The French army has bombed the residence
of Laurent Gbagbo, to "protect civilians" we are told. One is struck by
the wide variety of means used to achieve this so-called “humanitarian”
objective!
The French army has bombed the
residence of Laurent Gbagbo, to "protect civilians" we are told. One is
struck by the wide variety of means used to achieve this so-called
“humanitarian” objective!
French soldiers. Photo: webdocsIt
seems anything is allowed, including the massacres, looting and rape
that Ouattara soldiers are engaged in, under the supervision and
protection of French forces. Meanwhile, we are informed that "lawyers"
are analysing the UN resolutions under the microscope and discussing at
length what they allow on the ground.
In Ivory Coast, the hypocritical pretext of "protecting civilians" is
even viler as the imperialists are primarily responsible for the wars
and misery afflicting the mass of Ivorians. Prey to imperialist
rivalries and a corrupt ruling class, Ivorian youth and the working
class have been living in hellish conditions for many decades. Before
anything else, they are victims of this situation. They are also the
only layers that can provide a solution – provided they move on a
massive scale, following the magnificent examples of Egypt and Tunisia.
In the immediate future, war will have the effect of paralyzing the
Ivorian workers. But anger will resurface sooner or later, and even more
powerfully.
If Ouattara takes power, he will not be able to bring stability to
Ivory Coast. The crisis of capitalism is too serious and too deep. The
rivalries will intensify. Coming to power in the wake of foreign
military aggression, Ouattara is already widely discredited. A firm
agreement between rival factions seems impossible, even if the French
government and Ouattara would do anything to concoct some sort of
government of "national unity". They may find politicians willing to
switch sides to form such a government. This would not be the first
time. Ouattara has already within his forces many former Laurent Gbagbo
"loyalists". These gangsters betray each other as easily as they would
change from one compartment to another on a train. But that will not
eliminate the instability and warring factions.
instability does not just stem from the struggle between the rival
reactionary cliques. It will also come from the labour movement, which
will not tolerate this situation indefinitely. In recent weeks, Burkina
Faso, a country neighbouring Ivory Coast, has been rocked by a series of
powerful strikes. Ivory Coast will follow this same path. Let us not
forget the influence of the Arab revolution. The entire African
continent has been affected by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.
This influence will be felt in the next movement of the working class in
Ivory Coast, which has been strengthened by a certain industrialization
of the country in recent decades. Ivory Coast is one of the most
developed countries of West Africa. Through their action, the youth and
the working class – including agricultural workers – can transform the
whole situation. Collective struggle is the only path open to the
Ivorian masses.
Great events are being prepared in black Africa, as in South Africa
and across the Maghreb. No part of the continent will remain untouched
by the revolutionary awakening of the masses. As elsewhere, all the
racist prejudices about the alleged "passivity" of African workers will
be destroyed under the impact of their mobilization. What did they say
of the Egyptian people – "happy under their dictatorship" – a few months
ago?
Laurent Gbagbo is supported by some French socialist leaders such as
Henri Emmanuelli and Jack Lang. Not long ago, we were told that as a
member of the so-called "Socialist International", Gbagbo could not be
such a bad guy. But this argument is now in tatters since two other
prominent members of this organization, Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak, have
had to leave in a rush. This also applies to members of the French
government and the UMP, supporters of Ouattara, who took the opportunity
to attack the Socialist Party (PS), denouncing its "international"
connivance with Gbagbo. At the time, the very same right-wing leaders
gave their full support to the dictators of Egypt and Tunisia.
has made announcements and speeches of a "social" nature, but
ultimately he has no social reform to present to his credit. On the
contrary, his record includes the systematic breaking up of the national
economy for the benefit of the imperialist powers, with disastrous
consequences for workers in Ivory Coast, subject to mass unemployment
and widespread poverty. The state coffers were systematically looted,
particularly for the benefit of Gbagbo and his immediate entourage, who
have accumulated great fortunes.
The French imperialists want to reassert their dominance over their
former colony. They naturally took the lead in moving against Gbagbo,
who never gave them full satisfaction. The French labour movement has a
special responsibility regarding the workers of Ivory Coast. The French
Communist Party has taken a position against the French intervention,
and rightly so. However, we must go further and demand the withdrawal of
all French and UN troops. At the same time, we must link these demands
to the need for a programme of a complete break with imperialism and
capitalism. The voice of Ivorian workers, youth and all the poor should
be heard. They are the only ones who can put an end to fratricidal wars
and exploitation.
