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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
 Posted - 04 May 2007 : 01:09:09
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Thomas Sankara addresses the OAU summit. The main theme of his speech is AFRICA'S DEBT BURDEN. The debt is huge and can never be repaid, a fact acknowledge by even France's Mitterand and the then Nowergian Premier amongst others. Sankara's speech quite eloquent and entertaining also called for annall African market and the need for Africans to eat what they produce and take care of their needs internally without having to go for expensive imports. This is the video unfortunately its in French
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madiss |
Edited by - MADIBA on 04 May 2007 01:21:16 |
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Ramou
90 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 01:44:26
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Thanks Madiba! Africa lost a great son in Thomas Sankara. May his soul continue to repose in peace.
Thanks!
Ramou
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 12:55:42
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Indeed Ramou. I will try to translate his speech for the benefit of those who don't understand French, when am less busy. Little did he know at the time of this speech that it would his last on the Panafrican platform. His speech was too hot for the comfort of the imperialists like mitterand and their errands boys like Houphet Boigny of Ivory Coast. If and only if he and the others were listened to by us africans the mess we are in today could have been avoided.
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madiss |
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Momodou
Denmark
11824 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 13:17:58
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quote:
Originally posted by MADIBA
Indeed Ramou. I will try to translate his speech for the benefit of those who don't understand French, when am less busy.....
Madiba, Thanks for this video. It would be great if you can summarize the speech. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 23:33:16
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Folks here is an attempted translation of Sankara's speech:
Sankara began his speech by suggesting a penalty for those presidents who miss out on these meetings. He said that the attendance should be rewarded by the awards of points. These points are weight or degree of our Pan-Africanism. Those that are regular like him(outburst of laughter) should be supported in their bid to get approval from the ABD (African Development Bank) to complete some development projects in their countries.
He said to understand the debt problem we should find its origin. He said the debts are as old as colonialism. He went to say that our creditors were the same people who were managing our countries and economies. So they are ones who brought us the debts. They caused us the debts thru their brothers or cousins at the world financial bodies (Bretton woods). These former colonial masters now transformed into Technical Assistants or sarcastically Technical assassins advised us to secure these loans which are infact traps. This is because these loans are designed in such a way that we are to repay them in 50, 60 or more yrs. This means mortgaging the lives of the masses for so long a period. These are cleverly designed that African economies will be controlled by the imperialists in such a way that their growth will follow paths alien to us. This also means that we become economic slaves to the imperialist or simply their slaves. Well the truth is we can’t pay and we will not pay these debts.
Look lets face it even the Norwegian PM said here that we can’t pay, she is older than me, Miterrand said so too, he too is older than me, Boigny too said so for his country. If They the Norwegian who is European said so, what more can we say? Boigny whose Ivory Coast has one of the best economies in African or at least in Francophone Africa says so. What more can we say? It’s a fact. We can’t pay and won’t pay. Look when the creditors started it , for them it was like a Casino, when things were good and they were winning there was no queries. When they started losing they start worrying, well it’s a game and lets play on.(laughter). Again we will not pay because we are not responsible for the debts in the first place, we don’t have the means to pay. In fact they debt is so huge that the richest cant pay it up. This is becos it’s a bloody-debt . Its our blood that has been used up as debts.
When Europe was threaten by Nazism it was our forefathers who bled and sweated for the liberation of Europe and the world from the grip of Nazism. So if we cant be publicly applauded , we shall applaud ourselves.
They say we are in crisis. There will always be crisis as the masses are awaking up and demanding what is theirs. There will always be crisis as long as few steal our wealth and stash them in western banks. Monies enough to develop the whole African continent. Crisis yes becos those masses living in the ghettoes of Soweto want to live in a Jo’burg standard. Unless the rich stop exploit the poor their will always be crisis. Those who are suppressed in Europe are not the ones that oppress Africa, it’s the same oppressors who oppress the oppressed in Europe who oppress us in Africa , so we the oppressed in Africa and the ones in Europe have a common enemy.
We often hear G7, G so and so, why not an Addis United Front against debts? We should come up with such a front, thru which we shall refuse to pay these debts. Its need our concerted efforts to build the front. However if done on individual basis they will murder us all. If I go solo next time I won’t be here.(Laughter)
Let me clarify, am not saying all these things becos am a revolutionary. Others have called for the debt cancellation who are revolutionaries and others who are not. If you want names I can call them e.g. castro. I dnt also want you to take this as a plea from th youths, or the burkinabe plea. I said all I said not becos am a jester but becos we are here to speak our minds and state our wishes. If there is anyone one here who doesn’t want the debts cancelled, they can leave now take their planes to WB and settle their debts(applause). In the same vein I call all Africans to disarm in the name of development. Whenever we buys arms its against a fellow African it will be used. It will never be used against a European or Asian. Lets stop this arms race. It is true that am a soldier. Yes indeed am armed. But the single arm I have or which I carry is exposed whilst there are people here whose arms are hidden(laughter). Despite being a soldier am prepared for a complete disarmament. Arms are useless to us. We need science and tech to take us forwards. Besides the continent is rich in raw materials enough to cater for our needs. We need an African market, where we produce what we need, consume what we produce so no need for expensive imports.
To conclude, the clothes I and my delegates are wearing are made from burkinabe cotton, weaved by burkinabes and sewn by burkinbes, not a single thread came from Europe. I am not here for a fashion show, but that was just an example of our potentials.
The Homeland or Death, We Shall Win!
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madiss |
Edited by - MADIBA on 04 May 2007 23:54:05 |
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salimina
253 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 23:47:13
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Madiss,
He is ahead of his time! A great african |
Edited by salimina |
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MADIBA
United Kingdom
1275 Posts |
Posted - 04 May 2007 : 23:50:51
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quote:
Originally posted by salimina
Madiss,
He is ahead of his time! A great african
Bro the Man was truly great. He has inculcated alot of beleive in burkinabes and self-reliance that it became a buzz word. He was a pragmatis. He was the true soldier with a difference. A man of the people a true servant of his people. He was ahead indeed. |
madiss |
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