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Thursday, April 25, 1991 • THE MAROON TIGER • Page 9
HISTORY
The Serpent in the Garden:
CIA Involvement in Africa
By Ogbonna Ogumba
(Jeffrey A. Green)
European domination of
Africa, as a manifestation of im
perialism, occupies an indelible
space of inestimable horrors in
the annals of modern history.
Since the Berlin Conference of
1885, when European powers
systematically partitioned
African lands into spheres of in
fluence to the present when the
settler-colonial regime of South
Africa oppresses millions daily,
African people have continued a
fight for liberation and humani
ty in their own lands. Many
struggles, often violent ones,
ended with the emergence of in
dependent nations. Despite the
promise of an awakening Africa
rising out of the ashes of cen
turies of slavery, rape, plunder
and barbarous imperialism,
there lurked a force that sought
to stifle progress and develop
ment on the continent. The
United States Central In
telligence Agency proved a
viable reactionary force in
Africa as new nations sought to
end all forms of colonialism and
attempted to work in the in
terests of masses of oppressed
people.
The struggles for African in
dependence emerged with such
strong-willed and persevering
personalities as Sekou Toure,
Kwame Nkrumah, and Patrice
Lumumba; all were Pan-
Africanists and all were victims
of the CIA and U.S. foreign
policy, Pan-Africanism as a
philosophy sought the liberation
of Africa and African peoples
worldwide from European
domination under the fun
damental tenents of socialism.
This proved to be philosophical
ly antithetical to the practices
and policies of the United States
as the U.S. moved swiftly to
protect its interests in Africa.
In 1957 Kwame Nkrumah
became president of Ghana, the
first independent African nation
south of the Sahara. Nkrumah
as a Pan-Africanist noted that
Ghana’s independence meant
nothing until all of Africa was
free. He promoted the ideal of
a unified Africa based on
socialist principles where the
wealth was shared by all
citizens as Africans took control
of their own destiny.
In 1968 Guinea gained its in
dependence under Sekou Toure
as the two leaders continued
their arduous task of African
liberation. The CIA, fearing
Nkrumah’s call for socialism
and unification, increased opera
tions in West Africa and pro
ceeded to cause dissention
among the ranks of Ghanan
government. In 1966 the CIA
backed the military overthrow
of Nkrumah and continued its
policies gainst Toure with inten
tion to neutralize him. In the
Congo the U.S. feared the
politics of Patrice Lumumba,
that country’s first Prime
Minister. After being arrested,
under circumstances precipi
tated by the United States,
Lumumba was killed by the
CIA for an alleged escape at
tempt. Several others have
fallen victim to CIA activities in
Africa including Nelson
Mandela, famed freedom fighter
of South Africa.
On August 5, 1962 South
African police agents seized
Mandela after Paul Eckel, a
senior CIA operative, provided
them with the necessary infor
mation to complete their search
for Mandela. The CIA, with its
extensive intelligence opera
tions, explained what Mandela
would be wearing and where he
would be and the particular
time he would be there. CIA
agents boasted that it was “one
of our greatest coups.” Nelson
Mandela served over twenty-
eight years in prison after the
CIA assisted arrest.
To account the complete in
volvement of the CIA in Africa
would fill a couple of volumes of
books. From Liberia to Mozam
bique to Angola the CIA has
helped notorious neo-colonial
tyrants like Mobutu, Doe, and
Savimbi. They have murdered
several proponents of African
liberation struggles and have
assisted in the outright murder
and oppression of millions in
cluding innocent children.
As the Federal Bureau of In
vestigation dilligently works
against the progress of Africans
in the United States, the CIA
similarly works against the best
interests of continental African
people. It is clear that there ex
ist a necessity to create a New
World Order; however, not that
proported by Bush, but one that
destroys the current global
structure of mass oppression
and exploitation and white
domination. Indeed, the strug
gle continues. Forward always.
CLEAN
AIR
CHALLENGE'
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AMERICAN it LUNG ASSOCIATION
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ain’t you ever seen a blonde, permed head, jeri curled
blue and green eyed nigga who got a lip job, nose job, and a
371 year wash job from the same land that gave us Mr. and Mrs.
' Sellout Infiltration Sambo
I ain’t no African I’m Black, better yet Negro, didn’t you know
I was bom in America and my skin ain’t black its brown
so don’t mess around, cause I’ll take you out
but when it comes to fightin for my people I’ll do without
cause I’m all about non-violence, except on a Saturday night
when I got some brew in my system and I’m feelin alright
Step on my shoes Nigga you gon’ sing the blues cause...
I’m free I’m free, hey look at me
I look with IBM, Coca-Col and ABC; it’s great bein free
l got a Bearner, can’t afford it though
but that’s alright cause you doin snow
got a little coke to keep you high
can’t pay bills with white lines
It a white thang can’t help but understand
cause we’re all in the same game...
It was’nt when I saw myself millions of times over
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and lynched
It was’nt when I saw myself dying in vain for my oppressors’
LIFE, LIBERTY and pursuit of HAPPINESS
It was’nt when I saw drugs and guns at my doorstep with
It was’nt when 1 saw myself buying nicotine and alcohol
from alien leaches in my community
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