Africa Must Resist Rep. Meeks’ Reactionary H.R. 7311

Richard S. Dunn – June 5, 2022

On March 2, 2022, the UN General Assembly held a vote on a Resolution deploring Russia’s “aggression against Ukraine;” 141 countries voted on the Resolution while 35 countries abstained including several African countries. In the wake of this the African Union has rightly asked Russia to respect International Law and Ukraine’s sovereignty, regarding its incursion into Ukraine. It is well within the right of each country including those on the African Continent to vote or abstain from any Resolution presented to the General Assembly. To suggest otherwise or coerce any country directly or indirectly, is an infringement on International Law and the sovereign right of the respective country. That basic fundamental fact seems to be lost on some legislators, when it comes to “parroting” the imperialist narrative of the United States.

H.R. 7311 – Is Neocolonialist

As if not enough, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D, NY) representing the 5th Congressional District in Queens and Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, on March 31, 2022 introduced H.R. 7311 titled Countering Malign Russian Activities In Africa. The bill in part would direct the US Secretary of State, using “detailed intelligence” to identify IN Africa (emphasis mine), “local actors complicit in Russian activities.” This Resolution was passed on April 27, 2022 by a vote of 415-9 with 5 no votes. The bill in part will direct the US Secretary of State using “detailed intelligence” to identify IN Africa, “local actors complicit in Russian activities;” in practice, it seeks to monitor Russia’s relationship and interaction with countries on the African Continent. This Act is a flagrant infringement on the sovereignty and independence of Africa; and, is an attempt by the United States to coerce independent countries into participating in the US’ neocolonial and geopolitical design, for spheres of influence. It also exposes the desperation of an empire that sees its world economic and political hegemony threatened and must bolster its imperialistic ideology and position at all costs. This Act must be resisted by the entire African diaspora, as this is a neocolonial assault on self-determination and national sovereignty; the African Union must immediately enter actively into analyzing this Act, and immediately develop a plan for resisting and defeating this neocolonial action.

Further, any call by any party elected or otherwise, to place sanctions against those African countries that abstained from the UN General Assembly vote on March 2, 2022, for Russia’s incursion into Ukraine on February 24, 2022 is reactionary, hypocritical and a double-standard. This call is also self-serving and plays along with the United States’ hegemonistic foreign policy. Since the United States is so concerned and supportive of sovereignty and justice, why aren’t there sanctions against the genocidal and apartheid regime of Israel for the atrocities against Palestine;? why aren’t there sanctions against Saudi Arabia for its devastating war against Yemen;? why aren’t there sanctions against the despotic regimes of Uganda, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Corporate Media’s Bias Reporting

Ever since February 24, 2022 we have been barraged by the corporate media with anti-Russian platitudes that have seen no equal, it has reached hysterical levels. The reports are unbalanced, irrational, and lacks history and context. The intent is to shape public opinion into Ukrainian victim syndrome, and bolster the pro-war expansionist and militaristic psychosis of NATO, and continue the “encirclement” of Russia like in the Soviet era of the 70’s. The narrative from the corporate media would suggest that NATO is an organization formed for joint defense of member states, but this is erroneous and far from the truth. NATO, formed in 1949, was set up as an affront to the developing socialist countries and especially the Soviet Union, which at the time had no nuclear weapon.

The intent was to ‘encircle’ the Soviet Union and threaten it by having United States nuclear weapons on air bases located in member countries, facilitating rapid deployment by United States and NATO bombers. The ‘encirclement’ has not stopped because more countries are added closer and closer to Russia. War by any standard is devastating in human and property destruction; the territorial integrity of every country is to be respected and not encroached upon by another country. Further, it is reckless and irresponsible to encourage NATO to push towards the Russian border, without Russia feeling understandably threatened, and not foreseeing some type of retaliation. The civilized world would have preferred if the conflict were resolved through dialog and negotiations; in this situation there are no winners. Both sides will experience irreparable loss.

Africa/Russia Historical Relations

Some African countries have had longstanding and non-adversarial relations with Russia including Russia’s (USSR) material support for the Liberation Struggles in Africa against western colonialism. Today, approximately 40% of Africa’s wheat and fertilizer imports are from Russia and Ukraine; and African countries have students studying in both countries. The call for denouncing Russia is not only self-serving and hypocritical but disguises the imperialistic and hegemonistic intent of the United States in particular, and the historical encirclement psychosis of NATO for the USSR after WWII, and with the collapse of the USSR, it is now Russia.

Not all countries  believe in the warmongering and militaristic rhetoric of the US/NATO alliance and, the African countries are well within their rights as sovereign States, to exercise their right of self-determination and non-alignment, not only in socio-economic matters but foreign policy as well. The continued push towards the Russian border by the NATO countries is provocative and retaliation was inevitable. The war was avoidable, if the US/NATO alliance acted responsibly and did not pursue this path of opportunism and adventurism. As a result, it has plunged the already vulnerable countries of Africa further into socio-economic devastation, including continent-wide famine and premature death.

An OXFAM report of 2011 cited that 260,000 people in the horn of Africa, half of them children, died from hunger as a result of drought; OXFAM has further reported that every 48 seconds one person across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya is dying of hunger today. With the reduction or lack of exports for wheat and fertilizer, a further deepening of the crisis already caused by drought and the pandemic, has a catastrophic effect. Even here in the United States, blaming Russia for the current domestic problems, is a smokescreen for an inept and “limping’’ Administration, that lacks vision and a viable Plan to ease the socio-economic burden, facing the working class of the United States. The OXFAM report “Profiting From Pain” dated 5/23/22 states that a new billionaire is created every 30 hours since the start of the pandemic; how does Russia figures into this or, is it capitalist greed and inhumanity?

Withdraw H.R. 7311

It would have been better for Rep. Meeks to introduce a Resolution calling for an immediate cease fire and begin meaningful and respectful negotiations between the parties, to put an end to this devastating conflict. The ostracizing and demonizing of Putin and Russia does nothing to address the socio-economic and moral decline currently within the United States. It does not ease the tension between the conflicting parties, and it does not encourage a speedy resolution of the critical issues of expansion and provocation. Sanctioning African countries that abstained from participating in this militaristic madness does no good for foreign relations and further isolates the United States ideologically even from some of its so-called allies. This punitive Act which will bring further harm to Africa, which is already struggling, must be withdrawn for the reactionary, hypocritical and double standard that it is.

Richard Dunn can be reached at: contact@makingitplain.net