Maravi

Malawi fails to host AU summit

COMMENT - This is another one of those 'you have to read between the lines and do your own research' articles, otherwise you won't know what is being said. The so-called donor community is using donor aid (upto 40% of some countries' budgets) to micro-manage their foreign policy. The 'economic implications' of hosting al-Bashir of Sudan is the return to the suspension of donor aid to Malawi, 40% of the budget, and the cause of the 'broken economy'. It is this manipulation of the recipient country's foreign and domestic policies that is the real purpose of donor aid.

And President Joyce Banda has decided to play this game. The previous President Bingu was Mutharika and the Malawian people were retaliated against in this way, because the President extended a $20 million loan for maize purchases to Zimbabwe, a country 'officially' not under economic sanctions. And because he showed the folly of 'free market' ideology, by turning around Malawian agriculture with a mere $62 million fertilizer support program to poor farmers. That is why he was hounded into his grave. The idea is that 'no one knows' why all of a sudden the government has a 40% budget shortfall, can't pay civil servants and has IMF riots in the streets.

This time out, President Joyce Banda has tried to get the Zimbabwean loan repaid immediately, banned President Bashir of Sudan from attending the AU summit, etc. 75% of the Sudan people's oil is now under control of Glencore International, through the stooge government of South Sudan, which of course is getting great press in the corporate owned media. Right now they cut of oil supplies to the North of the country for some kind of shallow reason, but the manipulation is clear.

Malawi fails to host AU summit
By Joan Chirwa-Ngoma
Sat 09 June 2012, 10:00 CAT

MALAWI has given up the hosting of the African Union summit scheduled for July 9 to 16 following the AU Secretariat's push that Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir attends the Lilongwe meeting.

Malawi's Vice-President Khumbo Kachali announced on state television yesterday that his government had decided to relinquish the hosting of the summit and has handed back the responsibility to the AU Secretariat in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Joyce Banda, Malawi's President, last month had asked the AU to prevent President Al-Bashir from attending the summit as another visit could have "implications" for the country's economy.

This promoted Sudan to seek having next month's AU summit moved to Ethiopia after host Malawi tried to block President Al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, from attending.

The Sudanese leader had visited Malawi last year during late Bingu Wa Mutharika's reign, and his presence at the AU summit in Lilongwe could have further angered the donors to the southern African country that is struggling with a broken down economy.

The donor community had threatened to effect unstipulated action against Malawi if it went ahead to allow Al-Bashir to attend the July summit.

The International Criminal Court has indicted Al-Bashir for genocide and other crimes in Sudan's western Darfur region, an accusation he denies.

As an ICC member state, Malawi is supposed to arrest him if he visits the country.

The July summit would have particularly been important for Sudan because the agenda included talks over its relations with South Sudan, which seceded last year under a 2005 peace deal, according to the Sudanese foreign ministry.

Labels: AU, JOYCE BANDA, NEOCOLONIALISM, OIL, SUDAN

posted by MrK @ 3:35 PM