Africa's Heath and Education | Page 86

The PANAFRICAN Review
Rwanda ’ s consistency
Rwanda ’ s swiftness in sending troops to Mozambique communicates a few points . The first is that Rwanda is not scared of acknowledging the obvious – however aloof those feigning blindness act . Mozambique , with its mounds of metals and minerals ( uranium , gold , graphite , limestone and sea salt , to name a few ), its massive liquefied gas reserves and its endless , white-sanded coastline , is a pillager ’ s wet dream . Consider the wealth that western nations accrued amidst the liberation wars and the resulting violent disorders on global south continents . Congo is perhaps the most obvious and closest example of this phenomenon : having almost single-handedly fed Belgium ’ s gold and energy supply for almost a century , Congo ’ s instability has wildly enriched the white man that has always claimed to merely desire its development and welfare .
When potentially exposed to an outsider ’ s thievery , it is essential to have an ally stand by your side , especially one who can fully grasp the injustice of the plundering you have suffered from similar-looking hands in the past .
It was both astounding and amusing to hear some claim that the true purpose of Rwanda ’ s assistance was “ in fact ” to snatch a share of the Mozambican resource pie . What if the Mozambican leadership were not as naïve and foolish as these infantilizing conspiracies suggest ? What if Mozambique called on Rwanda because it felt that mutual Pan-Africanist allyship would not result in the opportunistic thievery associated with the foreigners that intervene ( d ) in crises on the African soil ?
Moreover , the suggestion that while the US , France and China pursue interests in Mozambique , Rwanda is the one whose involvement is ill-intentioned , is absurd and racist , especially when it comes from those unwilling to exert similar intentions on the former ; only self-hating Africans would promote such a farce .
The US ( through the Exxon Mobil Corporation ), France ( through the Total Group ) and China ( through the CNOOC Group ) remain firmly stationed in Mozambique to defend their countries ’ “ entitlement ” to Mozambican resources , following cutthroat and exploitative trade agreements – the kind Rwanda lacks the power to arm-twist governments into – drafted upon the discovery of massive deposits of Liquefied Natural Gas ( LNG ) on Mozambican shores . Considering that the US has chosen to participate in the protection of Mozambican civilians only when the aforementioned deals faced the risk of collapse ( and France and China opted to ignore the massacres altogether ), there is a blatant double standard here , and it smells like racism .
At any rate , if to strike an economic deal with a resource-rich country , even amidst unrest , is the rational and noble thing to do when non-Blacks are partaking , why should this logic not be extended to any commercial exchange resulting from Rwandan involvement ? But most importantly , why should such an exchange be deemed “ good trade ” as far as foreigners are concerned but thievery and greed when the fellow African shows up ? The notion that an African ally aims to steal while a foreigner merely wishes to carry out a fair trade is the type of indoctrination that maintains economic and political chains on African wrists .
The second message from the presence of the Rwandan defence and police force in Mozambique is that Rwanda will not tolerate terrorism , whether locally or on ally ground . In view of the global obsession Paul Rusesabagina – who has claimed responsibility for and celebrated FLN criminal attacks that left 9 civilians dead and several more injured – earned himself , when his arrest gave the western media an opportunity to chastise Rwandan leadership for employing methods western nations have pioneered using on those who plot terror against them , who can truly claim ignorance of the extents Rwanda will reach to halt terrorism ?
The final conclusion to draw from Rwanda ’ s military intervention in Mozambique is that its modest financial resources will not constrain its integrity . The senseless outrage stems from the offensive idea that small Rwanda – with economic resources that may pale in comparison to , say , those of the dillydallying , self-declared African powerhouse – would muster the self-importance to offer help . And yet , as the foreign policies of most wealthy countries have shown , morality is hardly a feature the rich . Rwanda is a Pan-African nation that pulls from afro-communal

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