The Black Is Back Coalition for Social Justice, Peace and Reparations, condemns the assassination of unarmed African woman Emilsen Manyoma, a freedom organizer for African liberation in Colombia, by cowardly Colombian paramilitary State thugs on January 17, 2017.
We hold comrade Emilsen Manyoma in high esteem. She is an African martyr; she was murdered because of her courage, and willingness to fight for African national liberation against parasitic corporations.
According to telesurtv.net, “ A prominent leader in the Bajo Calima region since 2005, Manyoma was an active member of the community network CONPAZ where she was an outspoken critic of right-wing paramilitary groups and the displacement of local by international mining and agribusiness interests.”
According to huffingtonpost.com, in the month of March, 2016 alone, 30 individuals have been assassinated by paramilitary groups. Of these, “14 were community and political activists and 16 were assassinated in the context of ‘social cleansing’ operations by paramilitary groups.”
We are calling on all freedom loving people, all African people around the world to join the Black is Back Coalition’s demonstration on 21st February at 12:30pm outside Colombia embassy in London.
The so-called paramilitary groups are nothing else but one sector of the Colombian State, specialized in extra judicial killings of African people, Indigenous and other oppressed people in Colombia.
We want to make it clear that we are being killed because we are colonized by the white settler State of Colombia.
Our struggle in Colombia is to regain control over our lives, to govern ourselves, to have our own power over ourselves. That is why the settler colonial State killed her!
February 21st is also African Martyrs’ Day, a day to remember all those Africans who died in the struggle for African liberation. We are here to say Manyoma did not die in vain. She died for Africa and the African nation not just in Colombia but around the world to be free.
It is clear that the ongoing peace process in Colombia does not speak to African people in Colombia. The Black Is Back Coalition reiterates that there can be no peace for Africans anywhere based on a foundation of colonialism and slavery.
It is black power that will give significance to black lives, liberty, dignity and economic development.
Join the demonstration outside Colombian Embassy:
3 Hans Cres, Knightsbridge, and London SW1X 0LN
On Wednesday, February 21st from 12:30pm-2pm,
Contact info: 07862294364; info@blackisbackcoalition.org
