JPRS ID: 8303 TRANSLATIONS ON SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Document Type:
Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
Release Decision:
RIF
Original Classification:
U
Document Page Count:
62
Document Creation Date:
November 1, 2016
Sequence Number:
6
Case Number:
Content Type:
REPORTS
File:
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
![]() | 3.33 MB |
Body:
APPROVE~ FOR RELEASE= 2007/02/08= CIA-R~P82-00850R000100030006-1
V ~
2 ~ ~ NO. I ? i OF i
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/48: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
FOR OFFiCIAL USE ONLY
JPkLS L/8343
2 March 1979
3 ~ ~ ~
TRANSLATIONS ON SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
FOUO No, 623
~
U. S. JOIN~ PUBLICATIONS RESEARCH SERVICE
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
I
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
cvo~rc
JE'RS publications conCain informaCion prima~ily fr~om foreign
newspapers, periodic~le and bool;s, bar c~lso from new~ agency
r.ransmissions und broadcasCs. Mater~.ala from foreign-lan~uage
sources are translated; those from ~nglish-lattRuage sources
nre trnns~ribed or reprinted, with Che otiginal phrasing and
' other characteristics retained.
Hcadlines, editorial renorts, and maCerial enclosed in bruckeCs
are supplied by JPR5. Procesaing indicr~tors such as [xexeJ -
c~r [ExcerptJ in Che first line of each item, or following the -
last line of a brief, indicaCe how Che original information was
~
_ processed. Where no procesaing indicator is given, the infor-
maCion was summarized or extracC~d.
Unfamiliar names rendered phoneeically or transliCerated are
enclosed in parentheses. Words or names preceded by a ques- ~
tion mark and enclosed in parentheses were not clear in the
original but have been supplied asappropriate in context.
' Other unattributed parenthetical notes within Che body of an
irem originate with the source. Times within items-are gs
given by source. r
The contents of this publicatior. in no way represent the poli-
cies, views or attitudes of the U.S. ~overnment.
GOPIRIG'tiT LAWS AND REGULATIJNS GOVERNING OWNERSHIP OF
:rtATER L4LS REPRODUCED HEREIN REQUIRE THAT DISSEMINATION
OF THIS PUBLICATIOti BE RESTkICTED FOR OFFICIAL USE OD'LY.
I
I
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
61BLIOGRAPHIC OATA 1� Report No. 2. itecipient's Acrese~nn Nu.
SH~~Y JPRS L/ 8303
~ T~RANSLATION5 ON SUD-SAHkRAN AFRICA, FOUO No. 62 3 s. lp2~t March 19 79
6,
7. Awhot(~1 ' 8. Per(ormina Ora~nizaciun Repi,
� No, -
9~ PerlerminK (kRanii~tion N~me ~nd Addte~~ 10~ Pro~ect/i~askiRbrk Un~~ Na.
Joint Publicariona Reeearch Service ~
1000 North Clebe Roed 11. Concacc/Granc No.
Arlington~ Virginia 22201
12. Spon~orin~ Or~~nisuion N~me and Addte~~ 1J. Type of Repor~ Ac Perial
Covcred
A~ +~bove
f1.
. IS. Supplement~ry Notei ~
16. Abur~ct~
The report contains information from African and specialized WeaC European
publications and radio on political~ economic, and sociological developments.
_ r
17. Key 11'ord~ and Dauaxnc Analysi~. 17a. Desetipton
Political Science X Inter-African Aff . X Ghana Rwanda -
- Sociology X Angala X Guinea Sao Tome and
Economics X Benin Guinea-Bissau Principe
Culture (Social Botawana XIvory Coast X Senegal
Sciences) X Burundi Kenya Seychelles
Technological Cameroon Lesotho Sierra Leone
Cape Verde Liberia Somalia
Ceatral African X Madagascar South Africa
- Empire Irfalawi Swaziland
X Chad X Mali Tanzania
~Comoro Ielands Mauritius Togo
Congo XMozambique L'ganda
D~ibouti Namibia Upper Volta
Equatorial Guinea Niger Zaire
Ethiopia XNigeria Zambia
, 17d. Identifiers/Open-End.d Termt -~Gabon
Reunion
Gambia ~ Rhodesia
17a COSATI Field/Group O2~ SD~ SC~ SK
le. Availability Statement 19. Securi[y Class (1'his 21. no. of PaEes
POR UFFICIAL USE ONLY. Limited Number of ReP�f~ 5 8
Copies Available From JPRS � ecu~uy lass (Th~s 22. Pr~ce
Pa6e
UNCLASSIFIED
FOAW N~If�1! IA[V. ]�721 V3COMM.OC 1~~77�pt~
TNIS FORM MAY BE REPRODUCED
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
- FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
3PRS L/8303
- 2 M~rah 1979
TRANSLATIO(dS ON SUB~SAHARAN AFRI CA -
� FOUO No. 623
CONTENTS PAGE
INTER-AFRICAN AFFAIRS
Future of Democracy in Africa Analyzed
(Camara Souleymane; JEUNE AFRIQUE, 2/ Dec 78-
3 Jan 79) 1
~rance Reportedly Planning :iisaile Bases in Zaire, Gabon .
3 -
(Fode Amadou; AFRIQUE-ASIE, 22 Jan-4 F�~b 79)...........
Principles of French African Policy Explained
: (Editorial; MAItCHES TROPICAUX ET MEDITEItRANEENS,
12 Jan 78) 6 ~
Reportage on G:.'DEAO, UMOA, OMVS Activities
(MARCHES TROPICAUX ET MEDITERRANEENS, 29 Dec 78)....... 12
CEDEAO Activitiea
' UMOA Activities
- JMVS Activitiea
African Crop Planning Criticized
(Sophie Bessis; JEUNE AFRIQUE, 27 Dec 78-3 Jan 79)..... 15 -
Mali, Senegal Intensifying Cooperation
" (REUTER, 13 Feb 79) 20 rs~
Briefs
~ New Military Publication 21
- CEDEAO Dispute 21
- ACCT Dispute 2i
CEDEAO Internal Conflict 22
� - a - (III - NE & A - 122 FOUO]
Ff1A ~1FFT(`T aT. TTC~' IINT.V
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
_
FO~t OFFICIAL USE ONLY
CONTENTS (Continued) PAGE
ANGOLA
Why Angola Muet Still Rely on Western Cooperation .
