Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Arlette Soudan-Nonault: the IMF should follow the examples Germany and France


Endorsement of Denis Sassou Nguesso

On the 22nd of September, in an exclusive interview  granted via phone from the Nairobi international airport, where she was on transit to New York to attend the UN general assembly and UN sponsored international conference on environment, Arlette Soudan-Nonault, who is Congo’s minister of Environment and Tourism and who was representing President Sassou Nguesso, said: “I am happy to announce that, the German organisation, GTZ  has offered the Congo Basin Forest that Congo is leading, the sum of € 15 million or FCFA 10 billion to help improve the Congo Basin Rain Forest management,  a forest which  absorbs 15% of the global greenhouse emissions”. She added: “Soon, it will be the French Agency for International Development or ADF that will grant my ministry, the sum of € 2 million or FCFA 1.2 billion. She went on:  “those grants are an endorsement of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and his government’s determination to fight against corruption”. She concluded: “the IMF should follow the examples of both organisations and countries and sign the bailout agreement with Congo that has been postponed a record six times because of among other reasons: corruption or ideological divergences. But I know that most of my ministerial colleagues are corrupt and I am today a subject of attack from them because they are jealous of grants that, my ministry is receiving and would have wanted that, it should be diverted to other purpose which weren’t designated for or misappropriated as they have done with other assistance from donor countries and organisations. But President Sassou Nguesso is determined to weed out corruption in governance. Hence he has created a new organisation to fight against corruption with more powers and equally be independent”.  

Imminent arrest of corrupt persons

She added: “It explains why some of my colleagues are in panic mood right now. Those who stole money and kept them abroad or who are corrupt because they are close to the President will be arrested. But she didn’t give any names or when the arrest will start.  She however said: “her ministry plans to create at least 10 thousand jobs and will develop historical or memorial tourism and ecotourism with the objective of making Congo become the first tourism destination within the central African region. Toward that, information offices displaying or providing the tourism potentials of the country have been opened at the Brazzaville and Pointe Noire International airports and obtaining of visas for tourism have been facilitated”.

Why is Arlette Soudan-Nonault openly accusing some of her colleagues of corruption?

Professor Elanga Christophe Ndongo Gilles, a political analyst based in Brazzaville seems to have an answer: “the current declaration from Members of parliament belonging to ruling and even government ministers accusing their colleagues and the President of the Republic of corruption is the result of the current infighting within various clans joggling for power. Arlette is the niece of the President and he has used her as a bulldozer or dispenser of bad news in pass, so it is not fortuitous that she speaks the way she has by not showing solidarity with her colleagues.  There's also the rumour of an imminent cabinet change, hence exposing each other increases the chance of either forcing Sassou Nguesso to drop long standing ministers accused of corruption or attempt to bringing rebels or opposition element on board in a bid to forestall any kind of uprising as economic crisis digs deep and discontents rises. But when Pierre Ngolo, Senate President and secretary general of the ruling party openly accuses Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso of corruption, it shows that, the President wants to show the world, especially the IMF that, he really means business in his fight against corruption and he is ready to sacrifice his son. It could also be a political tactics from the President who has not yielded to the recommendation of the IMF to audit the SNPC or the major public works ministry both accused of monumental corruption” he concluded.

Denis Sassou Nguesso, his clan and government now openly accused of corruption




It seems fear has escaped most Congolese, especially those in government and holding powerful posts, posts they were offered, thanks to the magnanimity of Denis Sassou Nguesso or members of his large and extensive family, who are present in all spheres of life of the West African state.  Why are some of his allies now loquacious   ?  An attempt is given below.

Family business

It is no hidden secret that, in Congo, members of the  ruling Sassou Nguesso family are either in government or have help appoint a government minister, member of parliament or mayor of a city or town.  It is a show of their manifest grip over the government. Three of Denis Sassou Nguesso’s children, namely: Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, Claudia Sassou Nguesso and Stella Sassou Nguesso Mensah, are members of parliament under the banner of the ruling PCT or Congolese Workers Party. His niece, Arlette Soudan-Nonault is minister of Tourism and Environment. His nephews: Jean Jacques Bouya and Jean Dominique Okemba are respectively: minister of Spatial Planning and Major projects and Member of Parliament, while Jean Dominique Okemba is head of Congo’s national Security Council.  Rear Admiral Jean Dominique Okemba is de facto, the head of the intelligence service and national security.  Another nephew of Denis Sassou Nguesso, Colonel Edgard Nguesso, is the head of Presidential domains. In business, they are in oil, media, transport and construction, directly or through surrogates.  Congo is therefore in a country tightly controlled by one man and his family, where there is no free speech and wanton arrest of political opponent is prevalent. According to the local NGO, OCDH, there are officially 133 political prisoners held at the Brazzaville central prison and amongst which are two Presidential candidates: Jean Marie Michel Mokoko and Andre Okombi Salissa.  And according to Reporters without Borders or RSF Congo is ranked 114 on 180 in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index.  That people have started speaking out not only against corruption, but pointing accusing fingers at the President and his clan is not only a revolution but raises questions.

