African Summit Fosters Anti-US Sentiment
Heidi Vogt, Associated Press
BANJUL, Gambia, 2 July 2006 — A summit of African leaders opened yesterday with a special welcome for the firebrand presidents of Iran and Venezuela, each visiting the poorest continent to win support for their anti-American agenda.
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh hailed the presence of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez and Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the summit of the 53-nation African Union as “a morale booster as well as an assurance that Africa can make it.”
Ahmadinejad’s visit was seen as an attempt to bolster Iran in its standoff with the United States and Europe over its nuclear program. The Iranian president has made several high-profile trips to Asia, where he drew crowds of Muslims cheering Tehran for defying the West.
He prayed with African Muslims at Banjul’s main mosque Friday, encouraging Gambian Muslims to “come together on the path of Islam to God.”
Ninety percent of Gambia’s 1.6 million people are Muslim, and Islam is a powerful force throughout much of Africa.
Leftist icon Chavez — who was to address the summit later Saturday — repeatedly attacks the US and President Bush in speeches and has worked to form Latin American trading blocs to counterbalance US economic power.
Venezuela, the world’s ninth-largest oil producer, has talked to African oil producers about potential collaborations, though no agreements have been signed, said Richard Mendez, deputy head of mission at the Venezuelan Embassy in Ethiopia.
Iran is the fourth-largest global oil producer.
Mendez added that Venezuela is hoping for African support in its bid for one of the rotating seats on the UN Security Council, a proposal opposed by the United States.
But Chavez’s appearance was more reflective of a broad desire to show solidarity with Africa, Mendez said.
The Venezuelan leader also is planning to visit Iran next month to discuss energy issues.
Leaders at the weekend summit are expected to address issues including the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region, the rise of a hard-line Islamic regime in Somalia and often-deadly illegal migration by Africans to Europe.
Even if resolutions are passed, African Union members aren’t beholden to them and the body has little funding to pursue independent action.
Among African leaders confirmed to attend were South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki, Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe and Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki.
On Darfur, the leaders are expected to reiterate calls for Sudan to accept UN peacekeepers to replace an overtaxed African Union force.
At a meeting this week, the group’s policy-making peace council made clear it wanted the handover, refusing to extend the mandate of African Union forces beyond September. The council also announced targeted sanctions against anyone who stands in the way of peace in Darfur.
Sudan has resisted UN peacekeepers for Darfur.
“We think the African Union could be supported,” rather than replaced, said Taj Elsir Mahjoub, a Sudanese delegate in Banjul.
The Darfur conflict began in early 2003 when members of ethnic African tribes rose in revolt against the Khartoum government.
Sudan’s government is accused of responding by unleashing Arab militias known as the janjaweed who have been blamed for the worst atrocities.
The conflict has left more than 180,000 people dead, driven 2 million from their homes, and undermined stability in neighboring Chad and Central African Republic.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was expected to meet with Mugabe, who is under increasing international pressure to resolve Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis.
A proposal threatening suspension of African Union membership for nations that abolish presidential term limits is also under consideration.
Original article posted here.
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CALL TO BATTLE: LAUNCH ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR IN JULY TO RESCUE DARFUR. Fast Day #8; Vigil Day #59 - A CONCRETE PROPOSAL
www.standwithdarfurwhitehouseii.blogspot.com
We are years, YEARS behind in stopping this Genocide; a tragic, inexcusable failure of will and humanity on our part. We must bring this to an end. Bashir's Genocide is exterminating 500 people per day, more than one 9/11 per week. We are giving crystal clear signals to Bashir that he has the time to exterminate, NOW, the remaining 3,000,000 people. Oxfam is pulling out, and the other aid groups are on the verge of following – too hostile on the ground. We are training ourselves to the "gradualism" that was Dr. King's greatest enemy and horror. We are fast depleting the energy that was so valiantly raised by so many of you by April 30th.
Nonviolent wars are not started with tricks and manipulation, emails, four hour demonstrations, letters or phone calls (although, brilliantly, the efforts by many of you thus far have set the stage). We can now win the war if we unleash the masses. Now. ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WARS OF THE MASSES are ALWAYS STARTED by a small group of NONVIOLENT "MARINES", fully acting out their anguish, agony and horror at the suffering of others (In APPENDIX below: Gandhi in India, Civil Rights Movement...). When these "Marines" do so and sufficiently pay an honest price, it is an irresistible media spectacle. The radical self-sacrifice of these "Marines" ignites the hearts of the masses – possessing less vision, imagination and information. Here is the idea:
STAGE #1. IGNITE THE ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR - DEPLOY THE NONVIOLENT "MARINES" to Rescue and Restore Darfur. Nonviolent campaigns need to be started by the few on the nonviolent side.