(Jacques Latremoliere; MARCHES TROPICAUX ET
MEnITERRANEENS, 19 Jan 79) 23
BENIN
Action of Enemiea of Revolution Reported
(Mariam 5ysle; AFRIQUE-ASIE, 25 Dec 78) 31
BURUNDJI
Nation Developing After Long Economic, Social Stagnation
(Paul Nweai; AFRIQUE-ASIE, 22 Jan-4 Feb 79)............ 36
' CHAP
Frolinat Launches Offensive; Arad~a Falls
- (REUTER, 19 Feb 79) 39
COMORO ISI,ANAS
New Ben Ali Cabinet Includes Few Changes
('?~tARCHES TROPICAUX ET MEDITERRANEE~TS, 5 Jan 79)........ 40
GABON
Democratic Party Convention Resolutiona
- (REUTER, 27 Jan 79) 41
Briefs
New dilf ield Dfscovered 42
GHANA
' Lisr of Petroleum Companies Revised
(MARCHES TROPICAUX ET MEDITERRANEENS, 29 Dec 78)....... 43
Briefs
_ Roada, Export, $usiness Financing 44 ;
~
GUINEA
Briefs
French Loan for Dam 45 ~
EEC Textile Financing Loan 45
IDA Water, Electricity Loan 45 ~
-b-
FOR 0~'FICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
~ FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
~ CONTENTS (ConCinued) PAGE
IVORY COAST
- Faltering of Economy Reported
(Siradiau Diallo; JEUNE AFRIQUE, 27 Dec 78-3 Jan 79)... 46
MADAGASCAR -
- Expanded Cooperation With East, l.:eat
(MARCHES TROPICAUX ET MEDITERRANEFNS, 5 Jan 79)........ 50
MALI _
Briefg ~
French Energy Loan 52 _
MOZAMBIQUE
Briefs
Dutch Drainage Systems Loan 53
Mozambique-Iraq Agreement 53
Mozambique-Kuwait Agreement 53 _
NIGERIA ~
Briefs
Petroleum Production 54
SENEGAL
Briefs
Fourth Political Power 55
-c-
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
F'OR O~F'ICYAL U5~ ONLY .
INTER-AFRICAN AFFATRS =
FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA ANALYZED
- Paris JEUNE AFRIQUE in French 27 Dec 78-3 Jan 79 p 17 -
[Article by Camara Souleymane of Conakry (Guinea), in "Forum" column: "We -
Are Ripe for Democracy". Editorial disclaimer: "JEUNE AFRIQU~ does not neces- _
sarily approve of what is published under this heading; it is the author's
responsibility."] _
[Text] Certain African leaders are veritable postcolonial potentates. They
_ exercise over their people a power of divi;~e right, right of life and death.
Who would have believed it--free Africa worse than colonial Africa? A poll
taken at the present time would pain~ully reveal a strong majority of the pee- -
ple who, rather than say yes, would abstain from responding.
Those absolute sovereigns parachuted into the highest office are for the most
part but socially mixed-up people who find in the exercise of power an unex-
~ pected gift from the gods, the means of gratifying their ambition and unheal.'chy
hatred. Power is their reason for living, their soul. In their concern for -
guarding it at any price--even at the risk of their lives--they are puttirrg in-
to practice a diabolic Machiavellianism in order to subjugate the people:
~ A totalitarian single party channels the people and supervises their ac-
culturation by means of stuffing them ideologically.
~ -
Producing permanent tension creates a climate of general suspicion, by
means of broadcasting games c{uoting unceasingly and without respite im- -
aginary plots against the security of the state. A weighty argument for ~
isolating the country from the outside world and making the government
- safe from foreign news organs. -
In that atmosphere of psychologic tension a similarly repressive police
force, alias a popular militi.a with almost unlimited power,:is sowing ter-
ror and desolation everywhere. ~
- As a cover, there is no end to the labels: revolutionary, anti-imperialism,
anti-neocolonialism, anti--ism.
1
FOR OFFICIAL USF_ ~NLY
~
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
FOR OFFICIAL U~E ONLY
Cacad with this organized lioll, which aven colonialism would }~ave disapproved
of and whlch is cc~ndemned by the humfinitarian organizations of the entire
world, the highost authority of indQpendent Africa, the OAU, pretends to see
nothinE, to hear nothing, outi of divine respect for the sacrosanct rule that
the internal affairs of a state must not be interfered with. This defeatist
and dangerously ~betting attitude is causing Africa to lose thousands ~f
brains and millions of arms which it so badly needs to em~rge from the abyss
_ of misery that is called under-development.
.And when the people, in a final awakening launched by the tinshakable instinct �
.,to survive, organize, take to the underground, install guerrilla warfare in
~ order to free themselves from this servitude--as shameful as it is cruel--its
_ torturers scream at imperialism and neocolonialism and immediataly appeal to -
_ foreign forces in order to maintain themselves in pow~r.
The misfortune which is befalling our continent comes in large part from its -
= own sons, afflicted with the virus of power without sharing, w;:o are introduc-
_ ing "the wolf into the sheepfold". White wolf or red wolf, aggressive wolf '
_ or peacable wolf, it is all wolf, the plan being the same: to devour the lamb.
Africa is suffering the tragedy of the lamb.
The OAU must be operational, if that is necessary in order to stop or strangle
the adventurousness of ~ertain leaders who are using their people as guinea
= pigs. Any acute internal problem of one African country concer~ns all Africans, -
= the OAU first of all. The OAU must prevent the sacking of the continent by
hordes of shatneful legionnaires from Havana or Paris, from Moscow or Washing-
ton. But it is indispensable for rational development that the people, in its ~
diversity of language and thought, must participate fully in working out and
- executing�its programs. That can be accomplished only in a climate of true
democrar.y.
The birds of ill omen and the fishermen in troubled waters who are hurling at
us this bitter challenge--"Africa is not ripe for democracy"~~ai~e the very same
= ones who by feeding the fires of tension are takin~:, advantage of the continent's
being torn apart to build or consolidat~ their empire on the bones of their
sons. Democracy is the prerogative uf no penple, of no continent. It is the
categorical choice of responsible men responding to the criteria of leaders.
Africa still posses~es men of such courage, a number of whom have been sacri-
ficed on the altar of intolerance and political hatr~d. ~
As if they were listening to us in this continent so torn apart and l~asted af-
= ter, two nations in love with freedom have just taken up the bitter chall.enge: -
- Senegal and Upper Volta, two poor countries, Sahelian to boot, with everythi.ng
- against them, are laying the cornerstones of the continent's democratic edi- -
- fice. �
COPYRIGHT: Jeune Afrique GRUPJIA 1979
8946
CSO: 4400
2
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
, ~ ,
_ FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
~
INTER-AFRICAN AFFAIRS
~ FRANCE REPORTEDLY PLANNING MISSILE BASES IN ZAIRE, GA~ON .
Paris AFRIQUE-ASIE in French 22 Jan-4 Feb 79 pp 24-25 _
_ [Article by Fode Amadou: "French Misailes in Zaire?"]
[Text] Misaile bases in Zaire and Gabon. Thia is the Giacard-Bongo-
~ !rtobutu trio's lateat African initiative.
- A consort~um of French companies, backed by Paris, is actually on the
' verge of concluding with the Zair~lan aut~~~rities a contract for the in-
. atalla tion of a miasile test base. The specialista in charge of the
� technical portion of the pro~ect are recommending that it be located on ~
the parallel that passes approximately through rlat~di and Kananga, by
way of Tschikapa, 5 degrees sou~h of the equator, north of the Angolan '
border.
~ The groundwork for the gxo~ect was laid in May 1977, shortly after the "
French government agreed to provide Zairian President Mobutu with logistic
support to put down the first Shaba upriaing. Mobutu, who was already
_ congratulating himself that he "never has problems with the purchase of
ai~ns f rom France," could hardly avoid turning a favorable ear to this sug- -
geation, which had the twofold merit of not only ensuring that his allies
would bail him out of trouble at the least sign of it, but also of provid-
ing with comforting revenues. But the negotiations "in the Zairian
sty~e"--that is, with gratuities, receptione, ca.�s.and residences being
offered to the negatiators--bogged down, the more so as the government's
inatab ility following the~Shaba occurrences and the worsening of the economic
- crisis made it necessary to consider a per~anent regeneration of the local -
- partners, hardly facilitating the work of the French negotiators. The
ma:ter was reopened by the~second Shaba uprising and the intervention by
the.French paratroopers.
During his round of th..~ks, Mobutu heard it made unmistakably clear to
him by French President Giacard d'Estaing that those pro3ects which are'
- part of the grand Giscardian design for Africa must be brought quickly to
- pass. , -
3
FOR OFFIC~AL USE ONLY
~
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/48: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
_
, FOR OFFICTAL USE ONLY _
Tor Giecard, it w~a not a maCCer of aeeming Co 1et Germany outdo him in
the r~gion wiCh OTRAG [Orbital TransporC and Rocket, Inc], which since
- the beginning of 1*76 has been ineCal.li:ng ita launchin~g pads on the ahores .
of the Tanganyika.
What is more, the preaident of OTRAG had intentions that could disCurb
public opinion when he said, "We are Crying to do as little harm as posai-
ble to pro~ect 'Ariane.' But 'Ariane' is r~ little like 'Concorde.' And ,
it is certain thaC, commercially, we will be hard to beat." But thia warn-
ing was noC intended for the Fren~h leadera. AC most, its intent was to
spread confusion.
Although French military and diplomatic circles were indeed concerned, a~
~ the time of the revelation by AFRIQUE-ASIE, that the OTRAG operation might
in fact be, for the Federal Republic of Germany, nothing other than a meana
- of circumventing Che prohibition againet its manufacturing any atomic wea- ~
pons, there was, a~t the summit, neither aurprise nmr new discovery. That _
Helmut Schmidt had personally adviaed Giscard of the OTRAG operatio~n can ~
be deduced from the EVENING STANDARD annouai.~emenC, some time after AI~RIQUE- ~
ASIE, that a West German company, "connected with the government," was in~-
stalling a missile test base in Zaire, as a result of "a ~oinC operation `
beCween France and the Federal Itepublic of Ger~any." And the British uewa-
paper gave many details concerning the planned launching of missiles with
nuclear nose conea.
And if Giacard agreed, it was for various rzasons: France, wh~ wanted to ~
pro~ect a sound African image, found herself, on the one hand, the fervent
supporter of the puppets of the LNITA [National Union for the Total Inde-
~ pend~nca of Angola], Che FNLA [AngoZan National. Liberation Front;, and the _
FLEC [Front for the Liberation of the Cabinda Enclave]--dedicated to the
deatabilization of Angola, a cauntry which en~oys great prestige in African
public opinion--and, on the other hand, a not inconsequential partner of
South Africa, particularly as regards arniament. It was not a bad idea,
- therefore, to let the spotlight shtne on a neighbor who was in a fair way
to becoming a dangerous African rival while remaining in the shadows.
From another viewpoint, the "Ariane" missile, constructed princlpally .
by Aerospatiale for the European Space Agency, and due to be launched from
- the Kourou base in French !Guinea, would be needing a new infusion of funds
for the next stage of the work in course, during which construction was to ,
start on the first six flight modeLs. By closing his eyes to the OTRAG
, project, Giscard saw a means of easing his way over this hurdle. Besides, _
in thia way, he also obtained assurances that nothing would be undertaken _
against the "Ariane" pro~ect, a prestige prop necessary to the role the
- preaident of the French republic cour~ted on glaying in the European concert,
which also would enable him to deny any potential accusation of Atlantic
Pact partisanahip. : -
*See AFRIQ?iF-ASIE Nos '141 of 8 August 1977; 145 of 3 October 1977; 146 of ~
17 October 1977; 157 of 29 March 1978. _
4 -
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY ~
~ Laet~ and not to be casC aside, is Che facC ChaC the French chief of atate
thua saw to it, Chrough Che German chancellor, that there would be no Euro-
pean backwa8h if France herself insCalled misaile laur?ching bae~s in the
-i ' countries ahe deemed especially favorable for tham becauae of geographic
and political situation, like 2aire and Gabon.
It is a1RO without surprise~that we learned recently, from Renerally well-
informed sourcea, that it was not ~ust for a Christmas Eve party that the
French preaident, afCer hia viait to Guinea, flew to Libreville. Bongo's
country, which already ghelters an air base on which several hundred French _
military personnel are permanently atationed and which is the hub of the
French apecial services for Weet Africa, ie to be the acene of construction
j ' of a miseile launching base, to which, as a little Christmas present, the
~ Gabonese chief of etate gave hia agreement to Giscard.
i ~ _
Shelving and Assaeaination
, An obviously esaentiial ~nilitary intent: These countries close to the equa-
tor provide the best locations for the launching of miasiles--it is to be -
~ noted that Kourou (Freneh Guinea) is located at 5 degreea north of the
equator, with Matad i-Kananga 5 degreea south of the equator, and that Gabon ~
itself is right on the equator. The geographical situations of Gabon and
Zaire, moreover, enable the surveillance within missile range of the entire
African continent f rom north to south and from east to west. Also an eco-
nomic intent: The southern zone being, as is well known, particularly ricY~ -
in minerals of all k~~nds, France intends to exploit and protect it. And
laetly, a political intant: France, desirous of proving to her African
~ "friends" that shP can ~ame to their aid at their minimum call, will find -
it necessary to reir~i:ar.ce her military potential on the continent.
