Umm Muhammed Umar

On Radio Islam’s Africa Report, Head of the Africa Desk at the Media Review Network, Dr Mustafa Mehta analysed recent developments in Somalia and Morocco. He questioned the reasons behind Morocco’s vying for the African Security Council seat, given the fact that Morocco was an occupying power.

Dr Mehta said that Morocco was doing the bidding of imperial, Zionist, apartheid and colonial states, who have already subjected others to the humanizing situations. He said that a seat on the African Security Council, one of the highest bodies of the African Union, having to do with issues of security, the most important resource that a continent or people could have, especially in these volatile times, was a very coveted position.

Dr Mehta said that Morocco knew that it was an occupying power, and a colonial, apartheid state, which viewed its brothers in the Western Sahara as incapable of ruling over themselves, their land and their resources. He questioned what security would possibly be forthcoming from a country that could loot and plunder. He said, “We call upon the African Union and all African countries, not to allow Morocco to ascend to that seat, because it is wrong, morally. Let them get out of Western Sahara.”  Dr Mehta inferred that Morocco should not even belong in the African Union, saying, “we have the African mafia running the African Union in Addis Ababa. He blamed the French for allowing Morocco to ‘ascend’ so far as to now aspire to “grab some of the most important institutions in our continent.”

Regarding the ongoing warfare in Ethiopia, Dr Mehta stressed that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ensure that talks were held with the rebels to end the war. Mehta said, “When these militias that are fighting him now are the same militia that chased General Mengistu Haile Mariam, and chased him out – he is now in exile in Harare – ascended to power, one thing that the state did not do was to leave these tribal militias in intact.” He added, “Look now, they’ve regrouped and are fighting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.” Mehta said once peace returned, the tribal militias should be disarmed, and the country should move forward as one.

Moving on to Cameroon, Mehta said that it was the country where one could witness the types of mentalities imposed on Africans. Cameroon was divided into two during the colonial era, one part ruled by the British and the other by the French. Following independence, the country remained in conflict, with the Anglophones asserting that they were educated, while the Francophones, who had lived under French rule, had taken political power from inception. Mehta said, “So, that mentality has been going on and on and on……since independence the President has always come, you know, from that side.” He added, “Also power has gotten into their into their minds and they think now that no, they can’t, you know, involve the Anglophones.” Mehta said that they should unite and, instead of allowing European languages to divide them, promote African languages.

Meanwhile, Dr Mehta had arrived in Somalia last week, where he had been trying to observe the situation on the ground. He said that the situation was not as reported in the media: “Things seem to be very peaceful at the moment. And business is going on. And you can get your ice cream you can get your whatever you want.” He said while al Shaba did appear in the city, it was usually to get something they wanted, creating mayhem while doing that, but that they then would leave. However, relatively, there was peace in Somalia. He said that what pained him most was that every time one heard of a violent event in Somalia, it was Muslim against Muslim. He added that we could know with certainty, that in the attacks, Muslims had been killed, and that Muslims had perpetrated the killings.