Ama Mazama: An Intellectual Warrior

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• KOFI 10 years ago

  SHE SHOULD COME AND TEACH AT LEGON DEPART OF FRICAN STUDIES!!!!

  SHE SHOULD COME AND TEACH AT LEGON DEPART OF FRICAN STUDIES!!!!

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• NAKED 10 years ago

  Mali at first glance seems a most unlikely place for the NATO powers, led by a neo-colonialist French government of Socialist President Francois Hollande (and quietly backed to the hilt by the Obama Administration), to launch ...
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  Mali at first glance seems a most unlikely place for the NATO powers, led by a neo-colonialist French government of Socialist President Francois Hollande (and quietly backed to the hilt by the Obama Administration), to launch what is being called by some a new Thirty Years’ War Against Terrorism.
  
  Mali, with a population of some 12 million, and a landmass three and a half times the size of Germany, is a land-locked largely Saharan Desert country in the center of western Africa, bordered by Algeria to its north, Mauritania to its west, Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Niger to its southern part. People I know who have spent time there before the recent US-led efforts at destabilization called it one of the most peaceful and beautiful places on earth, the home of Timbuktu. Its people are some ninety percent Muslim of varying persuasions. It has a rural subsistence agriculture and adult illiteracy of nearly 50%. Yet this country is suddenly the center of a new global “war on terror.”
  
  On January 20 Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron announced his country’s curious resolve to dedicate itself to deal with “the terrorism threat” in Mali and north Africa. Cameron declared, “It will require a response that is about years, even decades, rather than months, and it requires a response that…has an absolutely iron resolve…” [1] Britain in its colonial heyday never had a stake in Mali. Until it won independence in 1960, Mali was a French colony.
  
  On January 11, after more than a year of behind-the-scenes pressure on the neighboring Algeria to get them entangled in an invasion of its neighbor Mali, Hollande decided to make a direct French military intervention with US backing. His government launched air strikes in the rebel-held north of Mali against a fanatical Salafist band of jihadist cutthroats calling itself Al-Qaeda in the Islamic-Mahgreb (AQIM). The pretext for the seemingly swift French action was a military move by a tiny group of Islamic Jihadists of the Tuareg people, Asnar Dine, affiliated with the larger AQIM. On January 10 Asnar Dine – backed by other Islamist groups – attacked the southern town of Konna. That marked the first time since the Tuareg rebellion in early 2012 that Jihadist rebels moved out of traditional Tuareg territory in the northern desert to spread Islamic law to the south of Mali.
  
  As French journalist Thierry Meyssan noted, French forces were remarkably well prepared: “The transitional President, Dioncounda Traore, declared a state of emergency and called to France for help. Paris intervened within hours to prevent the fall of the capital, Bamako. Far-sightedly, the Elysée had already pre-positioned in Mali troops from the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (“the Colonials”) and the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment, helicopters from the COS (Special Operations Command), three Mirage 2000D’s, two Mirage F-1’s, three C135’s, a C130 Hercules and a C160 Transall.” [2] What a convenient coincidence.
  
  By January 21 US Air Force transport planes began delivering hundreds of French elite soldiers and military equipment to Mali, ostensibly to roll back what we were told was an out-of-control terrorist advance south towards the Mali capital. [3] French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told media the number of its ‘boots on the ground’ in Mali had reached 2,000, adding that “around 4,000 troops will be mobilized for this operation,” in Mali and outside bases. [4]
  
  But there are strong indications the French agenda in Mali is anything but humanitarian. In a France 5 TV interview, Le Drian carelessly admitted, “The goal is the total reconquest of Mali. We will not leave any pockets.” And President Francois Hollande said French troops would remain in the region long enough “to defeat terrorism.” The United States, Canada, Britain, Belgium, Germany and Denmark have all said they would support the French operation against Mali. [5]
  
  Mali itself, like much of Africa is rich in raw materials. It has large reserves of gold, uranium and most recently, though western oil companies try to hide it, of oil, lots of oil. The French preferred to ignore Mali’s vast resources, keeping it a poor subsistence agriculture country. Under the deposed democratically-elected President Amadou Toumani Toure, for the first time the government initiated a systematic mapping of the vast wealth under its soil. According to Mamadou Igor Diarra, previous mining minister, Malian soil contains copper, uranium, phosphate, bauxite, gems and in particular, a large percentage of gold in addition to oil and gas. Thus, Mali is one of the countries in the world with the most raw materials. With its gold mining, the country is already one of the leading exploiters directly behind South Africa and Ghana. [6] Two thirds of France’s electricity is from nuclear power and sources of new uranium are essential. Presently, France draws significant uranium imports from neighboring Niger.
  
  Now the picture gets a little complex.
  
  According to usually reliable former US military experts with direct familiarity with the region, speaking on condition of anonymity, US and NATO Special Forces actually trained the same “terrorist” bands now justifying a neo-colonial US-backed invasion of Mali by France. The major question is why would Washington and Paris train the terrorists they are now acting to destroy in a “war on terror?” Were they really surprised at the lack of NATO loyalty from their trainees? And what is behind AFRICOM’s American-backed French takeover of Mali?

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• Akwasi Bow 10 years ago

  Why dont you post this independent of other peoples' postings to this website?

  Why dont you post this independent of other peoples' postings to this website?

