This brings us to the Africa of today, which currently has more armed conflicts than any other continent. Defining a major armed conflict as one with at least 1,000 battle related deaths, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute identified 11 major conflicts in Africa in 1998. It is not surprising then, that during that year approximately 8.1 million of the roughly 22 million refugees in the world were in Africa. Millions more Africans are internally displaced. The proliferation of light weapons, financed by cash, diamonds, or other commodities, did not cause Africa’s wars, but has prolonged them and made them more lethal.

As of mid-1999, large scale wars were going on in Angola, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Rwanda, Somalia and Sudan. Low intensity conflicts plague several other countries including Burundi, Chad, Djibouti, Senegal and Uganda.

There has been a fundamental change of weapons sales in Sub-Saharan Africa since the end of the Cold War. Many nations and manufacturers are eager to empty warehouses and arsenals of arms made superfluous by post Cold War political and technological advances, view Africa as an attractive market. AK-47’s sell for as little as $6 in some African markets. In some African countries, it is easier and cheaper to buy an AK-47 than to provide a decent meal.

The regions conflicts have claimed close to, if not more than 10 million lives. According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 2 million deaths have been children. Some 4-5 million children have been disabled, another 12 million left homeless, and more than 1 million orphaned. Tens of thousands have become child soldiers.

Call me anti-Islam, but the fact is, if you want to know what Islam is all about, look no further than what is taking place in Sudan. Though it is true that oil plays a part, (the Arabic North is seeking control of the oil rich predominantly black Christian South) the conflict is more about the hostilities of Muslims against the "infidels." Even many of the more moderate Muslims oppose the imposition of Shari’a (Islamic law) on a largely non-Islamic population. It may be politically correct to refer to it as a Jihad, or Holy War, but it is genocide, none-the-less.

Oil rich areas are the main targets, where villages are ransacked, destroyed by fire, and the crops burned. Men are specifically targeted, and women and children are taken into slavery.

Over 2 million people have died in Sudan’s 20 year long war. Angola’s 30 year war has killed an estimated 500,000. During the last decade, genocide and insurgency have claimed over a million lives in Rwanda and several hundred thousand in Burundi. Liberia’s Civil War (1989-1997) took 150,000 lives. The list seems never ending.

Of course many areas throughout Africa face the possibility of war today. A great example of this is Zimbabwe. When Robert Mugabe took over as president of the former Rhodesia in 1980, the outlook was most favorable. However, as Mugabe’s regime has grown more and more corrupt, the nation has been taken to the brink of disaster. The main problems in Zimbabwe center around the land issue. From 1980 until 1992, a largely British funded program financed the purchase of approximately 3 million hectares of land (approximately 7.5 million acres), on what was known as the "willing seller – willing buyer" program, and some 62,000 families were resettled. 31.

This land redistribution program was not nearly fast enough to suit Mugabe, who had become quite the racist fanatic in the first 12 years of his presidency. As a result, Mugabe enacted the Land Acquisition Act, amending the constitution to deprive land owners the right to appeal government set prices in court. Once signed into law, this act basically became a "seizure at will" act, when the Zimbabwe government failed to raised foreign money to pay for land acquisitions. Mugabe wasn’t about to let the lack of foreign support for his land theft to slow him down.

The Mugabe government did compulsorily take 45 white owned farms in 1994, and according to reports, the choicest land was not given to the poor, but rather to cabinet ministers, generals and others well connected with the ZANU-PF. 32.

The current crises, which actually began in October of 1997, started when Mugabe stated at a political rally that his government Had decided to take land needed for redistribution from the with farmers without compensation. The government published a list of over 1500 properties, totaling over 5 million hectares (12.5 million acres) for takeover. "The demand and need for land by our people is now overwhelming," Mugabe said, adding, "if the British government wants us to compensate their children, they must give us the money." 33.

In 2000, Mugabe became incensed by the growing popularity, even among blacks, for the white supported Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Mugabe was only able to retain his position as president through an obviously corrupt 2002 election. But the fact that he was loosing support among his people only added fuel to his anger and he stepped up the land seizures.

Foreign nations have all but turned their backs on the problems facing Zimbabwe. In 1995, U.S. assistance to Zimbabwe exceeded $32 million. In 1999, it had dropped to below $9 million. 34.

Slowly, public awareness in the west is growing. People are beginning to ask why someone isn’t doing anything to help solve the problems in Africa. The answer to that question is certainly one of great complexity, but one cannot logically omit the following possibility; the western civil rights movement (which has been far from civil and certainly not right) has definitely played a part in the industrialized world turning a blind eye.

Consider the oft voiced positions of the Rev. Jesse Jackson or Louis Farrakhan. How many times have these and other so-called civil rights leaders pointed the finger at the west, specifically white America, for interfering with African affairs? They are even more quick to do so now, that there is a republican in the White House. Nelson Mandela has blossomed into the racist many projected him to be. Mugabe himself has ridiculed the west and publicly displays his racism to the world.

In our politically correct society, who wants to be the first to actually do something to help Africa when they know without doubt, they will be forever cast as obstructions. They will be labeled as racists, holding the black man down. Interfering where they don’t belong. Policing the world.

One thing all politicians all have in common. They all love power. None of them are willing to yield their power. In today’s climate of political correctness, wearing the racist label, or even receiving the charge of such, is the death-nell of any politician. Unless of course you are David Dukes or Robert Byrd, who just won’t seem to go away. No politician, and certainly no president, prime minister, or other such position, wants to be burdened with such a heavy cross to bear.

It is clear that Africa has untold riches. There remain vat resources as yet untapped. The day will come when the outside world will demand the development of Africa. In the meantime, what better way to make the job of taking what is needed from Africa than allowing the continent to destroy itself from within? With Africa having the dubious honor of having 83% of the worlds AIDS victims 35. and losing over 5 million people annually to malaria 36., compounded by the millions killed annually by wars, and top it all off with an entire continent in various stages of civil unrest, and you end up with an end result of an easy target when the time is right.

The day will come when the continent can no longer be allowed to sit dormant, for the most part, while the rest of the world progress. The vast African resources must then be tapped out of necessity. Whatever world organization is in power at that time, be it the New World Order, United Nations, European Union, or some other such socialist regime, Africa will then be an easy target for takeover. Meanwhile, white farmers will be kicked off their land. The genocide of Sudanese Christians will continue. Children throughout Africa will die of malaria, without the benefit of the use of DDT or some other such effective control measure. The general population will continue to be decimated by a combination of AIDS, war, starvation and lawlessness, and the outside world will give the appearance of caring by sending food now and then. Many will be responsible, but few will be held accountable. That is, at least while on this earth.

Monty L. Rainey
Email montyrainey@juntosociety.com 

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