The French Imperialist Grab and Their “Trade Union” Allies

WFTU Africa Regional Office Media Release, January 25th, 2012

Mali: The French Imperialist Grab And Their “Trade Union” Allies

By Lulamile Sotaka,

Head of the Africa Regional Office of the World Federation of Trade Unions

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - 25 January 2012

The military intervention of the French government in Mali with the support of other governments such as Germany, Britain, USA, EU and NATO is using once more as a pretext the action of specific military groups. We should not forget that such groups as Bin Laden himself were constructed by USA as a weapon against the popular movement in Afghanistan. Now they serve as an excuse for the imperialists to play the “cat-and-mouse” game in Mali, in Middle East and in Africa in general.

The real aim is the imperialist grab over the fortune of the Malian people: the uranium, the gold, the oil reserves, and the natural gas. As in Afghanistan, as in Iraq, as in Libya once more such excuses are used for the bloodshed of our peoples and a renewed stronger long-term role of the old colonial powers and their companies over our liberated people.

The full-hearted support of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) which is based in Brussels, Belgium, in another imperialist war in Africa shows that this organization has nothing to do with the interests of the African people and the workers. It is hostile to those interests. It is on the other side. It is aligned with the interests of the multinationals, the monopolies, the neo-colonialists supporting imperialism.

As Africa Regional Office of the World Federation of Trade Unions we call upon the African trade union organizations to officially denounce the military intervention in Mali. A generalized aggressiveness in the wider region must be blocked. The only ones to decide on their present and future are the people of Mali. The wealth-producing resources must belong to them and be used for the satisfaction of their acute labour and social problems.

Issued by WFTU Africa Regional Office, South Africa

ENDS

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