin brutalized his people with British and US military aid and with Israeli and CIA training of his troops."

He murdered friends, clergy, soldiers, and ordinary Ugandans.

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LIBERIA

Pro-American Samuel Doe came to power in a bloody 1980 coup.

He received 'US aid and corporate kickbacks'.

Under his regime, the gross domestic product decreased by 13%.

Those who protested were jailed or killed.

Doe purchased over sixty $60,000 Mercedes Benz cars for his government ministers.

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MOROCCO

King Hassan ll ruled Morocco.

'95% of the population lives in abject poverty.'

In 1975, Hassan took his nation into a war in the Western Sahara that was costing the country over $l million a day.

The US backed Hassan 'diplomatically and financially in his war to annex the area'.

The US also took an active role in stopping coup attempts against the King.

Opposition figures were 'arrested and tortured'.

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ZAIRE/CONGO

"When Zaire's first elected President, Patrice Lumumba, appeared to be getting too close to socialism, US companies feared they might lose control of Zaire's precious cobalt, copper, and diamonds.

"So the CIA stepped in, assassinated Lumumba, and replaced him with Mobutu Sese Seko.

After 1965, Mobutu was "the US's main man in Central Africa."

Mobutu amassed an estimated $5 billion personal fortune at his nation's expense.

In 1974, when the US sent $1.4 million to assist troops fighting a civil war, "Mobutu pocketed the entire sum."

Malnutrition takes the lives of one-third of Zaire's children, and one child out of two dies before age five.

Mobutu's regime imprisoned and tortured its opponents.

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