1997: Good year for Africa?

Everywhere on the streets, three topics are the talk of the town: Christmas, the Moslem fasting month of Ramadhan and the New Year.

God willing, all the above will come and go peacefully. Let all Ramadhan's bounties reach every soul, including the souls of black Africans who are the most unfortunate victims of international media fallacies!

As far as the New Year is concerned, I remember The Jakarta Post, on March 14, 1996, published my assessment of the then new year, 1996, which I described as "evil" because of the various disasters witnessed by the international community. In that assessment, I committed a crime for forgetting to focus on Africa.

Really, I must repent. Nevertheless, this year, 1997, is not bad for Africa, particularly from a political perspective. Economically, the year witnessed the signing of the proposal for an African economic community, a breakthrough which annoys our detractors.

In the same year, four African countries appeared on the list of what global economic authorities described as the world's "25 emerging markets." Today, we no longer ask for loan/assistance except where necessary. If you're affluent or a tycoon, we simply say: "Please Sir, teach us how to make money since you pretend to be a friend, but don't exploit us in the process."

Politically, the year is lovable. Recently, Clinton's administration announced new foreign policy programs for Africa, the aims of which are to bring Africa nearer. U.S. helped greatly in the process of establishing an "African intervention force", which already has a base in Mali and in Ethiopia. Peace was restored in Liberia.

In fact, they successfully conducted a democratic election the same year. Remember the triumphant extirpation of brutal dictators like Mobutu?

During an oil producers' conference a few weeks ago in Jakarta, a black African was unanimously elected as secretary- general of that oil organization. But a few months before this, Africa was able to unite all of its first ladies into a single union that will soon be acting as a political force to fight imperialism in the continent. Really, African women must respect 1997. For example, Nelson Mandela's estranged wife (Winnie) was named "Africa's Diana" just in the same way Myanmar's female opposition leader was once named the "Mandela of Asia".

True, sons of Mother Africa must say Alhamdulillah if they're Moslems. The non-Moslems must say "thank God". An Ethiopian athlete, Gebrselassie, became the world 10,000 meter record holder in 1997.

During the last world cup soccer contest, only three African teams were allowed to enter. Early this year, the decision to allow five African teams for France '98 was made by FIFA, the global soccer authority.

There are two main messages of my letter: a) we are different from the image that the international media hypocritically attributed to us, and b) we are on the way to becoming the next "darling of the world", never mind if the enemies may not like it because we are black.

BUHARI ABDU

Jakarta