Nairobi (Commentary) — The International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based organization, claims that it prevents wars and shapes peace. It’s an example of hubris that has come to define the Western World. I have read its latest report on Somalia and come away with the impression that ICG is an organization that trains Western undergraduates to spread lies about the Third World, to pontificate on issues they are hardly versed in.
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It is an organization that Western secret services uses as a front, but since they’ve opposing agendas they take turns at demonizing African countries. That Brussels is its headquarters says a lot about the racist undertones of its reports. It uses divide and rule tactics to emphasize ethnic differences. The goal is to justify the colonial history of Europe of which Belgian genocide in what is Congo and the assassination of Patrice Lumumba are two stark examples. Whose views count — the academics who dedicated many years of scholarly research to study countries or the less experienced ICG analysts? Matt Bryden and Rashid Abdi — both at the disinformation factory known as Sahan — worked at ICG.
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ICG reminds me of Aimé Césaire, who summed up what European colonialism means. “ A civilization that uses its principles for trickery and deceit is a dying civilization” wrote Césaire in Discourse on Colonialism. Several years ago, an ICG analyst asked me which “ethnicity I belong to”. I understand now better why anthropology is the most discredited subject in the Western academia.
A whole legion of young university graduates from Europe are being brainwashed into thinking that the tribe, ethnicity or the clan is all that matters in African politics. One wonders why some countries and foundations fund the disinformation and demonization campaign against Africa by an organization based in Belgium? Its disinformation-filled reports serve the purpose to attack the integrity of African nations. The International Crisis Group is a disreputable entity masquerading as a think tank. It promotes war profiteering through the pen and keyboard.
By Mulugeta Adematu
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