[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [SRRTAC-L:11351] Fwd: FW: Bush's visit to Senegal

[Al Kagan]

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>Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 06:19:26 -0400
>To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l at ala.org>
>From: Charles Willett <willett at liblib.com>
>Subject: [SRRTAC-L:11351] Fwd: FW: Bush's visit to Senegal
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>FYI.  Not knowing the Senegalese writer of this private message and 
>not wanting to cause him/her any trouble, I have deleted the routing 
>information.
>
>Charles Willett
>
>----Forwarded message----
>>  > Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 8:44 PM
>>  > Subject: Bush's visit to Senegal
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > Dearest friends,
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > As you probably know, this week George Bush is visiting Africa. Starting
>>  > with Senegal, he arrived this morning at 7.20 PM and left at 1.30 PM.
>This
>>  > visit has been such an ordeal that a petition is being circulated for
>this
>>  > Tuesday July 8th be named Dependency Day.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > Let me share with you what we have been trough since last week.
>>  >
>>  > 1-       Arrestations : more than 1,500 persons have been arrested and
>put
>>  > in jail between Thursday and Monday. Hopefully they will be released now
>>  > that the Big Man is gone
>>  >
>>  > 2-       The US Army's planes flying day and nigh over Dakar. The noise
>>they
>>  > make is so loud that one hardly sleeps at night
>>  >
>>  > 3-       About 700 security people from the US for Bush's security in
>>  > Senegal, with their dogs, and their  cars. Senegalese security forces
>were
>>  > not allowed to come near the US president
>>  >
>>  > 4-       All trees in places where Bush will pass have been cut. Some of
>>  > them have more than 100 years
>>  >
>>  > 5-       All roads going down town (were hospitals, businesses, schools
>>are
>>  > located) were closed from Monday night to Tuesday at 3 PM. This means
>that
>>  > we could not go to our offices or schools. Sick people were also obliged
>>to
>>  > stay at home.
>>  >
>>  > 6-       National exams for high schools that started on Monday are
>>  > postponed until Wednesday.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > Bush's visit to the Goree Island is another story. As you may know Goree
>>is
>>  > a small Island facing Dakar where from the 15th to the 19th century, the
>>  > African slaves to be shipped to America were parked in special houses
>>called
>>  > slave houses. One of these houses has become a Museum to remind humanity
>>  > about this dark period and has been visited by  kings, queens,
>presidents.
>>  > Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, and before them, Nelson Mandela, the
>>  > Pope, and many other distinguished guests or ordinary tourists visited
>it
>>  > without bothering the islanders. But for "security reasons" this time,
>the
>>  > local population was chased out of their houses from 5 to 12 AM. They
>were
>>  > forced by the American security to leave their houses and leaves
>>everything
>>  > open, including their wardrobes to be searched by special dogs brought
>>from
>>  > the US.
>>  >
>>  > The ferry that links the island to Dakar was stopped and offices and
>>  > businesses closed for the day.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > According to an economist who was interviewed by a private radio,
>Senegal
>>  > that is a very poor country has lost huge amount of money in this visit,
>>  > because workers have been prevented from walking out of their homes.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > In addition to us being prevented to go out, other humiliating things
>>  > happened also. Not only Bush brought did not want to be with Senegalese
>>but
>>  > he did not want to use our things. He brought his own armchairs, and of
>>  > course his own cars, and meals and drinks. He came with his own
>>journalists
>>  > and ours were forbidden inside the airport and in place he was visiting.
>>  >
>>  >>
>>  > Our president was not allowed to make a speech. Only Bush spoke when he
>>was in Goree. He spoke about slavery. It seems that he needs the vote of
>the
>>  > African American to be elected in the next elections, and wanted to
>please
>>  > them. That's why he visited Goree.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >> Several protest marches against American politics have been organized
>>  > yesterday and even when Bush was here, but we think he does not care.
>>  >
>>  >>
>>  > We have the feeling that everything has been done to convince us that we
>>are
>>  > nothing, and that America can behave the way it wants, everywhere, even
>in
>>  > our country.
>>  >
>>  > Believe me friends, it is a terrible feeling. But according to a Ugandan
>>  > friend of mine, I should not complain because it Uganda one of the
>country
>>  > he is going to visit, Bush does not intend to go out of the airport. He
>>will
>>  > receive the Ugandan President in the airport lounge.
>>  >
>>  >>
>>  > Nevertheless, I think I am lucky, because I have such wonderful American
>>  > friends. But there are now thousands of Senegalese who believe that for
>>all Americans the world is their territory.
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > Love to you all


-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu