June 4 Remembered: Human Blood Will Flow

Rivers Of Human Blood Will Flow” - Said Rawlings

Throughout his 19 years of ruling Ghana, and since he left office in January 2001, Jerry John Rawlings has sought to justify the unprecedented bloodshed and free-for-all violence of the 'June 4 Revolution' as a spontaneous explosion of the anger of the people, which took his leadership influence to ebb by "offering for sacrifice” the lives of a few generals, including three former heads of state.

“We had no choice but to sacrifice two initially - Acheampong and another General. Within a week the cry for more blood was still going on. We had no choice but to offer another six,” he recently told a shocked international audience at The Hague, Holland.However, evidence available between May 15 (his failed mutiny, which led to his capture and cult status) and June 4, 1979, show that it was in fact Flt Lt Rawlings who stirred up the public anger, setting the stage for the mad clamour to ‘let the blood flow." Rawlings words, “Rivers of human blood will flow,” published in the mass-circulating Daily Graphic in May 1979, was picked up by students and sections of the masses to devastating effect once Boakye Gyan, Baah Achamfour, Tasiri and the others staged the June 4 coup and broke him out of jail to lead it.

Even before the June 4 uprising succeeded, the 33-year-old air force officer had penned down his plans on how to fight corruption within the public sector: "If you should dare touch a penny you will be shot without trial. If you should escape our notice you better be prepared to die on the [native fetish] shrine." The text of his original hand-written speech for the failed insurrection of May 15, which was read during his treason trial and reproduced to devastating public effect by the Daily Graphic at the time, was explosive:

Describing the military elite, Ghanaian and Lebanese entrepreneurs as "nation wreckers", Rawlings who saw the Ghanaian masses as "blinking spineless cowards" told the people to "stop being animals" and take their anger on the seemingly well-to-do. This was 28 years ago. "I am telling you today 22 years after independence in 1979 that your enemies are those who refuse to share."

He then urged the masses to move against their ‘enemies.’ "I am telling you today that not one single criminal, thief (!) shall escape the wrath of the gods of the underdogs of this country, be it a soldier, officer or civilian, be it a corrupt power hungry politician, businessman or a thieving Lebanese." He warned against those who may entertain the thought of playing the role of an Oskar Schindler, the German businessman who was instrumental in saving the lives of over one thousand Polish Jews during Hitler’s ‘Final Solution.’ "Let it be known here and now," Rawlings warned, "that if sections of any community should either stand in defence of or assist the escape of anyone, these inhuman nation wreckers, rivers of human blood will flow in this country.

"He who has nothing to fear has nothing to lose." In the end, even those who felt they had nothing to fear, including those who took loans from the bank, ended up being the ones who had all to lose, including their lives. Acknowledging that Ghanaians were inherently of the pacification stock, the young angry and hungry air force officer sought to urge the people to be more militant. "This time! Evil shall be made to pay back evil…

"We sit here thinking God’s time is the best. We hope and pray that God will punish evil doers! Take it from me today - God will not raise a finger if you and I don’t initiate the move."Rawlings then proposed to Ghanaians to put their faith not in God but in "a fetish native shrine." In a bizarre proposal for democratic rule, Rawlings’ plan was for every unit of the security forces, including the police, to vote and elect members (personnel) to lead them, regardless of rank.

"In other words privates form each battalion or station will elect one private from their Unit, Lance Corporals will elect one L/Cpl, Staff Sergeants and Sergeants all the way up to a Warrant Officer. Second Lieutenants, Lieutenants and Captains will however be elected by both their own colleague subordinates and NCOs senior officers will however be selected." Under the Rawlings formula for democracy, "Civilians in every institution, corporation or firm will also elect their own leaders…"

But, according to Rawlings, "There is only one condition attached." Which was that, "Every member must be prepared to swear not on the Bible this time but on the knife before a native fetish shrine. If you should dare touch a penny you will be shot without trial. If you should escape our notice you better be prepared to die on the shrine." Showing clear signs that he’d lost faith in the Almighty, Rawlings asked: "Where on earth has God come to the salvation of a people. Without the suffering, starving, hungry people taking the law into their own hands?"

He called in 1979 for a revolution similar to what happened in America, France and Britain.

Yet, Mr Rawlings has in recent years been at pains to portray himself as the pacifier. A case in point was on April 14 this year. He had been invited as the first key note speaker at Afrikadag 2007 (Africa Day 2007), celebrated in the Dutch capital the Hague. In fact, the decision to invite him was so controversial that the organisers had to take advertisements in Dutch newspapers to explain that in spite of his terrible human rights record he saw to a peaceful democratic transition.

Below are excerpts of the Q&A session after he was forced to abandon his speech which was far longer than the 20 minutes accorded.

