• Home
  • Bio
  • Media
    • Read
    • Watch/Listen
  • Speaking
  • Work with me
  • Contact

MsAfropolitan

FEMINISM. PAN-AFRICA. SOCIAL CRITICISM. DIASPORA. CULTURE.

  • feminism
  • Africa
  • Pop Culture
  • Social Criticism
  • decolonisation
  • Afropolitanism
  • seven
  • Sensuous Knowledge
    • Sensuous Knowledge references and recommended reading
    • International
    • Sensuous Knowledge news
  • Other Books
  • The MsAfropolitan Philosophy Book Club @ Waterstones

When Obama addressed the African Onion

August 5, 2015 By MsAfropolitan 19 Comments

In his sales pitch aka his “address to the African Union” last week, US president Barack Obama gave Africans a worse deal than Amazon.com, Inc. gives book publishers on any given day. 

Obama’s pitch was pally, persuasive and punchy as any skilled salesperson’s. Terms like ‘partnership’, ‘development’, ‘co-operation’ and ‘opportunity’ were abundantly used. But make no mistake, its intention was to mask dubious policy in soundbites. 

Yet Obama’s insincerity is not the point for Africans. At least it should not be. Sure, the US president is “one of our own” as AU chair, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, put it. We are proud of him for various reasons. But his commitment is not to our own. Rather it is to the empire over which he reigns – the USA – and he left Africa having secured more resources for the empire. (As well as with a fuck you-grin to China on his face.)   

Meanwhile, and this is the point, instead of over-analysing Obama’s role, let’s ask what the leaders of the African Union, or African Onion as I call it, are doing? Here’s what. They are proceeding to mindlessly sign so called ‘partnerships’ that are sure to ruin the lives of generations to come. The Onion itself refers to its partnerships as “Win-Win”. However, you don’t have to be on an expert judge panel to observe that Africans aren’t winning anything but fake trophies.

This is why I call the African Union the African Onion, because the things they do make me weep!

Trade and development partnerships are the modern-day version of England’s indirect rule, a continuation of a painfully dark history of exploitation. To name only a few, there’s the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA), which Obama mentioned and which considering that it creates 100,000 jobs in the US ought to be called the “American Growth and Opportunities Act”; the New Alliance Cooperation Framework through which African nations legitimise the theft of natural resources to for profit corporations under the aegis of “private sector investment plans”; the “Pan-African initiative”, or PanAf as it deceptively locally sounds, was set up by the EU to improve trade, observe elections, run governance initiatives, yada yada – it just so happens that African states are forced to tie a large portion of their markets to Europe in exchange. There’s also the rather sinisterly named “Trade Africa“, which boosts intra-African trade, not a bad thing per se, but what does the US get in return? Well, how about a million bucks. 

We could go on and on and on. 

The Onion was established in 2001 when it (largely thanks to Gaddafi) replaced the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). It has since risen to a significant position within international politics. It has become more powerful as a political, economic and military pan-African body. To that measure, I value its work. 

However, – and the reason for which I write this post – is precisely the political weight it is gaining and will rapidly loose if we do not monitor it. If we want to keep the Onion relevant, we are going to have to be critical of it. We are going to need to chop off any pungent taste and odour with surgical precision.

Filed Under: Africa, Afropolitanism, Decolonisation Tagged With: African trade, African Union, Barack Obama, Corruption, politics, Social Criticism

Comments

  1. African scientist says

    August 5, 2015 at 2:28 pm

    The Onion’s 2014 budget was $308 billion, out of which $126 billion was from member states while $170 billion was secured from ‘international partners’. It smells like some international partner is planning a big, spicy dinner party with the Onion and Africans don’t seem to be on the guest list! (https://www.safpi.org/news/article/2013/budget-african-union-2014-financial-year)

    Reply
    • MsAfropolitan says

      August 5, 2015 at 3:31 pm

      Ha ha!

      Thanks for the info, depressing as it is. Do you have another link? That one is broken

      Reply
      • African scientist says

        August 6, 2015 at 9:11 pm

        https://www.safpi.org/news/article/2013/budget-african-union-2014-financial-year

        Reply
        • MsAfropolitan says

          August 7, 2015 at 2:20 pm

          Thanks. Interesting.