Why is it happening now?

According to Mrs. Olga Patricia Ndinga Somboko, who is a political analyst based in Cergy on the outskirts of the French capital, Paris: “Sassou Nguesso, his clan and government are showing signs of vulnerability seldom seen from a man who has been governing the country with an iron fist. They are manifesting their vulnerability by reacting to anything or news that pains them negatively.    Look at the way the pro-government privately owned daily, Les Depeches de Brazzaville has reacted to the recent novel of Alain Mabanckou. They reacted by writing three virulent anti Mabanckou editorials”. “The vulnerability also stems from the fact that, the family is not united”.  She continues: “They are divided in two main camps: those supporting Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso’s plans to succeed his father and those who are supporting Rear Admiral Jean Dominique Okemba’s covert ambitions to succeed his uncle as President of the Republic. It is the first time since he violent seized power in 1997 from Pascal Lissouba the only post independent democratically elected president that he is being challenged this frontally”.  She adds: “The primary reason is the economic crisis caused by the crashed in oil prices. Those he bought their loyalties have seen their pockets dried up or considerably reduced. The daily lives of people are not improving in spite recent appreciations of the price of oil at the world market”. She went on: “The other reason is the inability of the government to reach a bailout agreement with the IMF and which most Congolese think; the principal obstacles are absence of transparency in debts Congo contracted from China and other countries and also the endemic corruption”. She concluded: “While most Congolese live in abject poverty, the families of the President live in ostentatious opulence, characterized by the celebrations of sumptuous wedding like that of his nephew Cyr Nguesso that was celebrated yesterday. People are angry and those now speaking are those who saw him lost power in 1992 in similar conditions”.

Corruption

Mrs. Olga Patricia Ndinga’s observations on the internal feud which makes the government and the President appear weak and vulnerable could be correct. On September 27th, Cyr Ebina, an MP of the ruling PCT and also a son in law to the President, in a telephone conversation, accused the President albeit in a veiled manner of covering corruption of members of government and his family. He added: “for any meaningful result in the fight against corruption to be visible, members of the Nguesso family and government ministers must be arrested and prosecuted. Sadly it is not the case”. He continued: “How do we think the IMF and the international community are going to take us seriously if we don’t genuinely fight corruption?” He concluded: “the current economic crisis is partly caused by the poor governance of Denis Sassou Nguesso. It is also true that, the fall in the price of commodity, principally oil has a fair share of the blame, but we are the architects of our current economic travails. If there was accountability and the rule of law, I don’t think we would have been where we current are economically. We would have been better. Why is Nigeria out of recession and we are not, while we are all exporters of oil? Do we think we will ever be able to sign any bailout agreement with the IMF in such circumstances of corruption and opaque financial transactions? I doubt”.

Mr Pierre Ngolo, Senate President and secretary general of the ruling Congolese Workers Party or PCT, in a press conference jointly organized with the Jean Pierre Thystère Tchikaya, minister of Hydrocarbons, who is accused of corruption, said publicly that, corruption was the cause of the economic difficulties that the country was undergoing. He openly accused Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso of not only being corrupt but also of nursing presidential ambitions. He concluded by calling on all MPs belonging to the ruling party and who are supporting Denis Christel via his association: “the Congo that we desire” or in French: “Le Congo que nous Voulon”, to stop because, they don’t have his support or that of the party. Paradoxically, Pierre Ngolo and Denis Christel are members of the same party, but are washing their dirty linen in public.

 In a telephone conversation on the 24th of September, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia-Mbongou, an MP and second secretary at the Congolese national assembly,  accused President Denis Sassou Nguesso and his family of corruption. He said: “the ruling family has used the National Oil Company, SNPC as a corruption conduit”. He added: “in November 2001, a French bank, BNP loaned out FCFA 6.5 billion to SNPC based on collateral of 12.5 billion worth of crude oil barges”. He went on: “this sum disappeared in thin air”. Joseph Kignoumbi Kia-Mbongou was simply confirming a press release that he had made public in which he gave details of all the financial impropriates allegedly carried out by Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso at the SNPC. He concluded: “I want to be at peace with myself. I will make more revelations that I discovered when I was member of the finance commission at the national assembly. The Nguesso family has destroyed Congo”.

