Ugandan Attacks African Policy

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

The sooner the United States relieves herself of her military obligations and adventures in the Congo and elsewhere in the world, the better for her tarnished and increasingly bellicose international image. It is too late to make the Republic of Congo another Vietnam, and Uganda, a North Vietnam.

Last week, U.S. bombers piloted by American-based Cuban refugees camoflaged under Tshombe's banner, strafed some Uganda citizens. The excuse for this premeditated U.S.-Tshombe aggression on Uganda was an abortive attempt to cut off supply routes of Tshombe's enemies. Either by coincidence or premeditation, while Uganda was under attack, 150 U.S. jet fighters were en route to North Vietnam for a similar mission.

Tshombe and his associates have alleged that Ugandans are in the employment of his rival government. He has no tangible evidence to that effect. Even if Tshombe's charges are true, Gbenye's government is morally bound to ask Uganda or any other neighboring African for any type of help to stop the senseless massacres being perpetrated by Tshombe and the United States.

The U.S. envoy to Uganda refused to acknowledge this international misdemeanour with the inexcusable and lame reason that the bombers were Congolese, but not U.S. Such an excuse only shows U.S. ignorance of her own actions abroad or her determination to massacre Africans and South-East Asians indiscriminately in pursuit of her world domination. To refute the U.S. ambassador's excuses, it must be pointed out that the T-28's and B-47's that were used are U.S. made, financed, and controlled. They are flown by Cuban mercenaries in U.S. employment. No Congolese are capable of flying a fighter plane. The few that are being trained in Oklahoma and Belgium will not be ready until next year. And moreover, Congolese national coffers are so depleted that they cannot afford to maintain an airforce even on loan.

Cubans Train in Congo

Recently some Cuban and Belgian mercenaries publically admitted in a television interview that they were training in the Congo for another attempt to invade Cuba. (Unless the U.S. stops such inhuman training exercises and support of unpopular minority governments such as Tshombe's and General Khanh's, Africans will start using U.S. libraries and legations as training targets for sabotago and bon-fires.

If the previous U.S.-Belgian Stanleyville massacre was not an adequate paratroop exercise, consider the fate of the defenseless and dedicated Peace Corps workers, Missionaries, U.S.-A.I.D. personnel, and teachers that are overseas. As much as we appreciate their contributions and unselfish dedication to their work, we regret to say the State Department and C.I.A. are constantly undoing and abusing their contributions to Africa.

Recent talks between Presidents Christopher Gbenye, Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Lyere, and Premier Milton Obote marked the beginning of African solidarity and a concerted effort to nip in the bud such crude and blatant neocolonialism in Africa. The fate of Tshombe is clearly discernable. In the next few months Congolese nationalists will be well armed and trained, and it will be extremely difficult for Tshombe and his American, Belgian, and South African mercenaries to hold their own.

U.S. v. East Africa

Is the U.S. government prepared to fight the people's Republics of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, and at the same continue with her Vietnamese dilly-dally? Uganda will not simply scream like North Vietnam and watch its villages in flames. Not only does Uganda have friends eleswhere, but there is too much at stake. After the Congo is freed from this belated second-hand colonialism, then more African countries will be liberated.

The recent U.S. expulsion of a Tanzanian diplomat from the U.S. is laughable and makes our relations with the U.S. even more strained. Unless there is a revision of U.S. international conduct, it will be no surprise when the Republics of East Africa sever diplomatic relations with the U.S. in the next few months.

In summary, the State Department should desist from denying other people their right of self-determination. The State Department should stop kidding benevolent American taxpayers--to whom we owe our sincere gratitude--into believing that it is combating Communism in Africa. The U.S. government is only massacring Africans who never heard of Communism nor are even threatened by Communism. We loathe Communism as much as we abhor U.S. military intervention in African affairs. However, should the U.S. continue to massacre the ignorant Africans, then we will be forced to ask Communist countries that are equally strong to save us from this neo-colonialism.

American Negroes Persecuted

Secondly, whereas the U.S. Federal Government is failing to safeguard the civil rights of more than 20 million American Negroes and Indians, in this free republic, how can the same government pretend to safeguard the civil liberties of more than 50 million Africans and Asians? The protection that the U.S. is trying to extend to Africans and Southeast Asians is badly needed in the southern states of the U.S. and in the Indian reservations. Several defenseless Negroes and whites that were determined to sow the seeds of democracy in the U.S. first, have been tormented, crippled, and shot dead. Is the federal government too busy with Africa and Southeast Asia to take action? Or is the Federal government handicapped by the Constitution from safeguarding her own nationals at home, but empowered to cultivate neo-democracy overseas? Hence we, Africans, totally refuse and repudiate American tutelage in democracy and safeguards against Commuunism.

We in Africa are very indebted to the U.S. for her economic and educational aid, but the U.S. military foreign policy makers and the C.I.A. agents have grossly abused such gifts and our gratitude. Like other liberty loving human beings, we cannot trade our liberty and blood for favors and goodies. Hard feelings can be avoided as long as people are left to determine, pursue, and safeguard their own destiny. The U.S. should not throw her weight around, but should give Africa a chance to solve her own problems. Aggrey Aworl '65   President, East African Students'   Organization in the Americas