Are EU and US being heroes or villains by freezing assets of ousted African leaders?

[Ubumuntu]

Salaam wanaJF!

We are now witnessing a new trend of revolution across the Arab world whereby people's powers are tormenting and ousting powerful Arab leaders. We have seen what happened in Tunisia,then Egypt,Yemen,Algeria and now Libya.

What I want to share with you is the habits of EU nations and US to freeze assets of ousted or tormented leaders. They freezed Ben Ali's then Mubarak's and now Gaddafi's. My question is why now? Why so sudden? Didn't they know that such leaders from poor nations have such wealth? Didn't they use the money deposited in Swiss,Malta or New Jersey Island banks for their countries' initiatives? Aren't they sending the money deposited by those greedy and corrupt leaders,as aids and grants to us? Aren't they pretending to care about our problems by giving us our own money(stolen by corrupt leaders and deposited abroad) in form of aids,grants and even loans?

If EU and US know the answers to those questions then they are just villains pretending to be heroes in the eyes of Africans. If they could had the habits of freezing assets of such corrupt and greedy leaders as soon as they doubt wealth accumulations of such leaders,then they could have been heroes in the eyes of Africans.

I stand to be criticised!

 

[Percival]

Both EU and US are villains. If a dictator can facilitate their interest in his country then they are with them - remember in last few years when Libya returned to the fold of so callled 'international community' all western leaders were falling on each other to see Gadafi in his tent in Tripoli and getting contracts.

Also when they say they have frozen funds dont believe them - have you heard how much of Mobutu, Markos and other dictators ill gotten wealth has been returned to their countries ? nothing !! and we heard they had billions in the west.

Now Bongo family of Gabon, a Equitorial Guinea dictator, Angola top Govt officials, Nigerians and many more are depositing billions of stollen money in Western banks with big 'welcome sir' from Western banks and their Govt. Dont believe and dont trust them.

 

[Son of Alaska]

What i hate about the western world is OPPORTUNISM and outright double standards,when the gaddafi"s are in power and dancing to their tunes,youhear nothing about freezing their assets. They moment trouble erupts in these countries,the western world change camps in the hope that whoever comes to power will continue accomodating them economicwise.We third world nations dont see this as we are immensed in our hand to mouth existence and as such always prone to being manipulated

 

[Ubumuntu]

So what shall we do?

 

[Tanzanites]

What i hate about the western world is OPPORTUNISM and outright double standards,when the gaddafi"s are in power and dancing to their tunes,youhear nothing about freezing their assets. They moment trouble erupts in these countries,the western world change camps in the hope that whoever comes to power will continue accomodating them economicwise.We third world nations dont see this as we are immensed in our hand to mouth existence and as such always prone to being manipulated

It is easy to criticize the West but in many cases these are elected leaders even though many of the elections are questionable. Should the west really question the will of the people in African countries and freezing assets of the leaders and introduce travel bans? Just to see lucrative business deals been taken by the Chinese who are widely being celebrated in Africa for not interfering with the same countries internal affairs?


This is a very difficult question that I am sure is on the mind of many western leaders these days but the truth is that real change has to come from the people of these countries and not from any foreign country being from the west, east, north or south

 

[sijuikitu]

what if they never froze the assets at all, even after the leaders have been ousted, what then?

 

[Son of Alaska]

It is easy to criticize the West but in many cases these are elected leaders even though many of the elections are questionable. Should the west really question the will of the people in African countries and freezing assets of the leaders and introduce travel bans? Just to see lucrative business deals been taken by the Chinese who are widely being celebrated in Africa for not interfering with the same countries internal affairs?


This is a very difficult question that I am sure is on the mind of many western leaders these days but the truth is that real change has to come from the people of these countries and not from any foreign country being from the west, east, north or south

THE western world suggests that change has to come from outside and be parachuted on us.They assume we are too stupid to know what we want,that is why they give us aid with strings attached to social engineer the kind of govt the west wants

 

[Tanzanites]

Hi Son of Alaska,

Interesting name by the way; it suggest some kind of affiliation to US :wink2:

Anyhow I think you proved my point. Any aid from the West that is attached with demands to changes to the countries governance is considered to be interfering with the countries internal affairs or as you said it: "social engineer the government the West wants".

Now imagine that not only are there strings attached to aid but the West also freeze the assets of the same countries leaders.

Hmmmm.. even as a son of Alaska i am sure you would be up in arms :wink2:

 

[Askari Kanzu]

The "West" has never had and will never have good intentions towards "poor countries". It's all a fallacy. I stand to be corrected!!!

 

[Ubumuntu]

The "West" has never had and will never have good intentions towards "poor countries". It's all a fallacy. I stand to be corrected!!!

So what are supposed to do? Shall we just watch them freezing assets of our leaders without really getting the frozen assets? Or shall we force them to bring back the frozen assets to us?

 

[Tanzanites]

The "West" has never had and will never have good intentions towards "poor countries". It's all a fallacy. I stand to be corrected!!!

The ongoing events unfolding accross the length and the breadth of the continent show that after more than fifty years of "independence", the African leadership, for the most part, has let down its people.

I am quite sure that after the dust has settled down, the continent will witness a resurgence of a new renaissance, a new dawn; where current failed ideologies and philosophies are revisited and reassesed for the betterment of the continent's future. Things can not go on like this forever!

