Ten days in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has confirmed to me the certain death of neocolonialism like Frantz Fanon witnessed the death of colonialism in Africa 50 years ago.
Africans in the Congo have been made to believe many of the imperialist solutions in solving the contradictions they have imposed on us.
For a while we have accepted these lies as truth, because there had been no anti-imperialist forces strong enough to challenge their lies, as most were defeated in the 60s and 70s.
One big lie always sold to us is that the United Nations would bring us peace. However since their arrival in 1999, the war in Congo has intensified under the watchful eye of the UN soldiers who have been involved in the raping of our children and looting of the Congo, which they claimed to protect. They are part of the problem not the solution.
This imperialist tool organization has faced violent protest from Africans in Congo, in Haiti and especially from Africans in Ivory Coast, who burned down UN convoys and buildings when reports went out that they were supporting forces loyal to the neocolonial warlord Alassane Ouattara (the current president of Ivory Coast installed by the French army).
Elections not the solution
Another lie sold to Africans currently is the idea of elections solving our problems. Africans are quickly rejecting this myth, as their miserable existence since the election in 2006 has not changed. My family and friends who have only been to Congo and not other African countries told me of the poverty and situations people faced in the DRC, but what I found shocking was that Africans face the same problem in every corner of Africa I have been in — from South Africa through to Cairo.
These problems include: people competing for space in these narrow streets between cars, lorries and other people; lack of integrated public transport; poorly constructed roads; mass unemployment; and a constant juxtaposition of built up areas in some spots and open space derelict areas in others.
Most people I spoke to have quickly lost faith in the imperialist bourgeoisie electoral system, and will not vote for the ruling neocolonial party, the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), despite the constant propaganda on the streets and on TV showing how the government is supposedly building new roads. From the news, it appears every day that each neocolonial political party holds rallies encouraging people to register to vote somewhere in DRC.
Even the slightly wealthy African cannot escape from power cuts, crime, expensive medical bills, travelling cost and lack of proper transport infrastructure. I saw young people who were full of energy and well dressed but could not see the future for themselves.
I think it would take some time for the economic crisis in Europe and the U.S. to impact on Africans psychologically and change their mindset from looking at escaping Africa for a better life abroad to struggling for a better life in Africa itself. The arrivals of Chinese, Arabs and Asians as new economic forces in Africa, is beginning to make Africans in Congo wonder at least, why is it that our wealth is not benefitting us?
Individual solution versus collective solution
There is still a mentality of each to his/herself. It is the bankrupt idea that you can solve your contradiction within your family, between you and your partner or by praying hard and asking God for help.
The critical understanding of the need for Africans to organize collectively to resolve our collective contradiction is missing massively. For this to exist, there has to be a political party and a movement to win people practically to the idea of self-determination.
It is that movement that can take on the task of building proper drainage system, solving the rubbish crisis, ending the power cuts, and creating an organized political working class poise to take power with an African plan.
