Isolate the Enemies of Freedom: 55 Years On

Isolate the Enemies of Freedom: 55 Years On

(Organisation of Africa Unity Message for the International Year of Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination [1971], titled “Isolate the Enemies of Freedom”, delivered on 21 March 1971)

It will be recalled that the United Nations has proclaimed 1971 as the International Year of Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination. More than any other Continent, Africa is a victim of racial discrimination in the form of a barbaric and brutal type called Apartheid. Over 30 million Africans are subjected to varying degrees of racial discrimination and Apartheid. The international community declared Apartheid as a crime against humanity as well as a threat to international peace and security.

The Organisation of Africa Unity expresses its earnest hope that the observance of this year will promote effective worldwide activities against apartheid as well as colonialism which is inseparable from racism in Africa. Africa, which through centuries has suffered the most brutal manifestations of racism, including the massacre and enslavement of million of its people, and which continues today to suffer the inhumanity of apartheid and the brutality of colonial wars, looks for worldwide action to eliminate once and for all the scourge of racism.

The Organisation of African Unity has as one of its main purposes the eradication of racism. At the Summit Conference in Addis Ababa in 1963, the African Heads of State and Government condemned racial discrimination in all its forms in Africa and all over the world, including measures of racial discrimination, taken against communities of African origin living outside the continent. It must be emphasised that 1971 has been proclaimed as a year for action.

The most effective way to observe this year is to redouble national and international action for the complete emancipation of the African continent, for the elimination of apartheid in South Africa, for the freedom of the people of Namibia for whom the United Nations has assumed direct responsibility, and for the ending of the colonial wars in territories under Portuguese domination, and in Zimbabwe.

The Organisation of African Unity has noted with satisfaction the growing worldwide support for these objectives as shown by the massive boycotts of racist South African sports teams, the widespread opposition to the supply of arms and other assistance to South African and Portugal, and the growing support from outside Africa for the liberation movements, most recently from the Nordic States and the World Council of Churches. It expresses its appreciation to all genuine opponents of racism who have shown solidarity with the African peoples in their legitimate struggles.

PROFITS FROM OPPRESSION

At the same time, the Organisation of African Unity is most disturbed at the continued support given to racist and colonialist regimes in Africa by certain governments and by various economic, financial and other interests. Powerful economic and financial interests from outside Africa have been deriving increasing profits from the oppression of the African people in Southern Africa.

For example, it has been established by the United Nations that in 1968, the profits taken out by foreign investors in South Africa alone totalled 420 million US dollars. These investors have contributed to the strengthening of the military machines of the colonialist and racist regimes, by taxes and special loans, which are more than the wages they pay to the African workers, and provide political support to the regimes of oppression.

Racism will soon be a thing of the past if only foreign vested interests can be deprived of profits from racist oppression.

The moves by the present Conservative Government in the United Kingdom to supply military equipment to the racist South African regime deserve to be condemned and prevented by international opinion. The spurious argument that such supplies are required by the so-called Simonstown Agreement has no basis whatsoever. The Organisation of African Unity has categorically declared that the supply of arms to South Africa is a hostile act against the whole of Africa.

In the Charter of the Organisation of African Unity, the African States have affirmed a policy of non-alignment with regard to all blocs. The revival of the so-called Simonstown Agreement between the United Kingdom Government and the South African racists constitutes a serious challenge to the Organisation of African Unity.

Apart from Portugal’s wars of genocide in its colonies, including the use of chemical warfare, the recent criminal aggression against independent Africa, is fresh evidence of the grave dangers posed by the persistence of Portuguese colonialism on African soil. Urgent steps are called for to end the colonial wars waged by Portugal in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau, and to eradicate the menace of the mercenaries.

SUPPORT LIBERATION STRUGGLE

It is time that all the government and people of the world recognised fully, in words and in deeds, that the struggle in Africa is a legitimate struggle of the oppressed African peoples against the racist and colonialist who violate all principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. It is the duty of all genuine opponents of racism to do all in their power to combat and isolate the enemies of freedom, and to assist in all possible way the people engaged in the legitimate struggle for freedom and independence.

The Organisation of African Unity notes with satisfaction that the United Nations General Assembly has, by overwhelming majorities, called for assistance, in co-operation with the Organisation of African Unity, to the movements struggling against apartheid and colonialism in Africa. The Organisation of African Unity welcomes such support from all over the world as a concrete expression of human solidarity in this noble cause.

Because of the barbarous actions of the racist and colonial Powers, the Liberation Movements are in urgent need of assistance for refugees. They also need and deserve most generous support in the reconstruction of the areas liberated at great sacrifice and heroism in Angola, Mozambique and Guinea Bissau.

On this occasion, we pay our homage to all those who have laid down their lives in the struggle against slavery and colonialism and for the dignity and honour of Africa. We also send our greetings to all those who are valiantly fighting for their freedom in the enslaved parts of Africa, especially to those in Guinea Bissau, Angola and Mozambique, toward the militants held in prisons of the Pretoria and Salisbury regime and toward the people of African origin struggling for their rights in many communities outside the continent. We also appeal to all those States which have not yet done so to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.

Source:
Organisation of African Unity, “Isolate the Enemies of Freedom”, Sechaba, Vol. 5, No. 5, May 1971.

Castro Khwela
Good evening fellow Compatriots!