Developments overseas
The G8's greed in Africa

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

The continent of Africa is rich in many natural resources but it is mired in abject poverty and oppression. Over a long period, many of its countries were either colonies or semicolonies of imperialist countries like the UK, Russia, France, Belgium and Italy.

For centuries, giant imperialist enterprises plundered Africa and siphoned off its natural wealth such as oil, diamonds, gold and other minerals.

As a result, up to 300 million people now live on less than a dollar a day and over 28 million have HIV/AIDS.

Because of intensifying crisis and oppression, movements for change are once again gaining strength throughout Africa. They fight for various causes and range from movements against racism to movements for revolutionary social change.

The eight richest imperialist countries have tried to douse cold water on the people's growing resistance and their efforts to organize. In the recent G8 meeting in France last June 1-3, the condition of Africa was one of the principal items in the agenda. (The G8 consists of the US, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Russia and Japan.)

As before, they pledged economic support and social welfare to the 53 countries of Africa. The G8 founded the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and invited its members to the meeting as representatives of the entire African continent.

The G8 gave nothing to the NEPAD except promises and assistance tied to liberalization and globalization. In its avarice for Africa's wealth, the G8 is forcing countries in the continent to further open up their economies and lands to imperialist plunder and exploitation under the aegis of "globalization." This is despite the widespread hunger and inhuman conditions wrought by many years of globalization and liberalization's onslaught on their economies.

The G8 could not even deign to reduce by one bit over $2.5 trillion in debts that have swamped African countries. Eighty percent of these debts are owed to imperialist institutions like the IMF and the World Bank.

The G8 is also pushing for the sale of expensive medicines instead of reducing patent restrictions on traditional medicines that were merely stolen by giant companies from the rich African forests. Because of such avarice, malaria, TB and polio are still widespread. Aside from this, more and more Africans die from the simplest diseases, their resistance ravaged by malnutrition.

It is also greed that has principally motivated US President George W. Bush to offer $15 billion in aid to the effort to conquer AIDS in Africa. The only beneficiaries are giant pharmaceutical companies that sell expensive anti-AIDS medication. Bush moreover premised his aid on Africa's consent to import genetically modified foods and crops.

21 June 2003
English Edition

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