SonjaBe.com International Relations – Be Here | Be You | Be True

By Guest Writer Garikai Chengu.  Of late western media, social networks and US Congressional hearings are ablaze with talk about major U.S. military deployment into central Africa to eliminate one Joseph Kony. Mr. Kony is the leader of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group that operates in an area the size of France across several African nations. The LRA is ostensibly fighting for religious freedom for Uganda’s underdeveloped north. Mr. Kony’s murderous gang have been responsible for incalculable massacres, rapes, tortures and civilian suffering since 1989. So why is there a sudden push by the Pentagon, western media and certain NGOs to send U.S. troops into central Africa? Read More »

Like many in my generation, I refuse to accept that there is nothing that can be done to stop the political and military abuses that directly harm humanity.  In this day and age, it seems absurd that a handful of powerful leaders can cause the death and destruction of the masses without facing any serious consequences.  But at the same time, it is unclear what to do when situations scale out of control.  Are military interventions valid?  Economic sanctions?  Who takes the lead on preventing atrocities?  How do they go about it?  The recent events in Syria have once again brought up these important issues, and put into question the feasibility of R2P. Read More »

So much has been said of the “white man’s burden:” namely, how the collapsing American Empire and bygone British Empire have shouldered the burden of civilising Africa and driving the global economy for centuries. The opposite is true. The fact of the matter is that not only was Western civilisation invented by black Africans in ancient Egypt, Africa has driven global economic growth for centuries. African natural resources, labour, land, slavery and skilled émigré – as any decent economic historian will tell you – have fueled the world’s economy for many, many decades. To this day, Africa is the world’s engine-room for growth. In short, driving global economic growth abroad, whilst benefiting little at home is the “black man’s burden.” Read More »