          Reply
  2. Graham Askey says

    August 5, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    Glad someone is seeing this new colonialsm for what it really is. South America has produced leaders prepared to reject this model but with Gaddafi gone (for all his faults) I am struggling to think of any African leaders doing likewise – have you got any examples to give us hope?

    Reply
    • MsAfropolitan says

      August 7, 2015 at 2:26 pm

      In terms of radicalising economic structures, tackling poverty and corruption, battling sexism and homophobia, taking back power from the corporate sector, and above all, revolting against new colonialism, no, I’m afraid I do not have comparisons to South American leadership in Africa.

      Reply
  3. Go says

    August 5, 2015 at 8:02 pm

    Hey but if Africa has to be colonized why don’t the Africans choose the US? They have free will like everyone else…

    Reply
    • Graham Askey says

      August 6, 2015 at 7:02 pm

      “Has to be colonised” & free will don’t really go together do they.

      Reply
      • MsAfropolitan says

        August 7, 2015 at 2:26 pm

        Precisely.

        Reply
  4. Ron says

    August 5, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    First of all I love your blog and all it represents. My question is what is the solution?

    Reply
    • MsAfropolitan says

      August 7, 2015 at 2:33 pm

      Thank you very much.

      I don’t have a solution but I know that public awareness is key. If our leaders know that we are watching them diligently, the more accountable they will become.

      Reply
  5. Kola says

    August 14, 2015 at 2:39 pm

    I’ve always been of the opinion that leaders cannot be relied upon if those who are being led also cannot be relied upon. So coming from this perspective, I really like the suggestion of being critical of the “Onion” (lol) simultaneously, I am reminded again to look at myself and encourage other Africans to look at themselves too.

    The road to true independence won’t be easy and a requirement is that every single one of us think of ourselves as leaders in the same way that we look at those with official titles as leaders.

    Once we achieve a critical mass with this mindset, there’s no limit to the greatness that we can achieve on our continent.

    Reply
    • MsAfropolitan says

      September 16, 2015 at 6:05 pm

      Hi Kola, sorry it seems I missed this comment. You are so right that we need to look inward first. To change the world, we need to first change ourselves. To change our illusions about things. We have all been miseducated (as Lauryn Hill’s might put it), and there’s no point in miseducated people teaching one another how to be miseducated. Thank you for stopping by.

      Reply
  6. Lachi says

    September 10, 2015 at 11:34 pm

    Every time I hear or see Obama in the same sentence, or perceive him and the continent within the same concept, I feel a strange meta-infinite-loop-“black mirror” pang. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something satirical about America sending an American’d African to an African entity who’s struggling to compete in an American-lead global culture (built in-part by Africans), and having the aformentioned American’d African fast talk said African entity. It’s like a fractaline pattern that folds in on itself and conintues to end up with the same result.

    Reply
  7. Lachi says

    September 10, 2015 at 11:35 pm

    Every time I hear or see Obama and Africa in the same sentence, or perceive him
    and the continent within the same concept, I feel a strange
    meta-infinite-loop-“black mirror” pang. I can’t put my finger on it,
    but there’s something satirical about America sending an American’d
    African to an African entity who’s struggling to compete in an
    American-lead global culture (built in-part by Africans), and having the
    aformentioned American’d African fast talk said African entity. It’s
    like a fractaline pattern that folds in on itself and conintues to end
    up with the same result.

    Reply
    • MsAfropolitan says

      September 13, 2015 at 2:43 pm

      “a strange meta-infinite-loop-“black mirror” pang” – but you put your finger on it precisely! Thanks for the insightful, explorative and poetic comment (also appreciate the fractaline pattern image).

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Obama in Africa (again) | developmenttruths says:
    September 16, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    […] Minna Salami (MsAfropolitan): When Obama addressed the African Union […]

    Reply
  2. The African Union needs to work harder | African Phoenix says:
    January 13, 2016 at 10:45 am

    […] I introduced the forceful Minna Salami earlier this week. Now here is her take on the African Union and how we need to be critical of it as one of Africa’s largest unifying […]

    Reply
  3. Mon Hommage Ms Afropolitan My tribute to Ms Minna we love you! – Mon Hommage Simone De Beauvoir by Thando Ndlovu says:
    January 13, 2017 at 12:29 am

    […] have  with the US. I was besotted  by each and every word she wrote in her polemical article ‘When Obama addressed the African Onion’.What was more ironic was, i had just completed a book review on Henry Kissinger’s […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Feminism. African Studies. Social Criticism.

