An African Perspective on WikiLeaks

There is no doubt in my mind that the United States Embassy cables released by WikiLeaks are very embarrassing for the US, and could have serious consequences for diplomacy and international relations. But from an African perspective, the disclosure of diplomatic cables refocuses attention, and reinvigorates debate, on some of the critical issues affecting the continent such as human rights violations, corruption, drug trafficking and the workings of multinational and transnational corporations. For ordinary Africans and civic groups, the blunt, straightforward, and non-diplomatic tone described in some of the diplomatic cables hit close to the nerve for many because these correspondences shine light on issues they care about deeply. Among these:

In Namibia, the WikiLeaks revelations that Namibia allegedly settled 5 000 Chinese families in return for a defaulted loan is unleashing a wave of public outcry about what is perceived as the government being more loyal to the Chinese than to Namibians. From social forums and SMS in local newspapers, Namibians and the nation’s civil society groups want answers. So far the Government is denying that it had ever failed to pay back any Chinese loan, but remains evasive about any deal involving the settlement of Chinese nationals in Namibia.

In Zimbabwe, the diplomatic cable leakage seems to confirm what local groups and human rights organizations have been alleging all along: that the Zimbabwean military has murdered hundreds of Zimbabweans as the military consolidated its control over the Marange diamond field in 2008. Implicated are Mugabe and senior government officials, including the assertion that Mrs. Grace Mugabe and central bank Governor Gideon Gono have “reaped tremendous profits” from eastern diamond fields. According to AfricaNews, Mrs Mugabe is apparently suing the Standard Newspaper in Zimbabwe for $15 million for publishing a WikiLeaks’ cable linking her to obtaining diamonds illegally, but most Zimbabweans disagree. Mrs Mugabe and her business partner Gideon Gono long have been point of suspicions for their joint business deals.

In Kenya the WikiLeaks fall-out continues, with Kenyan political leaders such as President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga having harsh words for the US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger. In the cables released, not only did Ranneberger described Kenya as a “swamp of graft,” but he also alleged that President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga are part of the that nation’s corrupt political elites. According to local news reports, many Kenyan citizens agree with Ambassador Ranneberger’s sentiment. I am not surprised at the leadership’s angry reaction, but what I cannot fathom is the angry outburst from Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s, a man who claims to be different from old Kenyan politics.. If he really cares about corruption, as he told the world, I cannot understand why he should be offended by the Ambassador’s observation about corruption in Kenya.

In Nigeria, the birthplace of 419 scams, the country’s relationship with Shell featured prominently in the leaked cables. Does it come by surprise that former head of Sub-Saharan operations Ann Pickard is reportedly boasting of infiltrating the Nigeria government? Nigerians (and observers alike) would tell you that the workings of multinational corporations in the country are inextricably linked to Nigeria’s corruption and the ongoing conflict in the Delta.

Lastly, the influence of China on the continent, cocaine trafficking through Ghana and Kenya, chaos in Somalia, and Ugandan officials’ back door deals with an Italian oil major ENI are among the WikiLeaks leaked cables that are having Africans throughout the continent talking.

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