THE WEST AND THE REST OF US (Part 1)

By Tikum Mbah Azonga

Thanks Emile Epanty,

That is the real world we live in. It is similar to US growing cash crops only for THEM to determine what price they have to pay for them, and often to our disadvantage. Again, when one of them visits us, we wear specially made clothing and welcome them with music and dance. When our own leaders visit them, it`s low key and not even worth the mention on national television news.

TMA

Copyright 2010

THE WEST AND THE REST OF US Part 2

Hi Emile,

Another anecdote: I remember some years ago when I was still a journalist in London and was traveling to Congo Brazzaville during the civil war, I rang up one of the leading British newspapers and offered to send them a story from the field for publication. They accepted and when I got to Brazzaville, I realized there was a let-up in the fighting.That meant there was an improvement in the situation. When I sent the story to the newspaper, it preferred to use a replacement from Congo Kinshasa in which a soldier had shot dead a civilian. The idea is that if news from Africa is not bad, then it`s not news. Value judgment, of course.

I also remember once when I was invited by the BBC Bush House in London to talk about Africa, my interviewer became very blind and biased in the framing of her questions. When I advised her to visit the continent she was actually taking about in order to familiarize herself, she retorted arrogantly.

TMA