Rejection of corruption accusations

In reaction by phone from Brazzaville today Friday, Guy Marius Okana, a municipal councilor at the Brazzaville Greater city council and an aide to Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso said: “attacks from Joseph Kignoumbi Kia-Mbongou, Pascal Tsaty Mabiala or Pierre Ngolo who are accusing Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso of corruption and by extension his father, are campaigns of calumny from a group of people who are not themselves paragons of probity. Pierre Ngolo is a member of the PCT and as such, I would have expected that, any differences that, he has with Denis Christel should be ironed out internally and not publicly, this, in respect of recommendation from the 6th ordinary congress of the PCT. Sadly he is washing the dirty linen of the PCT  in public. It is unfortunate”. He added:  “Pierre Ngolo is Senate President and secretary general of the PCT, why didn’t he resign from the post of SG of the PCT and allow his deputy, Andre Massamba to continue with the running of the party?  Why are they thinking that Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso has presidential ambition while his father is still president of the Republic? Is it a bad thing for Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso to come in support of patients and staff of the Brazzaville University Teaching Hospital that have been on strike and without pay for several months? When it was time to remove Gabriel Oba Aponou as head of the ruling party in Brazzaville because he was the head of the senate subcommittee on foreign relations or having the dual casket of Senator and regional party head, it was not normal, but when it is Pierre Ngolo, who is Senate President and SG of the ruling party, with doubtful management it is normal”. He concluded:  “Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso does what he does under the aegis of his foundation, Perspective Avenir. He is not corrupt as his enemies are claiming. Let his accusers bring proves and not rumours”. Pierre Ngolo’s accusations were a bold one from one whose meteoric rise politically, is thanks to Sassou Nguesso but was also another indication that, fear has deserted most.

Endorsement of Denis Sassou Nguesso

On the 22nd of September, in an exclusive interview  granted via phone from the Nairobi international airport, where she was on transit to New York to attend the UN general assembly and UN sponsored international conference on environment, Arlette Soudan-Nonault, who is Congo’s minister of Environment and Tourism and who was representing President Sassou Nguesso, said: “I am happy to announce that, the German organisation, GTZ  has offered the Congo Basin Forest that Congo is leading, the sum of € 15 million or FCFA 10 billion to help improve the Congo Basin Rain Forest management,  a forest which  absorbs 15% of the global greenhouse emissions”. She added: “Soon, it will be the French Agency for International Development or ADF that will grant my ministry, the sum of € 2 million or FCFA 1.2 billion. She went on:  “those grants are an endorsement of President Denis Sassou Nguesso and his government’s determination to fight against corruption”. She concluded: “the IMF should follow the examples of both organisations and countries and sign the bailout agreement with Congo that has been postponed a record six times because of among other reasons: corruption or ideological divergences. But I know that most of my ministerial colleagues are corrupt and I am today a subject of attack from them because they are jealous of grants that, my ministry is receiving and would have wanted that, it should be diverted to other purpose which weren’t designated for or misappropriated as they have done with other assistance from donor countries and organisations. But President Sassou Nguesso is determined to weed out corruption in governance. Hence he has created a new organisation to fight against corruption with more powers and equally be independent”. 

Imminent arrest of corrupt persons

She added: “It explains why some of my colleagues are in panic mood right now. Those who stole money and kept them abroad or who are corrupt because they are close to the President will be arrested. But she didn’t give any names or when the arrest will start.  She however said: “her ministry plans to create at least 10 thousand jobs and will develop historical or memorial tourism and ecotourism with the objective of making Congo become the first tourism destination within the central African region. Toward that, information offices displaying or providing the tourism potentials of the country have been opened at the Brazzaville and Pointe Noire International airports and obtaining of visas for tourism have been facilitated”.

Why is Arlette Soudan-Nonault openly accusing some of her colleagues of corruption?

Professor Elanga Christophe Ndongo Gilles, a political analyst based in Brazzaville seems to have an answer: “the current declaration from Members of parliament belonging to ruling and even government ministers accusing their colleagues and the President of the Republic of corruption is the result of the current infighting within various clans joggling for power. Arlette is the niece of the President and he has used her as a bulldozer or dispenser of bad news in pass, so it is not fortuitous that she speaks the way she has by not showing solidarity with her colleagues.  There's also the rumour of an imminent cabinet change, hence exposing each other increases the chance of either forcing Sassou Nguesso to drop long standing ministers accused of corruption or attempt to bringing rebels or opposition element on board in a bid to forestall any kind of uprising as economic crisis digs deep and discontents rises. But when Pierre Ngolo, Senate President and secretary general of the ruling party openly accuses Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso of corruption, it shows that, the President wants to show the world, especially the IMF that, he really means business in his fight against corruption and he is ready to sacrifice his son. It could also be a political tactics from the President who has not yielded to the recommendation of the IMF to audit the SNPC or the major public works ministry both accused of monumental corruption” he concluded.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: My actions are the constitutional rights of a member of parliament

In the interview that follows, with Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, MP, says unequivocally that, he has no plans to succeed his father but instead working for the re-election of his father in 2021.

Elie SMITH: Since the publication of your book, there are rumors circulating in the Congo and beyond that, your book is actually your political manifesto for the 2021 presidential race. Can you confirm or deny here your 2021 presidential ambitions?

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: No, I am not a candidate in the presidential election of 2021. I wish the President of the Republic, Denis Sassou Nguesso, should and I have been working with others for a few months now, to actualise our goal of helping him to be reelected. To say that my book: “What I believe” is a political manifesto is wrong.  Readers will find in it that, there are no promises, no electoral statement, but a vision of what Congo could be in areas where, the Fondation Perspective D’Avenir that I created can boast of a solid record with less favored citizens of our country.

