Jacques Depelchin - 2008-11-14

Jacques Depelchin traces the roots of the DRC crisis to the pathological need to ‘be finished with’ that began a long time ago. At independence, it was seen as necessary to ‘be finished with’ Lumumba, and all that he represented in terms of hope and true independence for his country and his people – an idea that was too threatening for those who had, hoped to continue benefiting from the country’s riches. Depelchin calls for a return to humanity and its pure ideals, and a greater sense of agency for those who suffer the most form injustices.

The real enemies of African farmers
Moussa Touré - 2008-11-14

In a follow-up piece to the fifth International Conference of the Via Campesina movement held in Maputo, Mozambique in October 2008, Moussa Touré singles out the comments of Mamadou Sissoko, honorary president of the Réseau d'Organisations Paysannes et des Producteurs Agricoles de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA), for special attention. In a break from the emphasis put on foreign multinationals, Sissoko was also keen to point the finger at the role of African leaders for the range of problems faced by farmers across the continent. Taking up Sissoko’s argument, Moussa Touré surveys the post-colonial experiences of farmers and the progressively greater dominance of a self-interested bourgeoisie within individual African countries, underlining the importance of the Via Campesina movement and other farmers’ interests groups in ensuring greater representation and power for local groups.