As the saying goes, "every dark cloud has a silver lining"!

Well at least we agree in one point. Any change has to come from the people and not from any outside power. For sure the West is guilty of many crimes in Africa and for sure they have their own interest in mind. However I can think of a few occasions when things like Human Rights and Compassion to People have trumped their own interest.

 

[Askari Kanzu]

So what are supposed to do? Shall we just watch them freezing assets of our leaders without really getting the frozen assets? Or shall we force them to bring back the frozen assets to us?

I think we should first establish proper structures that will prevent our leaders from amassing their wealth in foreign banks. As long as our societies/political systems are beriddled with corruption this 'pattern of events' will always repeat itself. Admittedly this is not an easy task, but I do not see any other alternative!

 

[NICK2275]

whatever sanctions they impose-they do it for their interests-but ,better US and EU can take such atcions,rather than a toothless union called AFRICA UNION(AU)-this union has the culture of keeping silence to matters that it ought to show its power-

 

[Ubumuntu]

Well. But we see how the fight against corruption is being like a circle. As those who are responsible to fight corruption(e.g. PCCB) are also claimed to be corrupt. Thus making the fight endless.

So nationwide protests to oust such corrupt leaders become the only significant solution so that at least we can change corrupted regimes and form new regimes which won't have such habits of keeping stolen public funds abroad!

 

[Askari Kanzu]

Well at least we agree in one point.

I have never meant to agree/disagree with you on any point. I simply speak my mind, with a conviction!

 

[coby]

Real change is the one enhanced by the citizens of the nation themselves. Never expect the outsiders to bring real change to us NOR blame the US and EU for being double standard. Don't we know that our leaders are stealing a lot and deposite outside? Don'T we know that our leaders are so corrupt to the extent of selling our resources through fake deeds and deposite outside? How the outsiders will know sisi tumeibiwa while we are silent? They use that money for their businesses, yes, anyone could do that kwani wajinga ndio waliwao. Hakuna maendeleo bila exploitation of economy.
The thing is WHO has the power to exploit and WHO is weak to be exploited,that's how capitalism work. Kama vile mabomu ya GLM yalivyoibua opportunities za biashara ndivyo US and EU play to the growing opportunities of the growing unrest in middle east and north Africa.
Tuache kulialia tu kwani hakutusaidii lolote, let's act, tulinde uchumi wetu, tuseme hapana kutuibia na kupeleka uchumi wetu nje.

 

[Ubumuntu]

Real change is the one enhanced by the citizens of the nation themselves. Never expect the outsiders to bring real change to us NOR blame the US and EU for being double standard. Don't we know that our leaders are stealing a lot and deposite outside? Don'T we know that our leaders are so corrupt to the extent of selling our resources through fake deeds and deposite outside? How the outsiders will know sisi tumeibiwa while we are silent? They use that money for their businesses, yes, anyone could do that kwani wajinga ndio waliwao. Hakuna maendeleo bila exploitation of economy.
The thing is WHO has the power to exploit and WHO is weak to be exploited,that's how capitalism work. Kama vile mabomu ya GLM yalivyoibua opportunities za biashara ndivyo US and EU play to the growing opportunities of the growing unrest in middle east and north Africa.
Tuache kulialia tu kwani hakutusaidii lolote, let's act, tulinde uchumi wetu, tuseme hapana kutuibia na kupeleka uchumi wetu nje.

Yes that is the spirit needed! We need a quick change of regime mazee. Let's oust this goddamn corrupt CCM regime. Let us dare so as our grand grand kids will not stomp on our graves.

 

[LoyalTzCitizen]

Both EU and US are villains. If a dictator can facilitate their interest in his country then they are with them - remember in last few years when Libya returned to the fold of so callled 'international community' all western leaders were falling on each other to see Gadafi in his tent in Tripoli and getting contracts.

Also when they say they have frozen funds dont believe them - have you heard how much of Mobutu, Markos and other dictators ill gotten wealth has been returned to their countries ? nothing !! and we heard they had billions in the west.

Now Bongo family of Gabon, a Equitorial Guinea dictator, Angola top Govt officials, Nigerians and many more are depositing billions of stollen money in Western banks with big 'welcome sir' from Western banks and their Govt. Dont believe and dont trust them.

The red bit, It was clear that Mr Blair and his Labour gov then, made such a relationship with Gadhafi simply because they were certain that the guy was developing WMD in his country and they had to wrap up the sanctions in the deal that seen Mr Magrahi release, and work together to wipe off terrorism across the Arab world. In the end it payed big time because Gadhafi managed to abandon his origina WMD plans that is according to William Hague this morning. So it was not such a relationship Boss, it was a strategic move.

 

[Mallaba]

yes I agree with u as the same as I do hate westerners for their hypocricies.
They freez those assets and benefits themselves from it,
when they come pretending to give an assistance they provide maybe 1/4 of those assets.
At the end of the day Africa will remain poverty.

The "West" has never had and will never have good intentions towards "poor countries". It's all a fallacy. I stand to be corrected!!!

 

[Mallaba]

"When Africa is burning and the African Union is silent you begin to wonder whether this Organization is serious" - Phandu Skelemani

whatever sanctions they impose-they do it for their interests-but ,better US and EU can take such atcions,rather than a toothless union called AFRICA UNION(AU)-this union has the culture of keeping silence to matters that it ought to show its power-