Elie SMITH: What do you do make of  accusations from some Congolese, who think that your father is encouraging to run for the 2021 presidential election, even though you have refuted the claims,   simply because he wants political power to stay within the Nguesso family?

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: These are allegations from Congolese who don’t know who the President of the Republic truly is. These repeated rumours; most often offends him because they are untrue. He has a different idea of ​​his function. The facts still contradict the rumor. If he had encouraged me to run for the 2021 presidential election as the rumour mill claims, why then I have I taken this solemn commitment that, I won’t run for the 2021 presidential election, but support him?

Elie SMITH: You are a member of parliament for Oyo, why carry out humanitarian actions in other places like Kouilou or Niari, which are way out of your constituency? Don’t you think that, it will be difficult to convince people that all you are doing is not because you want to run in the 2021 presidential election?

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: This last question is like an obsession. I answered it. For the rest, I did not create this fondation, Fondation Perspective D’Avenir, in order to make a career, but because my natural empathy has always led me to turn toward others. I enjoy helping or coming to the aid of the less privileged.  When I was elected MP in 2012, the after, that is  2013 I did something similar, so there is no link between my mandate and these humanitarian actions, which could or is being be interpreted as laying the ground work for my presidential ambitions.  Granted that, I am a member of Oyo, but I am an elected representative of the nation, therefore, of all Congo. My actions are the constitutional rights of a member of parliament, which is a national representation and not sectional. Let me use this opportunity to recall what our actions and our record are, we have carried out: large-scale vaccinations, community health campaigns, qualified professional training projects and offered scholarships to young people and those from less privileged backgrounds. I have always had as guideline that, the Foundation will intervene wherever there are needs and these simply means all over the national territory. In doing so, I or May I say, we are refusing acts of ethnocentrism or regionalism. Why will I focus everything in Oyo under the guise that I am an MP for Oyo, whereas I could help nationally? Is it bad what Fondation Perspective D’Avenir   is doing nationally? Please I will glad to know.

Elie SMITH: Thanks to your foundation, you have awarded scholarships, paid hospital bills and carried out many other generous actions in the country. Where did you get the money when the country cannot pay medical staff or pensions?

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: I thank you for qualifying the Foundation's actions as generous. But I must restore a number of truths. We are autonomous, independent of the State, even if we act complimentarily. It is wrong to say, for example, as you have just done, that we pay hospital bills. We have a mobile hospital, with all the latest technologies. These equipments are gift from our partners in Brazil and Morocco. When we vaccinated 130,000 girls against cervical cancer, the vaccines were offered to us by partners. As President of this foundation, I am constantly looking for sponsors and new partners.

Elie SMITH: As a Congolese, what is your view on the country's economic situation?

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: We are having difficulty diversifying our economy and we are too dependent on the oil and oil revenues. I am also aware that, we can’t overnight change an economy that has relied for decades on Oil. But also I think humbly that, we did not go far enough in what we undertook to develop an alternative economy in order to get out of the oil business. Diversification paths are possible. I mention them in my book. The government is committed to the development of certain sectors such as:  transformation   agriculture, forestry, livestock breeding, developing tourism or creating industrial zones, all of which contribute to job creation. It is necessary for the government to be resolute in its plans to diversify the economy, without which we won’t be able fight unemployment and maintained sustained economic growth. My role as MP, like that of the majority that supports the President of the Republic is precisely to help improve the situation even if much has been done under his leadership. It is also to provide solutions to help solve the problems facing Congolese, correct what does not give us complete satisfaction, because do not forget, this is the work of a politician and nothing else.

Elie SMITH: You left the SNPC, was it because of the pressure of the IMF, as some Congolese claim or as a result of a family quarrel?

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: When our leaders negotiates with the IMF, I can assure you that the issues and questions are not at the level of the people. So there was no pressure for my appointment in 2011 and parallelism of forms making, there was none so, when I left.  I move to another professional opportunity. It is as simple as that.  As for the other questions, they do not even deserve me to answer them.

Elie SMITH: What doing you make of the recent accusations by Pascal Tsaty Mabiala in parliament, where he claimed Prime Minister Clément Mouamba is afraid of leading a global fight against corruption? And also that, your name protect you from investigations?

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: Mr. Tsaty Mabiala is forgetting even the internal rules in parliament, he must in my opinion have a selective indignation or a variable geometry, which in Congo is often, dictated either by “belly politics” or when we are remote controlled by a major player of the presidential majority who wants to mess someone up. But let me reassure Tsaty Mabiala that I am doing very well, and that, the actions that, I am taking with my international partners with my foundation in favor of our fellow citizens from difficult backgrounds will continue because what we are doing is just right.

Elie SMITH: What do you make of accusations by a former trader with the Swiss based company that, between 2010 and 2011 you were paid through a certain Maxime Gandzion the sum of $ 15million for the sale of 13 million tons of crude oil?

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: It is an affabulation. I don't know why my name or that of my family must always appears in such cases. The SNPC has specific and responsible managers handling dealings with external companies or traders. And on the specific case of Gunvor, I think Thierry Mongalla has already responded to it in the newspaper La Tribune D’afrique and I support his declaration and may I repeat what he said: “there was no case of corruption at the SNPC in connection with that company. If anyone has proves, let the person produce them”.