Dutch Lady: "Is your presence in other countries surrounded by dilemma a lot?"

Rawlings: "Certainly not for me!"

(Laughter from the crowd – But Rawlings looks far from pleased)

Rawlings: "No! No! No! But, I guess I can understand a situation like that because there’s been a lot of massive disinformation on account of the revolt of 1979. People want to pretend that they do not know what led to the rise of Rawlings."

(Lady presenter tries to interrupt, but Rawlings ignores her) "Madam, wars take place around the world, class wars, ethnic wars also do take place. But I can assure you the most vicious war, the most capricious wars that, from reading history and my own experience, is that of class war. That the people that feel they are the elitist elements that feel they ought to rule the rest of us cannot come to terms with the fact that humanity…(He branches off after another brain surge)

Lady: Let me take you back to those first days that you were in power, 28 years ago 1979. You were how old at that time?

Rawlings: 1979. Could I have been about 30?

(Laughter as audience finds it amusing that he was wondering about his own age at a very critical, historical period of his life)

Lady: The beginning of your thirties - yes?

Rawlings: I was born in 1947, June 22nd and I think it happened in 1979 June 4th, so you can make your calculations.

(This triggers a long string of convulsions)

Lady: What was it that made you decide it was time to take power in Ghana? What conditions were the Ghanaians in?

Rawlings: It was the most degenerative situation that you can ever experience. That is why I said you can compare it to what preceded the French Revolution, etcetera. After all Madam, my proof is take a look at Africa, what happens in all African countries. And you sit here and wonder what’s wrong with those black people on the continent?

So what was happening over there was no different. And, quite frankly it was a military regime that was in office and the hatred that was growing from the bottom, the ranks, the corporals, etcetera, against the officer corps, because they saw us as part of the elite group. And quite frankly like Mobutu, like Doe, etcetera. Any corporal, because there we were hoping the subordinate generals, brigadiers, colonels, etcetera, would take over because it was too much.

(He’s getting more and more excited now, gesturing)

Rawlings: As it was beginning to fall it reached our stage, I remember telling my fellow colleague officers lets hurry up, lets move because if we don’t move the hate is becoming so intense if it explodes, any corporal, not because –

(Here some more commotion ensues as the organisers seek to end the Q&A session)

Rawlings: No! No! No! No! Wait! Wait! Not because I disrespect them, but the point is there will be a slaughter, a very bloody situation. So in effect I didn’t want to be President, I wanted to prevent and pre-empt what was going to be a very bloody situation, Madam.

Lady: But what did you think gave you the right to do something about it?

Rawlings: Quite frankly I think it is not just Rawlings’ right, it is the right of anyone. It is a God given right for anyone to intervene to save the innocent, ok! Or to prevent a bloody situation. Maybe I was in a very unique position by virtue of being an air-force combat pilot. And I had a very healthy relationship with the ranks.

Because we had reached a stage where the ranks had no more respect for the officer corps. So that even if they wanted to invite them into a move to sort of put aside the government’s counsel nobody would follow them. So there were not that many of us who enjoyed the respect of the ranks. And I felt it was my moral responsibility to do it, to be head of state.

Lady: But was it your sole decision? Or was it a movement that decided you should be the one?

Rawlings: No. Everybody felt that way, but nobody was prepared to bell the cat.

Lady: But you make it sound like a sort of democratic decision for you to take the power?

Rawlings: I don’t know what you are taking about, power. You are still referring to June 4th, 1979?

Lady: I am afraid so.

Rawlings: Yeah, you know Madam you have got to understand that I am saying that if we did not as officers take the lead no officer would have survived. So, some of us needed to have to do something about it. They had no connection to their subordinates, their subordinates had no respect…

I had a healthy relation with them and I felt I was obliged to and I was able to carry it out. And I did it on 15th May. I could have gone ahead with the plans I had on 15th May, but talking from a psychological standpoint had we moved when I was ready at 1 A.M. no officer would have survived. Because, no, wait a minute!

(Rawlings gets more and more excited)

Rawlings: Because it was a very volatile situation and all it needed was someone to strike a match and throw it into the room. And, I thought "no, this won’t do". So, what we are to do?

So I told the boys, just a handful of them, "go to sleep, and we will start around about 3 o’clock". So that by the time we moved the military we would then have cordoned of the tanks… So, the generals who had better integrity would then lead us.

But unfortunately it seemed to fail, you know for certain reasons we ended up being arrested. And while I was on trial they thought I was going to be executed. The very thing I was trying to prevent exploded in their faces. In other words it was no longer the judges who decided my fate, but the people who decided my fate. And the thing blew up, and I had no choice but to lead a revolution."