I pray that anyone that passionately wants to join will emulate the Gandhi/India campaign (APPENDIX) as follows:
We will begin a long, drawn out series of rolling arrests. Where? The White House. Alternate targets could be the Sudan Embassy, Chinese Embassy, Russian Embassy, United Nations in NYC, or one of the network headquarters for their profound non-coverage of Darfur. If it is the White House, this is not a protest aginst the White House, or President Bush. Why?
WE THE PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM AND THE ONLY SOLUTION. WE MUST DELIVER A MANDATE THAT 20-30,000 PEACEKEEPERS (preferably African Union and non-Western UN) BE ON THE GROUND IN DARFUR, BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, with sufficient empowerment/funding/support. With an unmistakable outcry from the masses, the administration and congress have given every sign that they will happily comply. They need a "win."
PHASE A: A minimum of 20 people are required for us to enter this phase. We need to dramatically demonstrate and HONESTLY EXPRESS the despair we feel over the agony of our Darfur family.
Every 3 hours (so it stretches over days) one of us nonviolently violates the rules at the White House President's Park so as to get arrested. The law is that for the first arrest there is likely to be a 12 hour or less holding period, a $50 fine, and then release.
Phase B. If by the end of this cycle of arrests (3 days elapsed?) we do NOT see the beginning-of-the-end of Hell for Darfur in sight the same group immediately goes through the process a 2nd time, knowing full well that 6 MONTHS IN PRISON may well be the price. This phase goes on until 1. all of us are in prison, OR, 2. the end of Hell for Darfur is assured.
Obviously numbers count for this initial action. If instead of the example of 20, it is 200 or 2,000 people, the impact goes up astronomically. Maybe "prison" will be avoided, but this CANNOT be our goal.
Those involved must fully accept responsibility for staying the course and make certain over the months and years ahead that US Imperialist Tendencies do not come to bear, and that we Rescue, AND Restore Darfur.
STAGE #2. THE MASSES OF NONVIOLENT WARRIORS BECOME ENGAGED, ORGANIZED AND DEPLOYED IN THE FIGHTING.
For every one of the initial "Marines" (just one riding alone across the battlefield in "Dances with Wolves"/100's walking into swinging clubs in Gandhi's India/100's facing the fire hoses down South - APPENDIX) the numbers multiply: 1,000, 10,000, 100,000. The masses become warriors too. National organizations (Africa Action, Save Darfur Coalition, STAND, Genocide Intervention) and other vehicles exist to register this 2nd tier of 100,000's, 1,000,000's of nonviolent fighters and to effectively utilize and deploy them; radically for the Save Darfur Coalition 9/17 event at the United Nations for example.
HOW TO ORGANIZE THE INITIAL STAND? Some thoughts:
Let's not care whose idea or what idea we implement. Instead, let us care that it is the best possible shot at raising the mass army THAT FIGHTS TO WIN, immediately. We must "be" the Truth Force that Gandhi so powerfully weilded. We must be the Truth of Darfur’s desperate need at the White House, at the United Nations, and wherever we go.
Got any ideas you think are good? Better? AWESOME! Contact me or tell me how to contact YOU! Want me to come and talk with you or your group? Want me to join and follow your group? Let's do it. Contact your friends, associates, acquaintances who might be interested.
Let's make this happen. We're killing time. Lets stop the Genocide This Summer, while there is life in Darfur to save.
Sincerely, Jay McGinley
email: jymcginley@cs.com
phone: 484 356 6243
………………………………….
Appendix: ADDITIONAL RATIONALE AND PERSPECTIVE
EXAMPLE: Do you remember the scene from "Gandhi" when for days, man after man after man walked headlong into swinging British clubs? Well, so did the millions of India, and the entire civilized world watch and remember, and ACT.
EXAMPLE: Do you remember the beginning scene from the movie "Dances With Wolves," when, impossibly, the hero rode across a Civil War field raging with gunfire, both sides behind stone walls, totally in stalemate? His insane ride miraculously shocked his side out of passivity and denial to follow him across the field and rout the opposition. (Yes, this was a violent war but it still illustrates the dynamic that radically committed leaders cause the masses to fight; no other way does it as well. Ever.)
EXAMPLE: Do you remember the TV images of the Civil Rights marchers getting fire-hosed, beaten, and attacked by Police Dogs then doing it all again? And how only then did the MILLIONS of US Citizens go to war? And, on, and on....
Harvard’s Samantha Power’s Pulitzer Prize winning Genocide study of the last 100 years presents a clear conclusion: “the battle to stop genocide has thus been repeatedly lost… [because] Americans outside the executive branch were largely mute….” From "Problem from Hell."
Isn't God/Goodness/Justice/Humanity/History asking us: "WHY DON’T YOU GO TO ALL-OUT NONVIOLENT WAR FOR YOUR FAMILY IN DARFUR?" We must start BEING THE ANSWER to this question by July’s end.
I am open to any appropriate way to go to nonviolent war as long as it equates to fighting to win and doing the very best that we can do.
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