Elie SMITH: Thank you very much

Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso: It is my pleasure



Friday, March 9, 2018

Denis Sassou Nguesso & the 1989 UTA airliner bombing




In fact, President Denis Sassou Nguesso had never had plans to leave power and even in 1992, he conceded defeat to Pascal Lissouba simply because, he was under pressure from late President Francois Mitterrand,  following  his alleged complicity  with Muammar Gaddafi in the bombing of French UTA airliner over the  Tenere desert in Niger in 1989. I was told by a person in Brazzaville whom I promised never to release his identity. The same source also told me that, in the Libya versus Chad war over the control of the northern Chadian territory of band Aouzou, Denis Sassou Nguesso was on the side of Libya. He went on: “since Colonel Gaddafi was a friend to Colonel Denis Sassou Nguesso, Libya’s leader, decided to send Libyan bomb experts to Brazzaville to plant a bomb in a UTA flight that was to fly to Paris via Ndjamena, the capital of Chad. And in Ndjamena, President Hissene Habre had to board that plane because, he was going to Paris, France”. My informant went on: “The Libyan plan was that, the plane will take off and explode out of Chadian territory, killing in the process the Chadian leader who was viscerally opposed to Libyan expansionism and who had inflicted heavy defeats on Libyan forces with the aid of French legionnaires”. 

He went on: “In Brazzaville, Denis Sassou Nguesso did inform three Congolese of the Libyan plan: Senator Oba Apounou, General Norbert Dabira and Auxence Ickonga, who was the third African director of Air Afrique”. He continued: “the mutual Gaddafi –Sassou Nguesso secret plan to kill Hissene Habre failed because, late Auxence Ickonga, who was a friend to late President Mobutu, decided to inform the second. And Mobutu in turn informed his friend Hissene Habre, asking him not board the UTA flight from Brazzaville to Paris via Ndjamena".  

He concluded: "sadly On board that, same flight, several Congolese lost their lives amongst them, the daughter of trade-unionist, Bokamba Yagouma. It also explained the reason why, Bokamba had a vitriolic anti Denis Sassou Nguesso approach in the 90s.  When the French discovered the implication of Denis Sassou Nguesso, their protégé in the UTA crash, they decided not support Pascal Lissouba. It was Paris own way to punish their protégé”.  Another informant told me: “when Denis Sassou Nguesso discovered that, it was Auxence Ickonga, who leaked the secret to Mobutu, Auxence was allegedly poisoned by Congo’s president using a woman whose name can’t be mentioned here on”.  

Friday, September 8, 2017

Race relations in the USA

My Research Fellowship also permitted me to discover that, in the United States, race still had too much influence in the way people reacted or judged those with different skin colours. I will never forget this incidence that I will want to share with you. The reason why I am sharing it with you is to support my latter claim that, in the US, race still influences the way some Americans do judge others. One day, where I was living in Silver Spring, I came home one evening and had difficulties to open my door.  I decided to call the landlord to find out whether, there was a special instruction or an astute way needed. His response left me spell bound. He said: “Elie, what is difficult in opening a door?” He went on: “I had two white boys who opened that door without any problems and you a Blackman, why should you face difficulties?”  My landlord was an African American, who saw the world in black and white. But my question to him was this: “what has white and black got to do when one needs help?” I concluded that, it might be based on the past history of America that compelled some Americans act the way my landlord acted.

Proposals

However, having made my observations known above about NED and some of its staff, I still think that they (NED) as an organisation created in 1984 to support and promote liberal democracy around the world are already doing a tremendous job, but they could do more. For example, while they are already doing a praiseworthy job, there is need for them to have or create specific targets and objectives, which at this stage I doubt whether they have. In my humble opinion, NED needs to increase their funding to media, especially in regions and countries where free speech and democracy is either threatened or where governments have preponderant control. This measure will encourage the rise and consolidation of independent media organisations and professional journalists, who will be able to independently carry out investigative journalism and also be able to report accurately on cases of financial fraud or corruption and also on human rights abuses.  One reason among the many that has caused or made democracy to roll back in most of Africa, in particular in central Africa is the absence of independent media for reasons earlier mentioned. Besides increase in financial and material assistance, which is needed for both old and new media, NED needs to increase its assistance or grants to pro democracy activists and organisations within the central Africa region, in particular in the following countries: Congo Brazzaville, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. As noted earlier, NED is doing a considerable job in promoting prodemocracy groups in Nigeria, the DRC and Zimbabwe, but there is need for them to do more, especially in the central African countries mentioned earlier. One way of helping prodemocracy activists and their organisations in the central African countries above mentioned could be to target and help genuine prodemocracy groups and activists. But how can genuine prodemocracy groups or group be distinguished from fake ones? It is difficult, but due diligence process needs to be put in place within NED to make sure that, those offered grants are not just genuine but result oriented.   Furthermore, country specific approach is needed in whatever assistance or arrangement NED may want to device. This is so because, while African countries or central African countries may look similar, they are fundamentally differences within the same country: cultures and traditions vary from one region to the other.

The case of Cameroon

In Cameroon, NED must not have a one size fit all support programmes for prodemocracy organisations and activists. Their approach must respect the cultural and linguistic divide of the country. They should not be deceived into thinking or buying the official propaganda that, Cameroon is a united country.  The country is divided along linguistic lines and as the current Anglophone crisis has demonstrated, the gap between the majority French-speaking Cameroonians and their English-speaking counterparts are wider than officially presented. For example, English-speaking regions of Cameroon have greater experience in terms of social networking or civil society organisations management than the majority French-speaking Cameroonians. This simply means that, supporting prodemocracy activists in English-speaking Cameroon is far easier and more likely to attain results faster than in French-speaking Cameroon. Whereas in French-speaking Cameroon, more training for pro democracy organisations and activists are first needed and followed by the proper process of scrutiny before any results could be expected. Failure to respect the latter, the consequences are that, it is more likely that, any investments in French-speaking Cameroon for prodemocracy is bound to fail or produce limited results. Another dimension with Cameroon is its Greater north region, whose culture is different from those of greater south. Here again, a different approach is needed and more, the fundamental desires of the people of the Greater north region are special or specific. The Greater north of Cameroon certainly needs help for its pro democracy activists and organisations. However, unlike the Greater south, the priority in the Greater north is the girl child education, female rights, education and religious tolerance.  The success in campaigns to increase the girl child education or gender equality can only succeed if grants are awarded to activists claiming to work in the latter mentioned domains only after thorough introspection, have been carried out on organisations and individual seeking grants in the region.  Furthermore, grants should also be granted first only to organisations and groups that are in the fight to improve or that will have greater and immediate impact in the area.

Observations

I have sadly observed that, it seems grants are too often given to people and organisations without verifying whether their projects align with the needs of the regions or areas that the grants were sorted for. The other sad observation is that most grantees are in fact by default supports of the very dictatorial regimes that should be fought and changed. Hence the necessities for proper scrutiny before any grants are offered. As I had stated earlier, the National Endowment for Democracy was helping prodemocracy activists on the continent, but like Oliver Twist, I need them to do more and to be very selective with the projects that they are supporting. Some proposals like that which concerns Cameroon have been made earlier, but I have the impression that, in other countries, NED is supporting programmes that are having little or no impact on the promotion of human rights or democracy. Hence as already mentioned, it would be good that, while NED monitors those that, they offer grants, NED itself, must be evaluated on how successful they have been in their support for prodemocracy projects or grants around the continent since its creation in 1984.  If NED doesn’t want to waste US tax payer monies as I think they are doing in some projects that they are sponsoring, they must create or have clear cut objectives as earlier mentioned instead of their vague notion of support for prodemocracy. NED must start thinking how best prodemocracy activists can succeed in countries that are governed by dictators such as those in central Africa region. This means that, she must only support organisations that are genuinely supporting the promotion of democracy and free speech. And finally, NED needs to try to help consolidate free Speech by supporting media houses and media bodies around the continent, in particular within the Central Africa region, which is suffering from the absence of truly independent media organisations.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Monitoring NED / some NED staff

As I began observing and monitoring NED as an organisation and some NED staff, my objective went beyond finding out whether they were genuine or different from other dubious western organisations. I also wanted to find out whether they (NED) were impartial in their handling of Africa in comparison to other parts of the world: Eastern Europe, former Soviet Union and China.  The other dimension to my investigations or observations was to find out whether their staff or workers were genuinely dedicated and truly loved what they were doing.  And to my greatest surprise, I discovered that or should I say, barring some inherent errors of appreciations or evaluations on my part, that a majority of NED staff or at least those that, I came across, really loved their job and above all, they were fastidious and were devoted at what they were doing. They were not a pretending lot, they really meant business as far as the promotion and defense of democracy and pro democracy activists were concerned. My final observation was that, Research Fellows came from all over the world and as such, their cultures might deeply be at variance with American values, hence the need to have Research Assistants who were capable to work with people from different race and religion. Here again, I was positively impressed.  It looks as though, a proper vetting system was put in place in order to make sure that only those who really have the spirit of the organisation should filter through.  I was equally glad to discover that NED paid attention to Africa, especially Nigeria, the DRC and Zimbabwe to name these few and many others. Regarding NED staff, besides Marlena that I had already made my observations on her known from day one at the start of this chapter, below are my observations of other NED staff that I came across:  

Megan Caro

She seems at first sight a reserve and distant person or even a tad arrogant. But her true self can only be discovered or revealed when you get closer to her and have the opportunity to speak with her. She is in my opinion extremely, humble, intelligent and shows concern and equally takes great interest in Research fellows and their difficulties. She also has a sound understanding of international affairs, in particular the Middle East. Her regard toward Iran is something that I admire, because it is not dictated by popular believes within the established press and intelligentsia in the United States, who are more often than not, pro-Saudi and anti-Iran. She looks independent minded and it is a quality that I treasure in people, because, personally, I am independent minded and I don’t like to be told what to do.

