Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Death on the rocks posted by bat020
Some of you may have clocked the shocking story last week of Spanish and Moroccan police opening fire on African migrants trying to cross the border into Ceuta and Melilla, two Spanish "enclaves" (aka colonial remnants) in Morocco.There have been several attempts by migrant to cross over into Spanish territory – and hence to Europe – in the past weeks. Five people died in one incident in Ceuta last month. The Spanish and Moroccan authorities' first response was to deny that live ammo was used, despite autopsies revealing bullet wounds.
They didn't bother with these lies last Wednesday, when six people were shot dead trying to enter Melilla. Instead the Spanish and Moroccan authorities vowed to increase cooperation, while loading migrants onto trucks and dumping them in a desert.
Socialist Worker this week carries a first hand account by Mamadou Diakite, one of the migrants involved in the Melilla incident. He describes the grinding poverty that led him to a desperate search for work in "Eldorado" (Europe):
My second child died when she was four. She was very small when she was born, but seemed to get better and then was carried away by flu or something. She was too weak, too underfed I think.
When I saw her poor shrivelled body I decided that I would no longer be a shameful person who cannot provide food for his family. Instead I would go to Eldorado — to Europe — and get work and make my parents and my family happy and proud of me.
If you said to me roll a dice and if you get a six you will get to Spain, and if you get a one you will die, then I would happily roll the dice rather than go on as I am.
In the same issue Malawian activist Mzimasi Makiniki points out how the rich nations of the world – the ones that promised to make poverty history – are standing idle as a market-made famine grips Malawi.
If you are rich enough there is food. But the price of maize is rising steeply. Once more the market will decide who lives and who dies.
The pressure is on from the deal agreed at Gleneagles. If Malawi keeps to the “free market” course then it will get debt relief. If it interferes with these processes then it will not.
British international development minister Gareth Thomas has now called for action over the famine, but aid is all linked to cutting the state budget.
So there you have it – the G8 deal to "end poverty" in fact induces famines. And the G8 leaders know this. Four million people could die, and they refuse to stump up £100m in emergency relief to stem the famine they have created. This is beyond negligence and well into the realms of wilful sadism.