- Alas! All these military-politico-economic subtleties c,~ uiscard's imme-
diate entourage and of Giscard himself, sh~ouded as the.y are in the most =
rigorous secrecy, a re not immediately perceptible at all lev~ls, and the
various special aervices, poorly informed of all these sims, find them-
selves somewhat at a loss. Was this the reason for the shelving n� the
offici~t who, in a fit of zeal, took it upon himself to charter ~ plane
' from Dar-es-Salaam to fly over the OTRAG firing range? Was this the rea- -
son behind the assassination, reported by th'e daily news bulletin EVENE-
MENTS ET PERSPECTIVES of 30 November, of one of the members of the body-
guard of the director of OTRAG-France, created in Paris in June?
Be that as it may, and even though an atmosphere of crisis prevails among
these services, the negotiations between the French and the Zairians for -
the installation of the misaile launching base are proceeding, acid, at the
highest political level, they were on the b usiness agenda of Mobutu's ~
visit to France.
_ COPYRIGHT: 1979 Afrique-Asie
9399
CSO: 4400
5
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY r
I
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
_ ~
,
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY -
- xx~-A~r~ax aF~ar~s
~
. ;
- PRINCIPLES OF FRENCH AFRICAN POLICY EXPLAIftED i
Paris MARCHES TROPICAUX ET MEDITERRANF~ENS in French 12 Jan 78 PP 59-6o e.
[Editorial: "The Principlee of France's Afxican Pblicy~
' [Tezt] With a yresr barely ended during vhich Alrica was
= the theatre of ~vents Which in aome cases led France to
intervene either by diplonacy or its armed forces, the
principles and prospects of French policy vis-~-pis Africa .
_ ~rere maatertully preaented before the Overseas A~~Zde~y of
_ Sciences by one of�the.very ~igh offfcfals who ti,ake an -
active part nc~t only in ex~lcuting that policX but also in -
its formulstiau, Qupr Georgy, director of At~ican and .
Malagaey aftaira st tbe Quai dl' Ors$}r [Miniatry of Forei~ ~
Atfaira~.
Z~at policy, or cextain of its manifestations, have at
~imes been contes~ed in France as xell as abroad. It ;
~s ~hus an opportune time to recall the principles of ,
tlsat policy while resetting its evolution in their inter-
nationsl environmen~.
= Above sad beyond the contingeacies oP history, P~ance's d~octrina i?ith
regard to Atrica, ea ~rith regard moreover to all of What taas then "the ~
Fresnoh emgire," ~+as marked by a r,markable ca~tinuity. Un~i~ the eve of
- World War II, PYance, uali~e ~w~at Britain, pursued a.policy of
aeeimilatian that it deemed to be most suit~d to ensaring the advance- -
ment~of the African.
In the years [~-moaediate].~] after the ~+ar, the evcalution of ~ideas, tbe
actioa of political pst~'ties in Freace and o~ At'rican nationalist movements,
and the maturstion of the calonizers, tbe colonized [peoples] and interna- -
_ tional opinion ~rere all contributing factors in the orientation of ~ench
pol3cy toWat~d e~ formula of association that was to be trenslatQd in the ~
Constitution of 19k6 by the creatiott af the French Un~on. Ten years later, -
the Cadre-t,ax ot June 1956 vas to definitively abandon assimilation in favor '
o! aasocidtian. Internai autonomar vas to be e~aknovledged by the Constitution -
;
6
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
!
I
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
~'OIt OE~ICIAL U5~ UN1.Y
_ ot 1958 a~?d.fulloved rapid]y by the ind~pendence of Me~dageecsr and all the
territorieR that had compriaed Freneh West Africa e~d Freneh Equstorial
A*rl.ce.
The mcre fact tha~t, in moet oP the French-speaking states that had become
independent the former governor~ f~aving quitu naturatly become high
_ commiseicsner aad then president of the coun~il of government, wuld preaen~
_ hia crede~tials as ambassedor to tti~ ncn+ chief of atate, illustrates the
cQatinuiLy of French pol:cy and et the same time explaina the maintenance of
- privile,ged linka bEt~ee~? F~ance and numerous African etates. It alao
expl~ins Frsn~e's deaire ta aee the decolon~z;~,,ion of the entire Africaa
~ continent completed. Fos~ its part, Fraace recognized D~ibouti's independence
in July 1977. It wiahre thst the decolonization process iti Rhodeaia end
Nemibia wi11 be concluded.
Having become independent, the nerr state8 found themaelves faced xith es-
eential]y tvo problems: that of their bordere, erbitrarily draan by the
colonial po~rers, eu~d that ot ch~oaing a model for political aad economic
- development.
Very quickly, in 1963, the principle of the inviolability of bordera was
proclaimed by the OAU Ch~rter, aad there was a gradual streagthening of the
identity of each national group, the fc~rce of ~rhich vas e?ttested to at that _
very timF by such cenriicta n~ those af the Horn of Africs, so much so that
Mr aeorRy is led to believe that the 21st century vill be the "century of
nationalities" for Africa, ~us~ sa Lhe 19~ ceutury vas thnt for Llirope.
Tode~y there is not a eingle Africau atate thst ia reacjy to give up s frv
equare kilometera of ita national territory, evea i! they vere devoid of
nay vegetable, aaimal or minerat resourcea. w
As for the modela of develop~emt proposed by the Weste~rners, vhich acttu411y
come down to t~ro, liberalism ead authoritariauism, both have ended up
dieappointing Africn. Liberallem, if the AtYicsa elites can appreciste its
advantages, is ill-suited to the Ilfricaa atructurea ead is too often
perceived by the mssaes as s system vhose camplexity ie inacceseible to thm
aad one vbich in reslity ezclusively favors the rich aad povertkl.
