African issues a concern for everyone

    Pillaging, murder and rape, as tools of war, are never-ending in Darfur. Untold numbers of women are being captured by the Arab Janjaweed militia and turned into sex slaves. Amnesty International and the United Nations have documented the sex slavery epidemic, yet the findings have gone virtually un-noticed by the American press.
    Men are castrated before being mutilated and tortured to death. Darfur refugee camps are void of water, food and firewood. Children color pictures of death, rape and destruction instead of family portraits.
    The current conflict is seen to be ethnic and tribal, rather than religious. The crisis has been called the first great genocide of the twenty-first century, claiming more than 400,000 lives. Genocide is an intentional effort to destroy an entire ethnic or racial group.
    This intense topic, among many others, was discussed by the African Union Ambassador to the United States, Amina S. Ali, on Friday, Feb. 22. in Arts and Sciences.
    “We need support from partners to pursue our own agenda regarding this matter. A hybrid force, created by the United Nations and Africa, is needed to take action,” said Ali in the lecture, “The Role of the African Union in Resolving Conflicts in Africa.”
    The African Union has sent 7,000 troops to Sudan, but they have been able to do little to stop the killings in Darfur. Janjaweed, roughly translated as “devils on horseback,” are armed with expensive machine guns. The African tribes can hardly defend themselves against these attacks because they lack money and the resources to obtain guns.
    Ali is the first ambassador for the African Union. She is also a leader and activist for human rights. The African Union (AU) is the African counterpart to the European Union, it is an organization made up of 50 percent men and 50 percent women. The AU’s overarching purpose is promoting the total globalization, both social and economic, of the peoples of Africa; it involves the decolonization and the drive toward independence of many African countries.
    “The AU’s mission is to create a relationship with the United States and United States corporations. We wish to build a partnership that will allow sensitivities to Africa. We want to build support for Africa, prevent deceptive media and form a positive image of Africa by giving people knowledge,” Ali said.
    Ali asked the crowd, “What is wrong with African politics? Should Africa be like the U.S. and form a democracy?”
    Africa is an expansive country; it would be trite to put the continent of Africa under the stereotype of “underdeveloped” or “primal.” However, much of Africa still operates under a tribal mindset. In most African nations a person is defined as a citizen only in paper while primary designation is that of an ethnic group. The majority of Africans are not able or willing to forsake their tribal allegiances.
    When asked how the tribal mindset affects Africa, Ali said, “We wish to create unity among Africans, allowing the people of Africa to see themselves as one. In order for Africa to unite, it is important that people understand the traditions of tribes but to also let minority tribes have a say through a system of checks and balances,” said Ali.
    The African Union does not see the tribal mindset as a cancer but poses the progressive question, “How can we channel this tribal energy into a national mainstream?”
    Although the AU is a supporter of many African and tribal traditions, female circumcision is not a tradition they support. Female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation, has been ingrained in many cultures for over 2,000 years and has affected over 135 million girls and women. In Africa, 85 percent of female circumcision cases consist of Clitoridectomy, the removal of the entire clitoris (prepuce and glands) and the removal of the adjacent labia. This procedure is usually done without anesthesia or sterilized tools. The instruments used could be anything ranging from a piece of sharp glass to a tin lid. Once the procedure is finished the child’s legs are bound for up to 40 days. Such a procedure can result in many maladies, including HIV.
    “AU feels this tradition is wrong and wishes to ban female circumcision. The tradition began when there was war among certain tribes and the husband had to leave for extended periods of time. The woman was sewn up or circumcised to remove any sexual temptation. In many cases a woman is not considered clean unless the procedure as been done. Female circumcision results in many health implications and should be banned and treated as a criminal offense,” said Ali.
    The expansion of U.S. military bases in Africa was also a large part of the lecture. Although many in Africa would like to see military bases as a form of security many are not willing to see the military presence that comes with a military base. They see it as another area for confrontation.
    Dr. Bragg, assistant professor of English, said, “I think that a military presence in Africa will aid how the country is going to expand. Many are afraid that the militarization of Africa will lead to the re-colonization of Africa. It is important for students to see how these issues relate to them in order for them to actually care. This is a U.S. policy issue. This isn’t just about building bases; it has other economic ramifications.”
    With countries like the U.S. vying for Africa’s vast resources, including 30 percent of the world’s oil, many Africans, and the AU, want to make sure that the country will be able to reap the benefits.
    The final message to you, from Ambassador Ali is this:
    “The world is changing each moment. Who are the prayers of the world? It is the youth’s time to seize the moment, to see the possibility for change in the world. Communication is easy now with Facebook and Youtube. Link with other parts of the world … with Africa, and make peace.”
    Olufunke Fontenot, assistant dean, said, “We are working on a memorandum of understanding and an opportunity for students to work at the African Union mission in D.C. or even at the African Union headquarters in Africa.”
    Visit the Web sites of the Genocide Intervention Network, genocideintervention.net, and ENOUGH Project, enoughproject.org. There you can call on President Bush, members of Congress and presidential candidates to help bring an end to the atrocities in Darfur.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 29 2008. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry