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.;.,A'K!I11,1S31 TKECa:uAT:rs-i3 Mm. nrtnnn? K 11 J 1 1 M ZZCJ A Weekly Digest of African Affairs THE U.S. AND AFRICA: 1981 Part II AN Officials of the Reagan administration have given sufficient in dications of future policy t& deeply alarm African countries, and to lead to a breakdown in the early, diplomatically muted criticism. African countries are visibly and outspokenly outraged, and the Euro pean allies of the United States, while still not mov ed to public statements, ire raising serious ques ions in private. Most upsetting have ' een strong indications of U.S. tilt toward closer es with South Africa, ginning with President eagan's warm . remarks out an "old ally" in a arch 3 television inter ew, and continuing with series of other disturbing velopments. These in jde: the visit of senior South frican military officials the United States and eir 'unauthorized' eeting with U.S. UN mbassador Jeanne irk patrick; the withdrawal of U.S. od aid to Mozambique fter the expulsion of U.S. iplomats from that coun y for alleged involve jent in a CIA ntelligence-gathering Deration' (which may . lave supplied information 0 South Africa); the apparent U.S. aban lonment of efforts to br ng about a diplomatic olution in Namibia; 1 the administration re juest to Congress for epeal of the 'Chirk intendment' banning U.S. ntervention in Angola; and an expected visif to the United States of South African-linked Angolan guerrilla leader Jonas Savimbi. headofUNltA. nation nines group m inc United Nations issued ' a statement strongly criticis ing the emerging direction of United States policy toward South Africa,', noting that stepped-up South African attacks on its neighbors coincided with the support shown by the U.S. to South Africa. A few days earlier Nigeria's President Shehu Shagari warned that arm ing UNITA rebels "would be in defiance of not only Angola but all of Africa." Already in response to Reagan's early March comments, the west African press from both French and English speaking countries has been giving wide coverage to the new policy tilt and universally denouncing it. And oti March 15 the Dai ly News of Tanzania ran a scathing editorial which 'commented that the new administration apparently thinks "that by suppor ting racism, the invasion of free African states by South Africa, and the am bitions of a South African puppet, America. tan cotf vince Africa that it is dedicated to the support of freedom and democracy." Receiving less public at tention, but also deeply upsetting to African coun tries, has been the U.S. stand on a number of development issues, par ticularly the abrupt aban donment of the almost concluded talks on the Law of the Sea, and plan ned cutbacks in funding for development banks, including the World Bank. It can hardly be ex pected that the U.S; would respond to the criticism of a country like Tanzania, which has little economic or geopolitical weight to throw around. African ef forts to slow the rush of policy toward the right, however, also have a powerful advocate in Nigerian President Shehu Shagari, who took his message to London on a state visit from March 17 through 20, followed by three days of private talks. President Shagari, speaking in London, warned the United States against " tilting toward South Africa, wbtte saying that his government was still willing to give the new administration the benefit of the doubt until its policy is formally an nounced. Privately, the Nigerian president urged his British hosts to add their pressure to moderate -U.S. policy toward southern Africa. While Britain's Prime . Minister Margaret That cher largely shares Presi dent Reagan's conser vative views on economic .policy and world affairs, the British government has already been active behind the scenes in urg ing Western sensitivity to African concerns. The reason is clear: British in terests in continuing close economic ties with Nigeria are massive. I In 1980 Nigeria led South Africa as Britain's major export market in Africa by almost $300 million, buying some S2.7 billion worth of British goods. Since Britain buys only a small amount from Nigeria, having its own North Sea oil, there is also a massive trade imbalance in Britain's favor of some $2.3 billion. And while Britain holds some 207o of the Nigerian market and some .40 of all foreign investment in the country, British businessmen are worried that in major capital projects, French, German, kalian, Japanese and even Soviet firms have been outstripping them. In February, British and Nigerian negotiators reached agreement on compensation of some $125 million for assets of the British Petroleum in terests in Nigeria, which were nationalized in August 1979 in protest to British ties . wkf South Africa and in what was . generally assumed to be a mha td tu-escilre Britain"; tin tiegWrations rthen : going on over Zimbabwe. ' Britain's responsiveness to this rather sharp nudge and its opposition to the Reagan tilt while still opposing African calls for sanctions against South Africa is broadly reflec tive of Western European views on Africa. These contrast sharply with the new United States em phasis on giving priority to confrontation with the; Soviet Union and its 'surrogates.' The Western European countries, the most powerful external economic influence in Africa, rather emphasize the usefulness of doing business with and main taining friendly relations with the full range of African countries, regardless of ideology. All north African coun tries have close economic ties with Western Europe, and of sub-Saharan Africa, only Angola and Mozambique are not yet adherents of the Lome convention linking African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to the European Economic Community. And if these two are not yet members, it is not as a result of European opposition to the Marxist-Leninist policies of their ruling political parties, but rather because Angola and Mozambique are carefully scrutinizing the fine print before entering into any definitive agreement. The European countries are particularly concerned that the U.S. not totally abandon the diplomatic route and fall in with South African plans on the future of Namibia. In a characteristic statement, the influential Financial Times of London argued that alternatives to sanc tions "will have to be found if the West is to head off the growing pressure and maintain a credible role m Mack Africa. JThis) will not be achieved, without U.S. pressure on Pretoria. President Reagan must be encouraged in this direc tion." . European officials feel that Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Chester Crocker is sympathetic to' their 'moderate' ap proach, but they fear the U.S. may be rapidly push ed by the ultra-right within the administration ; and in Congress into such an identification with Pretoria that any hope for continued good ties with independent Africa would be lost. This fear is fed by the signals so far of a tilt toward Pretoria, and by two Reagan appoint ments: Ernest-Lefever for the State Department human rights post, and Carl Gershman, a strong advocate of U.S. support for UNITA in Angola, as deputy to UN Am bassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick. The choices are being interpreted in part as a quid pro quo a prize for the political right in compensation for Jesse Helms' acceptance of the 'moderate' Crocker nomination for the Africa post. The European concern is shared by many of the leaders of major U.S. cor porations with substantial interests in Western Europe and Africa. They also hope---for increased profits from new invest ment and trade with Nigeria and other African countries. Manny com panies, for example, are vying for a major share of the more than $18 billion that Nigeria plans to spend over the next five years in agricultural development. A joint Agricultural Consultative Committee of 26 major agri-business firms, formed last year, is expected to visit Nigeria in May. These companies are hoping tjiat exports of U.S. food will be sup plemented by massive ex ports of agricultural technology and, expertise r. one area in which ihe U-isifmjrtgef com petitive grounds with the Western Europeans and Japanese. But a major confrontation with Nigeria over southern Africa could lead to a drastic reduction in these opportunities. Among the companies most active in opposing a U.S. tilt toward South Africa is Gulf Oil, which has investments in both Angola and in west Africa, particularly Nigeria. Melvin Hill, president of Gulf Oil Ex ploration and Production Company, testified before the House Subcommittee on Africa in September on Gulf's operations in Angola, stressing their good relations with the government and noting that to Gulf's knowledge only three governments the U.S., the People's Republic of China, and Senegal still withhold recognition from the MPLA-Labour Party government of Angola. Hill is scheduled to testify again before the House Subcommittee this week, and he will likely comment on both the Angolan situation and the bVoader jJ.S. economic and political interest in Africa, Though other companies have been reluctant to take a public stance, Africa News has learned that a major behind-the-scenes effort is under way by a number of firms to communicate complaints to administra tion officials and Con gress regarding Africa policy. The success of these ef forts is . unpredictable. Some impact is apparent in the U.S. pledge last week at the conference held on aid to Zimbabwe in Salisbury. New AID Administrator Peter Peterson expressed the U.S. intent to maintain the level of commitment at the $75 million per year level projected by the Carter administration, br inging the total three-year amount to $225 million. Opponents of the pro spective tilt toward South Africa, however, are con cerned that the Reagan ad ministration, mistakenly, does not take African threats seriously. The first major test may come soon, with the arrival ' postponed several times, but expected momentarily of Jonas Savimbi in Washington. Local Pioneer Lawyers And Judges Honored The . North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers honored several pioneer lawyers and judges from Durham and across North Carolina. The Honorable Matthew J. Perry, federal district Judge from South Carolina was the speaker. Volume One in the Chronicle of Black Lawyers in North Carolina honored those whom the NCABL called "The Pioneers: 1865-1950" at its first such banquet March 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the W.G. Pearson Dining Hall on North Carolina Central University campus. t Special recognition was given to Conrad Odelle Pearson as a senior living pioneer, and to the late Robert TVIcCants, Caswell Jerry Gates and M. Hugh Thompson. Recognition was also given to the late P.S. Escoffery. The late Cecil A. Mc Coy, Edward R. Avant and John H. Wheeler were also honored as pionneer lawyers, as well as Albert Louis Turner, first dean of the NCCU Law School. . Family members were given the Awards for them. Living Durham lawyers honored in addition to Pearson include LeMar quis DeJarmon, former i : dean and professor of law ;,4t?jMCe0; uMiUotr. E-, Johnson, former practic ing attorney and teacher,' f C. C. Spaulding, Jr., former vice president and general counsel of North Carolina Mutual Life In surance Company, and J.J. Sansom, president of Mechanics and Farmers Bank. Black judges from Durham, past and pre sent, who were honored ; included the Honorable . Charles L. Becton, North Carolina Court of Ap peals, Honorable Richard D. Erwin, former Court of Appeals and currently U.S. District Court Judge of the Middle District, Honorable Karen B. Galloway, District Court, 14th Judicial District, Honorable W.G. Pearson, II, District Court, 14th Judicial. District and Honorable Ronald Barbee, former Superior Court Special Judge. Attorney G.K. Butter field, Jr., of Wilson, is president of the 300 member N.C. Association of Black Lawyers. Butter field emphasized that "Today's younger black lawyers owe a great debt of gratitude to the pioneers who paved the way making possible many of the benefits black lawyers and black people enjoy today." F.B.'McKissick of Ox- , ford, chairman of the Pro gram Committee, pointed . out that the program recognized "the tremen dous struggles older , lawyers had to try to achieve a measure of ( dignity in the profession personally, as they pur sued the unpopular cause of 'due process of law', and equal justice for black ' people. This tribute is long overdue," he added. Charles E. Daye, of Durham, the Associa-; tion's executive secretary, said he believes "The Chronicle is a significant historical document, that makes a real beginning to' J collect and preserve a vital part of black history, not : ; just for lawyers, but for everyone. This document ) starts with the Reconstruct 1 tion Period and traces4 black lawyers up to 1950. j , We hope to add to that history year by year until -II UHJ II. I - I - I Jl .l .1.1 JJ II . Ll.l.N . .Ifl.l II Jl i. J-'IUUU ni.i.1 i . p : 1 ) n i 1 X iw 1 I It j h - In; Two students attending St. Augustine's Coltege have bean chosen as French Scholars and will participate hi the Alma College program to Paris, France. Shown left to right observing a world globe are Miss Audrey Croston and Miss JoAnni Brown. They will be studying at Alliance Francoise In Paris this summer from July to August. Miss Audrey Croston is a sophomore French major from Seymour Johnson AFB and Miss Jo Anne Brown, a junior French and Spanish major, hails from Petersburg, Virginia. King's Rags To Riches Message Needed By Timothy Tyler (Timothy Tyler is a Howard University stu dent and communications major who heard Don King speak recently at the university. The articles describes his impres sions. )(Don King's message was carried on the front page of The Carolina Times' issue of April 4.) A socially-handicapped black man: no education, criminal, ex-convict, numbers runner and pro bably a number of other we have a full and com plete record." typical criminal traits of a large number of black men. He does not stand a chance of survival in these capitalistic United States. He has already chosen his future. He will probably die before age 50, or spend the rest of his life in jail because he is a loser. Mr. Don King: no education, criminal, ex convict, numbers runner, a black man, a millionaire, articulate, character, educated, smart, all in all in this society's terminology a winner. From these descriptions come pro bably the best of the rags to riches stories. Probably a movie and several books on the man. Of course, this story is highly publicized, and probably as well known as Christopher Columbus is by most poor inner city black children. No this is not the case. Mr. Don King, he is not your typical American millionaire, Mr. King is not the former college stu dent who majored in engineering, who invented the first car, or the first man to split the atom to produce the atom bomb. He is (or should be) based on his social background, a discouraged poor black man. One would automatically think this if one were to investigate Mr. King's social background. Mr. King has put a serious dent in the wall of the capitalistic system which insists, demands, and with no ex ceptions, says you must be educated to become a money-maker in the U.S. Mr. King, in my past opinion, was just someone 'who occasionally ac cidently wandered past the television cameras at an Ali fight. Not much more than your usual "biters" (Continued From Page 15) jwiijj.iuuuioopoqQpocooopoeocwGqooooooo Community Hews WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT WITH A SUBSCRtPTtONTU ' THE CAROLINA TIMES YOU GET PLENTY OF COMMUNITY NEWS. NEWS OF EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS THAT ABE IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. YOU CAN STAY INFORM ED OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND YOU WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY. YOU CAN GET UP-TO-DA TE. "CHURCH NEWS CLUBS AND SOCIALS LOCAL SPORTS , mNEWS OF NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY ISSUES AND STA TE, AND NA TIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST TO YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY. Be Informed of What's Going on In The Community Road . Subscribe Now SUBSCRIPTION RATES (Payable In Advance) In North Carolina $12.48 (N.C. Sales Tax included) -1 Year $7.80 (N.C. Sales Tax included) 6 Months Out Of State $12.00-1 Year $7.50 -6 Months Mr. Mrs., Ms. Cjooo Address City State ( ) Check or Money Order Enclosed ( ) Bill me within thirty days you art a prrtrnt subicribtr, plettt givt tMs cmrd to a Hand. 7'T"'i"r"ffiTirnnniinrnnnntiiinnnnnnijiinnotrTinnnnnnmmonfinijijijououuuuuiiu
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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April 11, 1981, edition 1
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