Forward African Freedom

FORTY-one years ago a coup d’ etat in Ghana disrupted that country’s (and by extension, Africa’s) forward march.

It was a day of veritable infamy, and arguably, one of the darkest spots in the annals of the continent. Sadly, on 24 Feb 1966 the work that had inspired a continental drive for political liberation and economic empowerment, was cut short in a military coup organised by Americans and the British and delivered by local collaborators in Ghana.It was a serious setback for Africa.The coup d’etat organised by dissident army officers toppled the Nkrumah government and was promptly hailed by western governments, including the US.Allegations of American involvement in the putsch arose almost immediately because of the well-known hostility of the US to Nkrumah’s socialist orientation and Pan-African activism.Nkrumah himself implicated the US in his overthrow, and warned other African nations about what he saw as an emerging pattern.Back in December 1957, nine months after Ghana’s independence, the CIA had prepared a report on Ghana for the US government and intelligence community.The report was right in one huge respect: The fortunes of Ghana- the first tropical African country to gain independence- will have a huge impact on the evolution of Africa and western interests there.It was a prediction that did not take long to come true.Declaring Ghana independence on 6 March 1957 and speaking without notes, Kwame Nkrumah had made two historic statements: “Today, there is a new African in the World, and that new African is ready to fight his own battle and show that after all the black man is capable of managing his own affairs”.And in a later line, he delivered an even better punch: “The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa”.Three years later, over 20 other African countries had gained independence and, true to the CIA prediction, “the fortunes of Ghana” was having a huge impact on the evolution of Africa and the Western interests there.This sent alarm bells ringing in Western capitals and measures were put in place to check Nkrumah’s (and by extension Africa’s) forward march.What if the coup had not happened and Nkrumah had continued his African unity project? Would the “evolution of Africa” have been as we know it today? Wouldn’t we have had a better, deeper and stronger union than we have now – where getting a visa, as an African, to travel to another African country is almost as difficult as going to heaven, and foreigners have a better visa-free access to Africa than African themselves.Finally let us, therefore, remains vigilant.Let us rededicate ourselves to the cause of true African freedom.The struggle for genuine economic freedom independence must continue.Long live Africa Day, Long live the spirit of Kwame Nkrumah! Long live the Africa Union.Mbeutara Kangootui Windhoek Note: This letter has been shortened – EdSadly, on 24 Feb 1966 the work that had inspired a continental drive for political liberation and economic empowerment, was cut short in a military coup organised by Americans and the British and delivered by local collaborators in Ghana.It was a serious setback for Africa.The coup d’etat organised by dissident army officers toppled the Nkrumah government and was promptly hailed by western governments, including the US.Allegations of American involvement in the putsch arose almost immediately because of the well-known hostility of the US to Nkrumah’s socialist orientation and Pan-African activism.Nkrumah himself implicated the US in his overthrow, and warned other African nations about what he saw as an emerging pattern.Back in December 1957, nine months after Ghana’s independence, the CIA had prepared a report on Ghana for the US government and intelligence community.The report was right in one huge respect: The fortunes of Ghana- the first tropical African country to gain independence- will have a huge impact on the evolution of Africa and western interests there.It was a prediction that did not take long to come true.Declaring Ghana independence on 6 March 1957 and speaking without notes, Kwame Nkrumah had made two historic statements: “Today, there is a new African in the World, and that new African is ready to fight his own battle and show that after all the black man is capable of managing his own affairs”.And in a later line, he delivered an even better punch: “The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa”.Three years later, over 20 other African countries had gained independence and, true to the CIA prediction, “the fortunes of Ghana” was having a huge impact on the evolution of Africa and the Western interests there.This sent alarm bells ringing in Western capitals and measures were put in place to check Nkrumah’s (and by extension Africa’s) forward march.What if the coup had not happened and Nkrumah had continued his African unity project? Would the “evolution of Africa” have been as we know it today? Wouldn’t we have had a better, deeper and stronger union than we have now – where getting a visa, as an African, to travel to another African country is almost as difficult as going to heaven, and foreigners have a better visa-free access to Africa than African themselves.Finally let us, therefore, remains vigilant.Let us rededicate ourselves to the cause of true African freedom.The struggle for genuine economic freedom independence must continue.Long live Africa Day, Long live the spirit of Kwame Nkrumah! Long live the Africa Union.Mbeutara Kangootui Windhoek Note: This letter has been shortened – Ed