US embassy cable - 02HARARE2205

UNCLAS HARARE 002205 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KPAO, KMDR, ZI 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT PAPER CRITICIZES U.S. POLICY ON 
AFRICA 
 
  1.   Under the title "DRC has chance to develop" the 
      government-controlled weekly "The Sunday News" 
      dedicated its September 29 editorial to accusing the 
      United States of triggering "the continuing strife in 
      most parts of Africa," adding that the West has 
      everything to benefit from an unstable Africa.  "In a 
      bid to loot natural resources from Africa as well as 
      support its arms industry, the U.S. Government will 
      use one hand to supply weapons to armed bandits while 
      raising the other hand in the name of promoting peace 
      and democracy," the editorial claims.  Excerpts: 
 
  2.   ". . .Through the legacy of the Cold War (1950 to 
      1989), the U.S. bears responsibility for the 
      continuing strife in most parts of Africa.  During the 
      Cold War, the U.S. delivered weapons worth US$2 
      billion to the continent.  While the U.S. ranks number 
      one in global exports of arms of war, it comes last 
      among industrialized nations providing non-military 
      foreign aid to developing nations.  Curiously, in 1997 
      - when the DRC conflict intensified - the U.S. 
      Government devoted only 0.09 percent of gross national 
      product to international development assistance, the 
      lowest proportion of all developed countries.  Pan- 
      Africanists were hardly shocked when the Clinton 
      administration employed divide and rule tactics by 
      sidelining governments led by independence war heroes 
      while striking up warm friendships with warlords in 
      Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, branding them `the new, 
      progressive leaders of Africa.'  But these same 
      regimes sponsored and armed the rampaging bandits who 
      invaded the DRC, slaughtered innocent civilians and 
      pillaged diamonds. 
 
      "So, in a bid to loot natural resources from 
      Africa as well as support its arms industry, the 
      U.S. Government will use one hand to supply 
      weapons to armed bandits while raising the other 
      hand in the name of promoting peace and 
      democracy.  Those who underestimate the 
      dangerous nature of Western capitalism need only 
      look at the ongoing warmongering against Iraq to 
      understand the crude forces that govern 
      international relations.  President George W. 
      Bush is waging war on the people of Iraq so that 
      he can topple President Saddam Hussein, install 
      a puppet in Baghdad and secure a cheap source of 
      petroleum for the U.S.  As Africans, we must ask 
      ourselves why the Western powers assassinated 
      the DRC's first and only democratically elected 
      Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.  Africans must 
      resist manipulation and stand up for their 
      rights. 
 
SULLIVAN