JayJBee <jayjbee@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in news:4779c0dd$0$18807$dbd4d001
@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Willem-Jan Markerink wrote:
>> JayJBee <jayjbee@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
>> news:47791d95$0$44953$dbd43001@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>>> Le Monde Diplomatique January 2008
>>>
>>> Africa says no " and means it
>>>
>>> By Ignacio Ramonet
>>>
>>> Translated by Barbara Wilson
>>>
>>> The unimaginable has happened, to the displeasure of arrogant Europe.
>>> Africa, thought to be so poor that it would agree to anything, has
said
>>> no in rebellious pride. No to the straitjacket of the Economic
>>> Partner****p Agreements (EPAs), no to the complete liberalisation of
>>> trade, no to the latest manifestations of the colonial pact.
>>>
>>> It happened in December at the second EU-Africa summit in Lisbon,
where
>>> the main objective was to force the African countries to sign new
trade
>>> agreements by 31 December 2007 in accordance with the Cotonou
Convention
>>> of 2000 winding up the 1975 Lom(c) accords. Under these, goods from
>>> former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific are im****ted
>>> into the European Union more or less duty-free, except for products
such
>>> as sugar, meat and bananas that are a problem for European producers.
>>> The World Trade Organisation has insisted that these preferential
>>> arrangements be dismantled or replaced by trade agreements based on
>>> reciprocity, claiming that this is the only way African countries can
>>> continue to enjoy different treatment. The EU opted for completely
free
>>> trade in the guise of EPAs. So the 27 were asking African, Caribbean
and
>>> Pacific countries to allow EU goods and services to enter their
markets
>>> duty-free (1).
>>>
>>> The president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, denounced these strong-arm
>>> tactics, refused to sign and stormed out. South Africas Thabo Mbeki
>>> immediately sup****ted his stand and Namibia also decided not to sign
>>> (bravely, since an increase in EU customs duties would make it
>>> impossible for Namibia to ex****t or continue to produce beef). Even
>>> French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who made unfortunate remarks at
Dakar
>>> in July 2007 (2), sup****ted the countries that were most strongly
>>> opposed to these agreements, saying he was in favour of globalisation
>>> but not the despoliation of countries that had nothing left (3).
>>>
>>> The EPAs aroused wide public concern. Social movements and trade union
>>> organisations south of the Sahara mobilised against them. And the
revolt
>>> against them bore fruit: the summit ended in failure. The president of
>>> the European Commission, Jos(c) Manuel Barroso, was forced to back
down
>>> and accept
>>> the African countries call for further discussions. He has promised to
>>> resume negotiations in February.
>>>
>>> This crucial victory is another sign that things are improving for
>>> Africa. In the past few years, the bloodiest conflicts have been
>>> settled, leaving only Darfur, Somalia and East Congo. Democratic
>>> progress has been consolidated and local economies prosper under the
>>> guidance of a new generation of leaders, despite social inequalities.
>>>
>>> Africa has another asset in the form of massive Chinese investments.
>>> China will overtake the EU as one of the continents principal
>>> suppliers and could beat the United States to become its most
im****tant
>>> client by 2010. The time when Europe could impose disastrous
structural
>>> adjustment programmes is long gone. Africa has had enough.
>>>
>>> End Notes
>>>
>>> (1) The Caribbean countries agreed to initial an EPA with the EU on 16
>>> December 2007.
>>>
>>> (2) In his speech at the University of Dakar on 26 July 2007 Sarkozy
>>> said the tragedy of Africa was that Africans had not really entered
>>> history and were not eager to embrace the future. See Anne-C(c)cile
>>> Robert, Franafrique Sarkozy-style, Le Monde diplomatique, English
>>> edition, September 2007.
>>>
>>> (3) Le Monde, Paris, 15 December 2007.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *
>>> =================================================================
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>>>
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>>
>> Ja JJB, in Kenia is men nu ook zeer rebels geworden.
>> Wat een beschaving he?
>
> Waarschijnlijk eentje die verdediging tegen de ver-McDonaltisering van
> de wereld waardig is, Willum.
Ja, tijd om eens wat anders te slachten dan een plakje koe.
>
> JayJBee
> "Peak oil... bello!"
Net als peak turf en peak coal zal die er nooit komen.
--
Bye,
Willem-Jan Markerink
The desire to understand
is sometimes far less intelligent than
the inability to understand
<w.j.markerink@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]
|