Becduse "socialism" theoreticaliy aims at 8a equitable diatribution of venlth,
it met vith more familiar vibrstions in the minds of the Africeae, aho ara
accuetamed to coa~unity lile xithin th~:r tamilies aad villc~ges. But the
results ot Lhe ecan~ic mmmgment of the Africm aLates tbst had adopted
sociallam are tsr from [meetingj the hopes of their peogles.
Africa is thus eedcing m origiaal path more in confornity xith its tra-
ditioml values sad less ellenating !or [the Africsa] mna thaa Westera
societiea. Whatever qualificstions a~a~y be given to thst search (suthenticity,
negritude, Atrican aocialism), it retlecta s teade~r that caanot but assert
itself .
7
- FOR OPFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
FOR 0~~'ICIAL U51t ONLY
' The strengtheaing of nntionalinme and eearch ~tor eui original peth oP develop-
meat sre therefore fundameatal fsctore that the Frmch Africsn policy must
take into c~eiderstian. Thet poliey i~ based on the maintenance of peece,
reapact for interndl regimes, the maintenance of cooperntion and the conaolida-
Lion of a11 Afries.
- First of sll~ pea~e. Without peace on t~~e continent, Afriea xill not be ab~e
to take up the formid~ble challenge alre~,c~yr facing it. th~t of feeding its
populetion at~d e~auring ita developa~nt. A report preeented l.ast Septdnber at
Aruaha during the FAO's tenth regional cc~nference indicatee a tbod shortege of
sbout 20 percent by 1985 (aee HARCHF3 TI~UPICJ~UX ET MEDITERRANEHIB, Ao. 1718,
- 13 October 19T8). Africa muat therefore devote all its reeourcen end energiee
to rectifying thie situation r~?ther tt~sn~ to the purehase of armameata.
The mainteneuce o! pee~ce in ~n Africa tha~t has become n atake for tUe grest, _
po~ers impliea the integrity o! the borflors set by the colonisers~ aa imperlect
ae they mqy be, respect for independence, and re~ection of interference in -
- internal aftaira. Thoae are the principles affirmed by the UN and OAU and
_ r~co~ized by F~ance. Their spplication aometimea poses thorny problems, as
is ~haw by s nvmber of inter-African conflicts (W~atern Sahara, Eritrea), bu*
France resolutely condea~ns aay external eggreasioa e6ainat an Africna atate.
It feele that tbe solution to theae conflicts nust be aought by the Africans _
themaelvee within their otim organizations, particularly the QAU, vhose efforts
F~ance supports. If it has happened that T~ance t~as interveaed militsri]y in
Shaba Prrnrince and Msuritaain~ f~r example, that involved ehortlived operations,
vith on~}r very ema1.1 nunbere ot military, undertalcen at th~ request af ernrereign -
goYernmenta aad aiaed at mhancing the aearch for a peaceful solutiou. -
In fact, I~Ymce believes the Africen etates hsve a right t.o aecurity ~rithi~
their international~y recogaized borders and to respect fo~r their indppendence.
_ Moreover, the leLter 3~s as aeriouely tbreatm~d by internal aubreraion as it is
by frontal forei~ ettacks that genere~l~y eroke UN intenrention and are �
conde~ned by iaternationsl opi*ion. It ie to streagthea the independeace of -
~ friend~y atatee, sad only upo~ their request, that F~aace msintaina a fev
gnrrisons ia Africa aad makes aeeisting military persounel available to those
ststes. Aloreover, ~he number o! euch peraonnel is narhere near the numbers
of Cubaas, Soviets aad Esat Europeaas in Africa (L,000 French gead.armes in
_ D~ibouti. aad 1,600 French sssisting military personnel !or all Atrice).
Along viLh the right to respe~t for indepeadence ia the right to respect for =
the regimas md institutions chosen by the Atricaa states themselves. F~sace
thus maintaina ties o! friendship and cooperation xith ata~es vhoee institutions
- are be~eed on vid~ely divergeaL political philosaphies. France's reconcilistion
vith Guinea is s recenL example of th~?t vill of Fraace to reLain its old
friendahips aad gsin ne+r ones. ZUat is the raLione~le !or tbe overture made by
- l~mch diplemscy ta+ard Englieh-and Portuguesc-spealcing Africs md for tbe
denelopment of agreements for ecanomic aad technical cooperation aith statea
vhich prior to the ers of iadependmce were relatively unacquainted with
F~mce nnd tbe lh~each-speaking territories, but vhich today shon+ themsel~es
. 8
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
_yl~l
~
~ ~Ott 0~'~ICIAL USE ONLY
i
' to be deairous of developing their releti~ne vith them ar~d benefiting fram
: French eooperation.
Fyroa~ ~the 1960e on, F~ance haa aeei~ed from 4 to 5 billion fr~uee to eoopera-
tion viLh Atrica, xhich pute Fraaee in firat plsce among the industrialixed
countriea proriding aid to tbe Atri^s~n coatinent. French aid~ given to all -
' ecMwitriee desiring it, ahatever their r~gimes m4Y be 11ke. ia appreciated
ahd increeaing]y being requested. It aseume~ m~re and more eophiatieated
- forms in the ~rea of traiaing Atrican eadrea, as for exemple in teaching
ecientific dieciplinea, and is deefgned to obtain s multip~}ring eftect in
order to ~elp in the mobilization or resources av~ilable from the other -
industrislized countries. France hse aet up tte~r funds (African Solidarity
P1uid, an exceptioasl fund for the promotion of Africa) e~nd, in recent yenrs,
hae etepped up ite elforts within multilateral bodiea, in particular the
European Devaiopment F1~ad, of vhich France prrnrid~s 26 parcent of the financing
(i.e., ee much as the P'~deral Republic of (krmany, vhone Gtr'P ie higher than
that of France). L~tly, Frat~ce is endeavoring, within the context of the
North-3auth dialogue and all international negotiationa, to ouLain for Africa
aa for a11 the developing countries a guarantee oP their resourcea, especially
of their receipte for exports, ead the atabilization of market pricea !or rav
materials.
- Thi~ policy of help for Africa is based on the conviction that it benePits
not on~y Africn but FYance and ~rope ea Well. Afr~ica vill become inereasingly
indispensable to Europe, which depeads largely foi� its industrial activity on
its importa o! energy-producing products and rav materials. That is especislly
true of flraace, ~rhich depends on imports for 60 percent oP its needs in this
- fleld. Ttie other great continenta or aubcontinents endoved vith rax materisls
are already reaerving them for their o~x needs ar~d are exporting on~y a very
small portion of them (that is the caee oP the Soviet Uaion ead thP United
States), or have opted Por a pc~licy of development that Will lead thmi to use
those materiale d~omestical~yr more and more (that is the case W~th Asia and
. Indonesia). Africa is therefore being ca1].ed on to become more and more
the privileged eupplier of P~aace and Europe. The mineral aad other resaurcea
of the Afr:can contiaent are indeed eaormoue and are still relatively unaxploited.
~e reciprocal nature of the intereste inv~olved is certainly the best guarsatee
for Africa that F~ench and ~tropeaa sid Will be enduring. -
Zt als~o represeata for Atrica a certninty that future relations with the former -
colonial poxera�aad the outside vorld vill be based increnaingly on equality
aad that APrica vill be treaterl as a respected partner. Moreover, the quality
of ;;he AfricBa leaders well-lmaim to those ~rho, like the 8lrector of Africari
and Malagasy affairs ia the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have had to conduct
negotiations vith them, sutfices to give aesuraace that th e young Africau
atstes vill be more aad more able to discera ~rhere i:heir osm true interes~s lie
and to elude the snarea of "aeocoloaisliem." It is niso a promise o! stsbility
for Lhe future.
9
F01~ OF'FICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
~OIt O~~ICIAL US~ ONLY
France for its part has opted for eolide~rity rrith Africa. Frrnch policy,
refraining from aqy interference in the interne.l affeire oP Africs and f.rom
anyr atte~?pt at clominstion, givea pe~rticular attentian to consolidating -
Afxica's internal eoh~sion~ of which it ~ill have tbe great,.st need in the
coming yedrs. In fact~ bet~reen nrn+ and the end oP the century, Africa will
probnbly undergo e period even more diflicult tihan thst o!' deeolonialize?tion
= and the building of indepen~ence.
s Africs vill in fa,ct have an increasing need for ce~pital to continue vith
ite otim development. It ie already he~?vi~jr in det~t (around $10~J billioa).
~e fo~er colonial poNers nox feel more or less free of their responsibilitiea .
trnrard Africs, and t,be other industrialized aid-giving c.untr~.e~ sre them-
selves gr+ing through the ~rorldvide economic receseion. Th~~ resourcea of
the petroleum-producing countries have reached their limite fe~irly quickly.
- Lastly, t~~e cout.triea vith ce?pitel m~y be tempted to ea:.: inveeta~ents vith a
higher rrturn in countries that are more dc~reloped than Africa or on ne.wr
markets opening to them, euch na the Chineae market.
P`raace md ~,l~rope mu~et understand thnt their duty as well as their interest
co~pel them to conceatrete their aid aud inveetment on the African contiaent. ~
Africa for ita part vill have to give sttention to finding the best Waye to
use thoae inveetmenta for ite development, by defining priorities bnsed
solely on the cwaideratioa o~f the intereat of ita populationg nnd by fore-
going laviah expenditures aad preatigious vorks.
A~ the seuae time that Atrica vill have to overcame its ecariamic difficulties~
it vill be prey to ths excessee of nationaliem and the ~ppetites of toreign
poxers vho xill seek to exert influence over it.
Rhe visdom aad prag~astigm of the Africans, peoples of peasants and shepherds, ~
are baund to enable ther~ to reaiat foreign seduction. If secular traditioae
of hospitality make it possible for all natioas to penetrate nn Afyrica that
vsnts to be opea to the outside ~orld, recrnt history confirms oa the other
hand thnt if it ia difficult to exert inS'luence on Alrica, it is even harder
to maintain that influence.
The real danger for Africa liea rather in the temptations of natioaalism,
ead i~ wuld be dramatic if Ai~ica vere in its turn to experimce the civil
vnra that hsve marked the history of E1~rope and that of the decoloninlizstion
of the Latin Americaa continent.
It ie through d streagthm ing of their feeling of solidarity that the Africnn -
states must expect to overcome the problem of the borders. Large eatities
hsve alrenc~y been eatabliahed (the Custaa~s and Economic Union of Centre?1
Africs, the Couacil of the Entente, the Economic Co~unity of ~lest Africa, the
- Economic Co~unity of the West Afycican States, the Co~unity of the Great
Lskes, etc.), vithin vhich ~he A~'ricaa atetes are becoming avare of tbeir
codplemeatary aatur~ sa~ noting that the dewelopment of the econoapr of ench
of them caanot be assured vithin the limite ot its ow borders. At the snme
10
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
~OR OFFICIAT., ~S~ ONLY
they ere aeneing ~he need to avoid entrueting foreign Porces with seeing to
it thet their territorie?1 integrity ia reapect~d, and are act~,ng accordingly~.
In 1963, eome yeare efter independence Was acquired, Africa had the visdom
to entrust Lhe eettlement of its conflicta to a supranat3onal organization,
the OAU. One of the grs~t taske of the Africsn etates aill be that of givin~ ~
the OAU more authority and poWers+ As for Franee, it supports and vi11 continue
to eupport all African initiativea toverd the eatablishment of regional entities
and will t~ontinue to Bupport the action oP the UN and the OAU.
At Lhe cloae of hie presentatio~, Mr (korgy cited sn Africr~n proverb: "There
ie no good wind for the pereon vho iloes not knov where he Wants to go."
Freace hsa a clee~r vision of the aime of its African policy and of the
principlee on which it i~ bsaed. Thanks to the ties that have bound it to
Africa for dec~des, and in saa~e ceeea for centuries, it has acquired a knrn+ledge
of African man and realitiea that predispoeea it to racplain to Africa end
� ~lxrope thet it is their deetiny to become m~re and more cloeely involved xith
one another for their cam~mon good.
OOPYRItlHT: Rene Moreux et Cie, Paria, 1979
5346
cso: 4~00
~1
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
~Ott OFFICIAL U5~ ONLY
INTER-AFRICAN AFFAIR5
12EPORTAGE ON CEDEAO, UMOA, OMVS ACTIVITIES
CEDEAO Activities
Paria MARCHES TROPICAUX ET MEDITERRANEENS in French 29 Dec ~S p 3557
(Text~ President Senghor and Security within CEDEAO
When Mr Haruma Bin Musa, the new ambaasador from Nigeria Co Dakar, presented
his credentials 13 December, Preaident Sengrior aeized the opportunity to
propoae that queatione of aecurity be added to those of cultural, economic,
and financial cooperation with which CEDEAO [West African States Economic
Community, which includes 16 countries] had been involved to the preaent.
_ The Senegalese head of atate pointed out that hia aecurity, to be effective, _
ehould not be organized according to ideological differences, but along geo-
graphical and cultural affinitiea. In conaideration of this, he emphasized
that the member countries of CEDEAO "constitute a geographically, culturally,
and econamically solid bloc", and the apirit of inethod, organization, and
brotherhood of this group "ia an example for all Africa."
_ Mr Senghor added that the CEDEAO summit, which will be in Dakar the first
two weeka in May, will mark an important step in the life of this organization.
Chambers of Commerce Wieh to be Consulting Organ
During its sixth conference, which was held during the International Dakar
Fair at t~e beginning of December, the Weat African Federation of Chambers
of Commerce expreased the wish to become the consulting organ of CEDEAO.
Mr Issa Diop from Senegal was charged with presenting this request to the
_ CEDEAO Council of Ministers, which will meet again in Dakar next May. The
Federati.on, which includes 13 countries of West Africa, has also elected
its new officera and adopted its laws. The new officers are preaided over
by Mr Koffi D~ondo from Togo, and his deputies are Chief A.O. Lawson from
Nigeria, Mr Barou from Ivory Coast, and Mr Mat~iri from Sierra Leone. Issa
Diop was elected General Treasurer and Mr Pierre Njie his deputy.
12
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
~OR OFFICIAL US~ ONLY
UMOA Activit3es
= Parie MARCNES TROPICAUX ~T MEDITERRANEENS in French 29 Dec 78 p 3557
(Textj Loana from FRG and Che Swie~ �
- By the terms of a contract signed 21 December at Lome, the German Develop- -
_ ment Compgny (DEG) with headquareers at Cologne, granted a loan of DM 10
million (about 1 billion 150 million CFA franca Co the Wes.t African Develop-
ment Bank (BOAD) with headquartere at Lome~
This aum is alloted for the financing of induatrial and agri-ittdustrial -
pra~ects, to be carried out in the member states of the Weat African MoneCary -
Union (UMOA~ which includes Benin, Ivory (:oast, Upper Vo1Ca, Niger~ Senegal,
and Togo). The loan ia granted aC an inCerese rate of 7 percent per year for
a period of 12 years.
The 5wisa government hae also granted BOAD a loan totaling 9.25 million -
Swiss francs (about 1,193~250,000 C~'A franca and a gift of .75 million 5wiss =
- francs (about 96.75 million CFA france. -
The loan, which is granted for a period of 16 yeara, wiCh a 6-year grace -
period and a rate of 2 percent per year. will be used by the bank for the -
financing of development pro~ecta. Preference will be given to the mosC
needy peoples of the member countries of UMOA. The gift will be used to
finance studies initiated by the bank and for Swiss technical asaistance.
The Lome press release which announced the newa apecified that the loan
agreement had been eigned 20 December 78 at Abid~an by the Swiss ambassador
to Abidjan, Mr Roch, and by Pierre Claver Damiba, preaident of BOAD.
Miniaterial Conference at Abidjan
A UMOA ministerial conference wae held at Abid~an 19-20 December, with min-
isters of finance from eix member countriea parCicipating.
'I~ro principal questions were diecuased: the allocation of the profita of
the Central Bank of the West African States (BCEAO) during the fiscal year
1977/1978 and the level of aseiatance which the bank will allocate to the
financing of the economic development of the six countries involved.
OMVS Activities
Paris MARCHES TROPICAUX ET MEDITERRANEENS in French 29 Dec 18 p 3557
[Text] Council Sets 1979 Budget at 432 Million CFA Francs
During its tenth aession 18-20 December at Bamako, the council of ministers -
of the Senegal River Development Organization (OMVS) has set the 1979 budget
for the organization at 432~094,809 CFA francs.
13
- ~ FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
FOR O~F'ICTAL USE ONLY
_ The Einnl communique of the session indicated ChgC the council of miniaterE
who prepared the aummit of 21 December have also given instructiona Chat
"th~ pre-selecCion decieion of the Mananrali dam be made as soon as posaible,
~nd that the work on the Diama da~~ begin during the laet half of 1979." The
council also "adopted the fiacal and tariff policies applicable to the pro-
- gressin~,~ etudies and works which allow curting coste of the aubatructure of
the bas~.s di the Cwo dame." In adc~ition, it has submi~:ted for approval by
the hpads of ataCe the drafC agreemenC conaerning Che legal atatue of ~oinC
pro~ects.
President Senghor's Remarka on the OMVS Summ;'~�
Following up the work of the C~uncil of Ministera, the 21 December awmnit of :
Che OMVS heada of atate adopted two legal CexCs which define the extent of
the future involvemenC of Che organization. After having parCicipated in
the aummit, President Leopold S. Senghor indicated on hia return that the
- aummit marked a"point of no return." The Senegalese head of aeate recalled
thaC the necessary financing for the two dams hae been secured (MTM 17 Nov 78
_ p 3027). The laying of the cornerstone of the Manantali dam will take place~
- during the firat half of 1980. It is expected that the total pro~ect will
produce 800 million KWh, irrigate 300,000 hec*_ares of framland, and make the
river navigable from K~yea to its mouth at Saint Louis in Senegal.
'~he coat of finishing the firat phase of this pro~ect which extenda to 1985
is estimated at 150 million dollara, of which 460 million is for Manantali
and Diama and 290 million is for Che agricultural cultivation of irrigated
� lands.
According to Preeident Senghor the two documents signed 21 December are an
amendment to the OMVS charter to reasaure the investors, and a declaration
making the constructions the common property of the three member states
(Senegal, Mali, Mauritania). According Co the Senegalese president "no
threat of disharmony is hovering over the organization". Finally, it is _
noted that the Mauritanian head of state, Col Ould Saleck, will aucceed
Gen Moussa Traore from Mali as president of the organization.
COPYRIGHT: Ren~ Moreux et Cie, Paris, 1978
9374
CSO: 4400
14
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
FOR OFF'ICIAL U5E ONLY
INTER-AFRICAN AFFAIRS
AFRICAN CROP PLANNING CRITICIZED
Paris JEUNE AFRIQUE in French 27 Dec 78-3 Jan 79 pp 61-64
[Article Ly Sopt~ie Bea91s: "Food Cropa, Disliked by Plannera"]
�
[Text] Feeding ie a worse~?ing African problem. However, all investments
go to export products. -
Drought in the Sahel, famine in EChiopia, emergency aid ta Somalia, con-
� siderable ahortagea in Nigeria, bigger rice and wheat imports to most of
Che countriea on the continent. Deapite all development programs
food production is not increasing in Africa and the shortage aeems to be -
wors~ning with every paseing year. Is it weather ill luck? Or extensive
negligence on the part of those in charge of the vital aector which, how-
ever, has the inconvenience of increasing atate revenue poorly? Probably,
both.
