President Jammeh                       Photo courtesy

The theme “Effective responses to global crises: strengthening multilaterialism and dialogue among civilizations for international peace, security and development” is indeed apt and relevant and demands that all nations big or small must adopt multilateralism and dialogue in fostering international partnership, and on all matters of common concern to global peace and development. Much can be achieved only when we all collaborate and work together within the framework of multilateralism, based on mutual understanding and respect but above all sincerity, strong commitment, universal justice under the same rule of law and equity.

 

The United Nations, has indeed adopted countless resolutions, which if implemented to the letter would have made this world a better place for all mankind. Unfortunately, some member states block well meaning resolutions necessary for the maintenance of world peace and even question or disregard resolutions passed, with impunity. As long as this continues to be the order of the day, the United Nations will remain united by name only; unable to achieve, in full, the fundamental objectives for which it was established. Urgent reforms are therefore needed in the modus operandi of the United Nations to ensure that this impunity is abolished and the principle of equality among nation states irrespective of their geopolitical size, location, or economic circumstances, race or religion are safeguarded. Double standards have no place in the United Nations.

 

There cannot be peace and security in the absence of justice for all. There cannot be justice in the face of abject poverty characterized by hunger and starvation, disease, and lack of basic social services as a result of exploitation. There cannot be justice if there is merciless exploitation, suppression and criminal invasions of sovereign states. There cannot be peace if there is no development as a result of marginalization, injustice and racism.

 

Unfortunately, injustice, racism, merciless exploitation and marginalization of especially the Developing nations by the Developed nations are the order of the Day. Africa and Africans are the poorest of the poor despite the fact that the African continent is the richest in terms of mineral and other natural resources! Despite the African continent being the source of 90% of the precious minerals, gemstones and strategic raw materials for the industrialized north, we the Africans are the poorest of the poor!

 

This situation is brought about by the perennial locust invasion and their permanent presence in Africa. They devour 90% of our useful African resources ranging from agricultural to mineral, flora and fauna resources. They  are present in all African resource rich countries today. This devastating permanent locust invasion is exacerbated by another destructive phenomenon, permanent drought which is affecting all African countries without exception.

 

We cannot do anything about these two deadly scourges because in the case of the locusts, they are protected by a one-sided international treaty that has been imposed on all the third World countries and not only Africa. For the drought, it is even worse as no irrigation system in Africa can eradicate it.

 

The locusts I am talking about are the Western multi national companies that exploit our natural resources as well as agricultural produce. They take 95% of their financial value and leave us the owners of these resources with only 5% or less at most. Is it not interesting that with regards to mining of African mineral resources, only four African countries receive more than 3% royalty from these multi national mining companies? The rest receive only 3% royalty or even less. In the case of petroleum exploitation, few countries receive above 15% royalty.

 

There is nothing African countries can do about this because these locusts have absolute monopoly of the Technologies being used in these extractive industries. The treaty that makes it impossible for us to do anything about it is called ‘globalisation’ which means the ‘exploitation’ of poor third world countries’ resources by the rich ‘first world’ countries.

 

With regards to the drought which is the debt burden, very few rich countries have cancelled the debt owed to them by third world countries. This excruciating debt burden consumes 80% of the 5-3% left by the multi national companies. Our Agricultural produce like tea, coffee, cocoa  are bought at prices fixed by the buyers in most cases at an average price of not more than one US Dollar per kilo whilst the same produce are being sold at more than fifteen US Dollars per kilo when processed. For every kilogram of our agricultural produce worth fifteen Dollars at the international western market, we get only one dollar! How can Africa develop and emerge out of this abject poverty.

 

African resources have been continuously looted from the 11^th century to date. Even dead bodies have not been spared. Graves were and are being desecrated and human bodies called mummies have been stolen from Africa. In a situation where even Africans in their graves are not spared, who in his correct state of mind expects us to be rich and developed? In Africa, RIP on a tombstone which normally means Rest In Peace has never been respected. RIP – now means Respected If Poor, that is the body in the tomb was not buried with any precious jewelry.

