Africanews
African countries continue to suffer amid growing burden and reduced International aid. In the US, The African Justice and Faith Network is out to put Africa's case to congress and other international organisations. |
During a visit to the US from September 17 to October 10, I was lucky to meet a group of professionals who advocate Africa's case at the US Congress and other international organisations dealing with Africa.
The Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) was founded in 1983 for the purpose of looking at the policies of the United States that may be responsible for the injustices in Africa, for example trade, debt, transnational corporations and arms sales.
Sister Maura Browne the centre's Executive Director said, "Our mandate is to do research, analysis, followed by public education which leads to action." Sister Maura who worked in Kenya for 12 years added: "To do this, we need to be in constant contact with Africa." The centre has installed a computer network that links it to other groups fighting for justice in Africa.
The AFJN is the only Catholic Church-funded institution dealing with African issues in the US. Based at the Catholic University in Washington D.C, the centre's budget of slightly over $100,000 is provided by Catholic congregations. Sister Maura noted that conflict in Africa means less funds for the centre since the church has to aid projects in the affected areas in particular Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan.
A former teacher in Kenya's Meru district, sister Maura also holds a law degree which she earned after returning to the US. She joined AFJN in 1984 and worked with Father Joseph Donders, a Dutch missionary who also worked in Kenya.
Besides Sister Maura, I met Mr Ezekiel Pajibo, a Liberian who is responsible for western and southern Africa. Mr Pajibo, former president of the Liberia student Union and the Young Catholic Student Union, came to the US in 1986. He was imprisoned three times under the Doe regime and at one time was to be executed but the gun never fired. It turned out to be just mock execution to make him reveal secrets. He was arrested many times and held for 11 months. He was later pardoned by the late Samuel Doe.
Mr Pajibo said the aid criteria should be based on a regime being able to:
The AFJN has urged the US to support the work of the international tribunal on Rwanda and has urged African countries and anyone else hosting genocide suspects to hand them over to the tribunal.
AFJN supports cancellation of Africa's debt which stands at $210 billion. Mr Pajibo said Africa cannot develop while it shoulders this heavy burden. The AFJN is also urging a ban on production and selling of land mines used mainly in the Angolan war. Finally, the AFJN is closely monitoring conflict-resolution on the continent in particular in Burundi, Rwanda, Liberia and Sudan.
Mr Pajibo noted that current US aid to sub-Saharan Africa at $600 million is too low since out of this South Africa receives $200 million. He said the largest recipients of US aid in the last 15 years are Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya and Zaire. They added that the AFJN has questioned the nature of this aid since 40 per cent of it was military or security related yet none of these countries have been threatened externally except Somalia which fought a war with Ethiopia.
He said the aid encouraged governments to violate rights of their people. He gave the example of US-trained soldiers who took part in coups citing Captain Yayah Jameh of Gambia, the late Samuel Doe and Rwanda's Paul Kagame. He stressed: "American aid should benefit African people. Since the Cold War has ended, the US does not have reason to support dictators for example Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire." In fact one of the goals of the Republican Party should they win the US Presidential election set for November 5 is to invite President Mobutu to visit Washington. Other goals is to drastically cut foreign aid and US missions abroad.
Another professional I met during my US visit is Sister Fredericka Jacob, 66, who is in charge of East and central Africa at the AFJN. Sister Fredericka worked in Kenya for 29 years with Catholic Relief Services in nutrition programmes for mothers and children. Sister Fredericka has visited many African countries among them Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Lesotho and Madagascar.
The task facing AFJN is not easy as shown by what transpired during my visit. We were five people from Africa in a 24-man group. Represented were Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia and Mozambique. Other participants came from Asia, Europe and Latin America.
During a meeting with the Jewish organizations that lobby for US aid to Israel we learnt that the aid at three billion dollars cannot be lowered despite the fact that Africa could benefit from this. Besides Israel, Egypt receives $2.3 billion as a reward for its peace treaty with Israel.
When we inquired we were told that Africa does not rank high in US foreign policy which is mainly based on security considerations.
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