Emily Milestein

Even though, she left for law school while my fellowship was ongoing, I kept fond memories of her. The ever smiling research assistant did not only loved Africa and immigrants; she had visited and stayed in a number of African countries which made her to master African history and politics, better than most Americans that I have come across during my stay in the US and at NED. She also has a knack for details and for work that is well done.

Evan Abramsky

Until I met this very intelligent young research assistant, Emily was the only one I thought in their group who had genuine interest for Africa. Evan also has excellent knowledge and understanding of Africa added with a great sense for details. He is also ever ready and willing to help research assistants in their various challenges and difficulties.
 
Ian Graham
                                                                   
I also came across the football or as the American would call it, the soccer loving research assistant from Utah who also likes eating carrots.  Perhaps it was for vitamins or for more hair growth. He was the only research assistant that, I came across who loves soccer, in particular the English Premier league and his favorite soccer or football team was Arsenal FC. I noted that, Ian Graham was a man who takes interest in people or in Research Fellows and he likes to talk or he is a tad chatty, which is in my opinion a thing in a rather sometimes doll environment. And just his colleague, Emily Milestein, Ian is always ready to help and makes sure research fellows have all the need. And finally and which endears him and distinguishes him, is the fact that he has a generous heart.

Eshe Hill

I admired her first because she was the only African American Research Assistant that I met while at NED. I must be honest to point out that, the fact that, there weren’t any single African American Research assistant at NED made me sometimes felt uncomfortable. I did ask myself this question: is the management of NED trying to tell the world that, there were no competent or interested African Americans for the post of research assistant? However before I could leave, that anomaly was corrected with the recruitment of Eshe Hill and I hope many more African Americans will be given the chance in the future should the need arises. Her presence among the group of research assistants was to me a welcome relief.  Later on, my admiration for Eshe Hill went beyond her ethnic background, but was more based on her professionalism. She assisted me enormously before and during the preparation of my presentation on Kleptocracy.  She was the one who prepared slides for the presentation and she equally helped me in the selection of pictures.

Zerxes Spencer

At NED, I was impressed by the neatness of the manager of Fellowship programme and also the way he takes his time to chose and pronounced words. It was as though, he was taking some extra time to mold every word that he wanted to pronounce in the English language. In short, he was careful the way he spoke, I suspect because he did want to hurt or he wanted to make sure that, whatever he said was properly understood by his interlocutor. I later on noticed that, he was an excellent writer with a gift in brilliant formulations of sentences and phrases. He would make an excellent teacher if he chooses to and he could easily blend into any multicultural milieu. I don’t know whether the fact that, he is originally from Pakistan has any influence in the way he looks and handles things. This is so because, I sensed that, he understands people better or Research Fellows from developing countries and their preoccupations.  Even though he doesn’t talk much, I also noticed that, he understands the intricacies and challenges of working and living under dictatorial regimes, perhaps more than most of his colleagues. This was demonstrated by his desire to listen and willingness to offer assistance to me while I was still a Research fellow. He personally took me to a lawyer when I was at one point considering to stay in the US, but I  later on changed my mind because of two things: my younger sister and what I thought I could contribute in my country in her quest to become a liberal democracy.  
Sally Blair

Dr Blair had one thing that I admired very much in her, besides other qualities that I dictated. She was/is a modern and well educated woman, who above all else had great respect for family values. I was always happy whenever I overheard her talk about her son and husband and also when she said or told us via mail that, she was traveling to see her family or in-laws. Her outstanding educational background, excellent job, where she had executive position and by extension power and influence did not make her to be distant or arrogant with Research Fellows, especially those from developing countries. Instead I suspect, her position has forced and forged her to become an extraordinary kind and humane person, who takes great interest and pleasure in listening to the stories of Research Fellows. The other thing that I admired in Sally Blair was that, like Zerxes Spencer, she spoke perfect French and Russian. She also knows how to keep or make research fellows comfortable. When I newly arrived in DC, she sensed quickly that, I wasn’t fully equipped for the wintery weather and she brought me some warm cloths and some Tea bags. Those are positive gestures that I can’t easily forget and I will want to thank her hereon.

Carl Gershman

He is the President of NED. He is an amazing man who does his job with passion. Although he seems advanced in age, he exudes an extraordinary youthful vigor in the discharge of his duty. He is earnestly focused in his campaign for the promotion of democracy and respect for human rights around the world. I also observed during my stay at NED that, he genuinely loves Africa and wants Africa to improve positively in all aspects.  I had meetings with him twice in his office courtesy Melissa Aten.  And through the assistance of Mr Gershman, I was equally able to meet some staff of the US Energy Department in order to explain to them how Congo Brazzaville was circumventing EITI regulations to the advantage of the system: government and the ruling Nguesso family. While he is passionate at promoting democracy around the word, sadly, the US government and other Americans don’t share his zeal.