 

We Africans stand ready to liberate ourselves from this eternal bondage at any cost. As from now, the AU should work towards ensuring that African nations and farmers get their rightful share of our God- given natural and agricultural resources. We will no longer accept less than 65% royalty for our natural resources. It is African sweat, blood, tears and natural resources that have built the North throughout almost five centuries of merciless and racist exploitation until today. Enough is enough.

 

Instead of being respected, we are being called all sorts of names and given all sorts of titles, Dictators, Corrupt Leaders, Failed States and even Rogue States. We the new generation of African leaders must put an end to this humiliating, degrading and racist treatment. The world will not live in peace and security as long as this racist status quo continues to prevail with regards to the continent of Africa and Africans. We are going to put an end to it as we have ended Apartheid in South Africa. We will defend our humanity, our dignity, our resources, our interests and our culture.

 

HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis are killer diseases.

 

While I support for the work of the Global Fund to fighting these diseases, I wish to call for concerted efforts at resource mobilisation to support international research on traditional medicine and alternative diseases treatment programmes. These traditional systems are in most instances more cost-effective, yet abandoned for the sorts of criticisms that come from multinationals who feel threatened that certain traditional breakthroughs would be detrimental to their corporate existence and interests. These multinationals value their monetary gains more than human life. They should not be allowed to hold humanity to ransom. Their insatiable appetite for massive wealth at any cost has pushed them to the point of blindness and insensitivity to human suffering and loss of human life in the developing world especially in Africa.

 

On international peace and security, we call for more honest and stronger international cooperation and dialogue in addressing conflict prevention, peaceful resolution and respect of others’ cultural values, norms and ways of life. We must respect the fact that humanity is created to be diverse as planet Earth has different regions, each having diverse climatic and ecosystems. Therefore there is bound to be diversity in the colours of our skin diversity in the way we live and differences in our beliefs. Diverse as we may, we are part and parcel of the one human Family created by the one and only GOD Allah.

 

If we accept this principle that we are all human beings equal before the Only God that created us, and, that differences in religion and skin colour do not make one less human than others, then we will all live in perfect peace and harmony in this global village called the World. The problem is that some play God and believe that by virtue of the colour of their skin, they are better than the rest of humanity and therefore should dictate to them how they should live and worship. They impose their value systems on the rest of humanity. This unacceptable dictatorship is the source of all the world’s major conflicts and a contributing factor to the persistent threat to world peace.

 

Racism is on the rise, extreme hate mongers are increasing in numbers and ranks and, instead of condemning them as criminals and terrorists, they are called the far right, neo Nazis or supremacists and tolerated and even encouraged by the same powers who would happily bomb them back to the stone age if they were Muslim, black African or Asian. This calls for a united front against this dictatorship of a few over the rest of humanity, so that we can bequeath to generations of humanity yet unborn, a very peaceful and prosperous world devoid of destitution, exploitation and marginalization.

 

We support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco, and on the question of the Moroccan Sahara, we remain convinced that the proposal of the Moroccan Government to grant substantive autonomy to the Saharan Region on the basis of the negotiations initiated by the Security Council, and conducted and agreed by the Parties would lead to a lasting and peaceful resolution of the conflict.

 

We have been following keenly but with deep dismay, the protracted negotiations and a seeming connivance to prevent the reform of the Security Council. Africa would like to see a balanced representation of the Continents in the Security Council. Africa urges the President of the UN General Assembly to ensure that the continent of Africa has at least two permanent seats at the Security Council with full veto powers or else any resolution passed by the Security Council will not be binding on Africa or any AU Member State by the end of 2010. Africa, a continent ten times the size of Europe does not have a single permanent seat at the Security Council whilst Europe has more than one permanent seat.

 

Africa has been subjected to discrimination, marginalization, exploitation and humiliation for a very long time. We the Africans are no longer going to accept this status quo.

 

By H.E Sheikh Yahya Jammeh,

President of the Republic of Gambia