Hi! I'm Minna Salami, I'm a Nigerian-Finnish and Swedish writer and social critic, and the founder of this blog. Read my full bio here

View My Blog Posts

Subscribe to my newsletter

* indicates required

Follow My social media

Visit Us On InstagramVisit Us On FacebookCheck Our Feed

The New Institute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go_ddI8Lu9k&t=7s

Sensuous Knowledge – Get the book (US version)

Sensuous Knowledge – Get the book (UK version)

Recent Comments

  • Evgen on There were no matriarchies in precolonial Africa
  • ทางเข้าเล่น joker on The challenge for western feminism in the 21st century
  • Schües on On Abortion
  • AneM on Polygamy in Africa has little to do with sex
  • Khalifa on Polygamy in Africa has little to do with sex

Archives

  • March 2023 (1)
  • February 2023 (1)
  • August 2022 (4)
  • May 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (2)
  • December 2021 (1)
  • August 2021 (1)
  • May 2021 (5)
  • April 2021 (3)
  • March 2021 (4)
  • December 2020 (1)
  • October 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (3)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • April 2020 (2)
  • March 2020 (4)
  • February 2020 (2)
  • January 2020 (1)
  • December 2019 (1)
  • November 2019 (1)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • May 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (4)
  • February 2019 (1)
  • December 2018 (2)
  • November 2018 (1)
  • October 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (1)
  • July 2018 (2)
  • June 2018 (2)
  • May 2018 (2)
  • March 2018 (2)
  • February 2018 (2)
  • January 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (1)
  • November 2017 (1)
  • October 2017 (2)
  • September 2017 (3)
  • August 2017 (6)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (3)
  • May 2017 (6)
  • March 2017 (2)
  • February 2017 (3)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (3)
  • October 2016 (3)
  • September 2016 (2)
  • August 2016 (2)
  • July 2016 (2)
  • June 2016 (1)
  • May 2016 (3)
  • April 2016 (1)
  • March 2016 (2)
  • February 2016 (2)
  • January 2016 (3)
  • December 2015 (2)
  • November 2015 (3)
  • October 2015 (4)
  • September 2015 (4)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (2)
  • June 2015 (3)
  • May 2015 (4)
  • April 2015 (4)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (4)
  • December 2014 (3)
  • November 2014 (5)
  • October 2014 (1)
  • September 2014 (2)
  • August 2014 (4)
  • July 2014 (3)
  • June 2014 (3)
  • May 2014 (5)
  • April 2014 (4)
  • March 2014 (2)
  • February 2014 (4)
  • January 2014 (3)
  • December 2013 (3)
  • November 2013 (4)
  • October 2013 (3)
  • September 2013 (4)
  • August 2013 (5)
  • July 2013 (4)
  • June 2013 (4)
  • May 2013 (6)
  • April 2013 (3)
  • March 2013 (7)
  • February 2013 (3)
  • January 2013 (5)
  • December 2012 (4)
  • November 2012 (9)
  • October 2012 (8)
  • September 2012 (4)
  • August 2012 (6)
  • July 2012 (6)
  • June 2012 (5)
  • May 2012 (8)
  • April 2012 (7)
  • March 2012 (5)
  • February 2012 (4)
  • January 2012 (6)
  • December 2011 (5)
  • November 2011 (6)
  • October 2011 (6)
  • September 2011 (8)
  • August 2011 (6)
  • July 2011 (5)
  • June 2011 (5)
  • May 2011 (5)
  • April 2011 (4)
  • March 2011 (7)
  • February 2011 (6)
  • January 2011 (7)
  • December 2010 (5)
  • November 2010 (9)
  • October 2010 (7)
  • September 2010 (5)
  • August 2010 (4)
  • July 2010 (6)
  • June 2010 (5)
  • May 2010 (3)
  • April 2010 (3)
  • March 2010 (1)

more articles

Black feminism and the polycrisis

March 17, 2023 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

… [Continue Reading...]

New writing on the Eco Gender Gap

February 16, 2023 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

… [Continue Reading...]

Privacy Policy

https://msafropolitan.com/gdpr

Copyright MsAfropolitan © 2023