Melissa Aten

When I was at NED, besides knowing that, she was a staff, the only other thing that I knew about her was that, she loves her dog very much. Anyway that was what the pictures posted regularly on her Facebook page showed. It might sound strange, but I discovered more of her very late and in the process, I saw her astonishing potentials and equally the love and concerns that she exudes, in particular for Research Fellows from dangerous parts of the world with hostile governments. She seems to keep track of all Research Fellows who have left and resides in high risk countries. She is simply amazing with a gift for details and organisation of events. She also seems to be a person who is very punctual all she does and always determined to make the most difficult task look simple and workable.

Dave Peterson

Within the Africa team of NED, I discovered a gem, a person who does his job with honesty and dedication. He also truly loves Africa because he seems to have crisscrossed the continent as a reporter and adventurer. Whenever I entered the office of Dave Peterson, I was impressed by the number African handicrafts and other crafts he had that relate to Africa that he exhibited. In the office of Dave, I noticed that, it had a large map of the African continent that was occupying an entire section of his wall. It is not often common to see or find a Whiteman who openly shows his love for the African continent the way I have seen Dave do.

Kamissa Camara  

The other person at the Africa team who impressed me was Kamissa Camara. She loves her job and loves Africa, in particular, Mali her country or that of her parents. Her love for Mali was surprising, giving that, she was born in France. And most often, children of immigrants, especially females born in France that, I know, do prefer their country of birth over that of their parents, especially if their parents were Africans. She is an ambitious young woman, who if she properly harnesses her potentials, she will go places. I also sensed that, NED was not giving her the position that she might inwardly desire; hence I don’t think she will stay longer than necessary.

Pierre Tchantou

I had known Pierre a year before officially starting my Research Fellowship. He is a hardworking young man who likes his job and he is also very careful with what he does or says. He talks very little about politics, perhaps he is afraid to expose his real opinion or that he may not have one. While his love for Africa and his native country, Cameroon is not in any doubt, unlike me, he handles or treats African political subjects as a man who is walking on eggshells. He doesn’t seem to relish adventure or speculations. And he seems an enigmatic person whose true thoughts and feelings are difficult to decipher. He will make an excellent career in politics should he ever desires or should leave NED one day.

Rudy Massamba


I came to be very close to him perhaps because he was originally from Congo Brazzaville, a country that I love. But one other thing that made me to be closer to him was that, I noticed that, he was sincere toward me and he also believed in increasing financial support for prodemocracy across Africa, in particular for prodemocracy groups and activists within the Central Africa region. My admirations for him amplified when I realized that, he has not forgotten where he came from and he seems to be a good practicing Christian. My stay or Research fellowship period was a great and an outstanding experience, partly because of Rudy Massamba who made me more than other NED staff to feel at home away from home. 

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

My first Days at NED


As I do whenever arrive newly anywhere, I first start by making an observation and in the process asking questions. I did the same when I arrived at NED. I took time to observe and start asking questions. Hence I did not immediately focus on my research topics. I first spent some time observing the behaviors of a few permanent staff that I could go close or speak with them. Secondly, I focused at understanding how NED functions, especially that, prior to coming to NED, I had heard a lot of stories about its capacities and influences.  The aforementioned observations were necessary because, as a black African and a journalist, even though I love and respect the United States and the entire western democracies, I am still suspicious of westerners, their governments and all institutions that they are or may be sponsoring. My suspicious are based on the fact that the African continent and its people have throughout history been exploited and abused by the same western governments and institutions that, they support financially or materially.  Even though the United States and most liberal democracies have strong institutions and strong independent media and well organized civil society organisations, which would have been enough to check the excesses of their governments, I have discovered sadly that, those hurdles/checks are not elevated or solid enough. This is so because the rise to power of people such as Donald John Trump in US or Viktor Orban in Hungary with the propensity of attacking or defying democratic institutions. And in defying or attacking democratic institutions, cracks have appeared on the walls of those institutions and through them, most western governments and their sponsored institutions have carried out actions which are at variance with what they most often promote: liberal democracy. Fortunately for me, I discovered that, NED might be sponsored by US government and institutions, it was genuine in its support for democracy and free speech around the world.

Questions & contradictions


Although western liberal democracies do champion the promotion of good governance or liberal democracy around the world, there are nonetheless questions or doubts about their sincerity in most cases of regimes and causes that they do on occasions support. For how can liberal democracies from the US to Australia possibly conciliate their promotion of democracy, respect for human rights and free speech, while they have as strategic friends, dictatorial regimes such as Saudi Arabia and many others? How can they claim to fight against corruption while at the same time still allowing most African leaders to steal wealth from their respective countries and secure them in western banks? Why will western governments supported organisations, such as the UN, UNDP sponsor associations and organisation promoted by wives and children or family members of African despots? The above questions are where my suspicions of western governments and institutions stands and equally the enigma and contradictions that they willfully or not, entertained. Hence, some African journalists and prodemocracy activists are shocked and disgust whenever they discover that, most dictatorial regimes in Africa do survive or generate their legitimacy from the same western governments that claims to be against dictatorship.