According to the FAO, African food production rose by no more than 0.5 ~
percent per year between 1971 and 1975. Between 1976 and 1977 it�did not
increase at all. Per capita production droppecl 2.1 percent per pear be-
tween 1971 and 1975 reaching a 94 index in 1976 compared with 100 as set
for 1961-1965. This is alarming aituation for a continent whose popula- "
tion is growing rapidly and which, in fact, has all the necessary poten-
- tial to meet the food requiremente of its population.
The little intereat diaplayed in basic food crops and peasant production
has resulted in the stagnation or regress of a large ahare of so-called
traditional crops: Hard wheat and barley in North Africa, millet and
sorghum in the Sahel-Sudan area, and roots and tuber cropa in the rain
part of Africa. Investments and the necessary production factors for a
rapid increase in output have been focuaed exclusively on products raised
within the framework of a more modern agriculture, basically simed at
urban markets--ric~, soft wheat, and sugar, essentially. Actually, if
the rural population--about four-fiftha of the total population of the
southern part of Africa and the Sahara, and 55 percent of North Africa--
_ would raise in a normal year the food needed for its conaumption, it
would no longer be capable, today, to meet a very rapidly rising urban
demand.
15
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
- FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Alarming Situation for n Continent Which, in Fact, C,uld Meet ite Food
RequiremenCa -
_ The food problem in Africa ia not, as one miEht wish to be~.ieve~ the con-
aequence of eome sort of over-population but rather that of the far more
= rapid growth of the urban compared with Che total population. At the pres-
ent time the urban population ie rising by five percent per year as againsC
- 1.7 percent in the rural areas~ This eituation hae a aubstaritial effect
on agriculture which ia thus deprived of manpower.~
Root and tuber craps are the baeic ataples of the moist tropical areas. -
The rwo a~oat imporCant crops among them are manioc and yam. However, re-
cently a number of oth er crops such as aweet potatoea and taro have been -
. added to them. Since auch vegetablea are not extensively aold, it would
- be hard Co determine their annual output. Crop surplusea, if such exiat,
co~ild be preserved with diPficulty over the year and delivered to urban
marketa.
All auch items account for mosC of the food production in the countries
irnolved; for example, they account for 60 percent of the nutrition of
the Ivory Coast population. The Ivory Coast producea about 4.5 million
tona of root and tuber crops per year and hopea to reach 5.5 million tons
- by 1980 Chanka to a series of ineasuree aimed at encouraging production.
Cameroon inCenda to double ita output in the courae of the current plan,
increasing it from 3.2 million tons in 1974-1975 to,6.2 million tans in _
1980-1981, particularly by tripling yam production. However, this target
aeema to be more in the nature of a pious wish conaidering how modest in-
vestmenta allocated to this aector are. In Zaire the production of manioc
is in the vacinity of 12 m~llion tons per year and should be raised, one
is not quite certain how, to 13.5 million tons by 1980. Other countries
such as Congo or Cameroon are organizing large agroindustrial units for
manioc growing, part of whose byproducta will be used for human conaump-
;
tion.
Actually manioc is the only feculent root which is beginning to be dis- -
covered. Very productive varieties ~ave been developed and new uses are
being regularly discovered. Brazil appears even to have discovered a way
to use it ae fuell However, the new interest created in manioc ia easen-
tially due to the possibility to be used, after pr~cesaing, as cattle
fodder. .
- Would this be a confirmation of the rule according to which tropical crops
draw attention orily if they can eatisfy the needs of developed countries?
For the time being everything confirms that this may be the case.
- Secondary cropa are also important to the nutrition of African populations
and pose acute problems of a differenx nature. Other than corn, raised
more or lesa everywhere, they cover the low precipitation areas, from the
16 -
_ FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02/08: CIA-RDP82-00850R000100030006-1
APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2007/02148: CIA-RDP82-44850R000100034406-1
- ` ~OR OFF~CTAL USE O~1LY
5udan-Sahe1 to the Maghreb area~ and react to Che wh~ma of Ch~ we~ther.
Africaiproducee about 25 million tone o~E mi11eC and sorghum per year almosti
all of which goes Co local coneumpCion. No more than 10 percent of the
overall`'output ie marketed.
In moat~of the Sahel counCries "plane for integral rural developmenC" are -
relied upon for purposes of increaeing output~ linking cash with table -
crope and, to the exCent of p ossibilitiea, the growing on tl~e side of com-
patible cropa. It ie thu~ hoped that the efforts made to grow peanuts or
coCton, eo which the virtu,ally total amount of fertilizer and plant pr~-
tection facilitiee go, and that efforCs to develop and make available new
more productive technologies would indirectly benefit the produntion of .
foodatuffe. Therefore, all the cotton-growing areas in Africa, from west
of the 1~'had to Senegal, have been aub~ected to integrated development.
Even though, here and there, a cerCain amount of encouraging progrese _
and increased c~op yielda have been noted, overall the experiment does
not seem to be concluaiv~, fo r no single Sudan-Sahelien country has been
able to cover ita food shoreagea which worsened this year aven �urther.
It ie true that precipitation was irregular. However, Che droug~it which
has been frequently blamed for the past few years is noC reaeon enough to
explain the persiatent shortages in the area.
However, would thia trend b~ reveraed with the new orientation of the
World Bank, followed by the main Western fund supplipra who are h~nceforth
giving priority in their �inancing to the developma:nt of food crops and
which channel into thia sector a greater share of their inveatments? It
is still too soon to determ~ne this. Meanwhile, the p~rospecte are far
- from brilliant. Another hope, ae yet weak, is developing in the area of
agricultural research which, after having long neglected traditional crops
in favor of rice and wheat, is beginning to develop ~ore productive straina
which could raiee yielda by one-half.
Finally, corn is gro9m everywhere in Africa: Out of an overall annual out-
put of about 20 million tons, over three-quarters is consumed in the rural
areas. Development efforta should focus above all on conservation and
etockpiling, as warehousing losaea in some areas reach nearly one-quarter
of the crop.
: Other than in Madagaecar and some o