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• abra kuma 10 years ago

  Equally informative.True, some of us did find France, the EU and the US's maoeuvres too coincidental for comfort. One thing we've learnt to expect? The US always makes an enemy of its non-European allies when/if it becomes ex ...
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  Equally informative.True, some of us did find France, the EU and the US's maoeuvres too coincidental for comfort. One thing we've learnt to expect? The US always makes an enemy of its non-European allies when/if it becomes expedient to do so. Thank you for your detailed input.

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• Kwame Ntim 10 years ago

  Thanks for your remarks

  Thanks for your remarks

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• KK 10 years ago

  Thanks for bringing this important scholar in the African field to our knowledge. Often, the attention is too much on US scholars but it seems every other important person has to connect with the US to really get known - perh ...
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  Thanks for bringing this important scholar in the African field to our knowledge. Often, the attention is too much on US scholars but it seems every other important person has to connect with the US to really get known - perhaps except for Cheik Anta Diop??? What are his connections with the USA, Francis?
  
  Just a few curious questions about Ama:
  
  1. Her name Ama - does she know if she really was born on a Saturday?
  
  2. Has she also been to Dahomey (Benin) the source of her traditional religious power? And to Ghana?
  
  Hope your sequel(s) do not needlessly go over ground that you have already covered in your articles about Molefi Kete Asante
  
  Thank you

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• francis kwarteng 10 years ago

  Hello,
  
  Cheikh Anta Diop is a well-known intellectual giant in the West, particuarly America.
  
  I have personally read (all his work in Enghlish) together with that of his former "student," Dr. Theophile Obenga (Central A ...
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  Hello,
  
  Cheikh Anta Diop is a well-known intellectual giant in the West, particuarly America.
  
  I have personally read (all his work in Enghlish) together with that of his former "student," Dr. Theophile Obenga (Central Africa), presently one of the best Egyptologists/linguists in the world.We can discuss Diop privately if you have the time (send me an email: franciskwarteng@yahoo.com).
  
  I can do essays on Diop if Ghanaweb will publish them. Many times I have had to write to the editor to convince him to publish such articles. And it's has become easy for him to accept my arguments because both Mazama and Asante have Ghanaian names.
  
  But these non-African essays are popuar with readers on modernghana, spyghana, vibeghana, and myjoyonline--where readers admire serious intellectual stuff. I don't mean this in a negative way.
  
  The Ghanaweb editor has specifically asked me to tailor my essays to Ghanaians and Ghana. Besides, I am familiar with the influential work of so many Africans that I hope Ghanaweb will publish without my having to explain to the editor all the time why the work of these scholars are important to us.
  
  There is a Central African scholar in Germany whose work is as influential as Cheikh Anta Diop. I shall do a piece on him one day. He's already thrown many Western ideas about ancient (and contemporary) into disrepute.
  
  If you want to see Diop's intellectual influence in the world, particularly on America, See Ivan Van Sertimer's and Larry William's edited "Great African Thinkers: Cheikh Anta Diop" and Molefi Kete Asante's "Cheikh Anta Diop: An Intellectual Diop."
  
  Diop's own son, a phycisist, has written an excellent biography of his father. It's in French and I shalll get the title for you. You can also see Curtis Alexander's edited volume "Cheikh Anta Diop: An African Scientist."
  
  Let me add quickly that Cheikh Anta Diop's work is the foundation of Molefi Kete Asante's theory of Afrcentricity.
  
  Finally, both Asante and Mazama have travelled throughout Africa, studied Africa, and porbably know more about Africa than the average African. Both have trained some of the influential thinkers working in the African world.
  
  I am surprised you asked me about whether Mazama knows about Vodou and its roots in Dahomey. This is a non-issue. Have you seen her and Asante's voluminous edited work "The Encyclopedia of African Religion"? They worked with all the world's leading thinkers/researchers on African Religion to compile this volume.
  
  Mazama and Asante work with African-based scholars and leaders everyday. They travel to Africa to teach, hold seminars, do all kinds of things, now and then. I will reveal more. You will be surprised if I tell you about some of Mazama's and Asante's students writing for Ghanaweb as well as wroking in Ghana (and Africa) you will be surprised. Like I have said, you don't have to be in Africa to make an impact in Africa.
  
  Thanks.

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• abra kuma 10 years ago

  We Africans are fortunate to have our own people of such great stature still residing among us; consider how much we can learn from them! Certainly, Mr. Kwarteng, the title you have given her is not overstated.Ama Mazama is a ...
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  We Africans are fortunate to have our own people of such great stature still residing among us; consider how much we can learn from them! Certainly, Mr. Kwarteng, the title you have given her is not overstated.Ama Mazama is a true African Warrior with enviable intellect and achievements. It is time we came together as a People "worthy of" protecting, defending, and supporting her - and others like her - who take on the formidable role of fighting an institutionalized white supremacist philosophy in order to correct history's misstatements and many injustices against Africa and its diaspora. This task you have sought to execute here, Sir, and we recognize and appreciate your industriousness as well as energy expended in that regard. We look forward to the sequels and other expository essays from you. Thank you.

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• francis kwarteng 10 years ago

  Hello,
  
  Please if you can, ask the editor of Ghanaweb to allow me to do essays on influential African scholars based outside the US and those directly in Africa (not necessarily in Ghana).
  
  I have a long list with me here ...
  read full comment

  Hello,
  
  Please if you can, ask the editor of Ghanaweb to allow me to do essays on influential African scholars based outside the US and those directly in Africa (not necessarily in Ghana).
  
  I have a long list with me here.
  
  Thanks

  reply