by Joseph Omoremi
The U.S. invitation of Kenyan’s President William Ruto to mediate in the internal crisis rocking Haiti instead of a Franco-phone speaking African country was a recipe for failure as Egyptian envoy in Chicago called for a united joint action among the African countries to consolidate the foundations of peace, security, and stability in the continent.
“A francophone speaking African nation that speaks the same language like Haiti would have done a better job’ said Willian Gaubert, an Independent Haiti scholar and former University of Chicago lecturer said at the Africa Day 2024 celebration held at Loyola University of Chicago Saturday night.
He also called for African solutions to Black problems and encouraged African Union (AU) to take charge without waiting for western directions before acting.
Mrs Nada Draz, the Egyptian Consul General in Chicago called for “African solutions to African problems” instead of embracing foreign solutions that ended in failures adding “Egypt is keen to transfer its technical expertise to other African countries” through training courses and grants.”
“Haiti freed America from Great Britain with its independence and Haiti is struggling now and needs our support,” said Rev . Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow Push Coalition.
He reiterated the struggles over the years in S.Africa and the need to fight for economic freedom for Blacks in the United States stressing “we have a lot of work to do.”
Rev Jackson who was represented by Mrs Jennet Jackson also urged the united States to do more for fair trading relationships with Africa instead of taking advantage of the Black continent.
The Congolese council General in Chicago, Dr. Sylvere Malonga, a medical doctor, said most mineral resources explorers in Africa were very deceptive and mostly pay exploration fee and not the resources explored in the continent.
Over 10,000 Democratic Republic of Congo residents, he said, die yearly from the exploration of their wealth by foreign companies who paid $10,000 for million of resources taken out of the country by using Africans as owners or their representatives.
Many of these foreign companies even sponsored instability in the African countries with 14-military coups in recent years, according to Oumar Diallo, President of the Guinean community of Illinois and Iowa.
He called for the influx of capital to Africa to ensure stability and stop incessant coup and unneeded infighting in the Black continent.
Ambassador Draz emphasized the cooperation and unity among the 55-African countries as the foundation to overcoming various challenges facing continental Africa.
She also called for inclusion of Africa in the top security and economic decision making institutions to move Africa forward stressing “It is no secret that African countries are underrepresented in global governance institutions, from the Security Council to the Bretton Woods System, and denied the debt relief and concessional funding they need.”
Rev Isaac Paintsil of Christ’s Oasis of Chicago was honored with Dr. Jho Toni who moderated the event and eight others by Dr. Olivier Kamanzi, chairman of Africa global Chamber of commerce.
