(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #244 - Said Bouamama,
"Figures of the African revolution From Kenyatta Sankara" (fr, it, pt)
[machine translation]
"Long viewed with disdain by those who, since 1980, decreed the death of the third world
and the triumph of neoliberalism, these names return to the agenda. With the atmosphere of
revolt that is felt up around the world, these major figures of the African Liberation
growing interest among new generations " . Jomo Kenyatta, Aim? C?saire, Ruben Um Nyob?,
Frantz Fanon, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Malcolm X, Mehdi Ben Barka, Amilcar Cabral,
Thomas Sankara. Si Said Bouamama (author of numerous works on immigration, the
neighborhoods and discrimination) has sought to resurrect these names, it is not to
idealize, but to highlight the political currents of thought from the movements African
decolonization. This book comes out simultaneously in a training cycle initiated by the
United Front immigrations and popular districts (FUIQP) to publicize African theories of
decolonization.
As Bouamama specifies the start of a conference, "what motivated this book starts with an
anger that the activists of Africas countries are often perfectly thinkers of emancipation
that emerged in the West (Marx, Bakunin are known and read) but in contrast here the
thinkers of African emancipation are not only not read but sometimes unknown " . In the
book, he said that these figures and their thoughts are sometimes unknown in Africa
itself. "Or we think that in Africa there is no thinker of emancipation, or this shift is
once more a reflection of the domination " . This is the second solution is obviously to
remember and, indeed, African thinkers of emancipation have not only forged a rich
thought, but especially the latter is still current. It urgently needs to be rediscovered.
Far from idealizing each of these figures, Said Bouamama draws a critical analysis of
their thoughts, their failures, their excesses for some, always contextualized
historically and with consideration of the contexts of power relations in the presence and
trauma that is colonial and slave violence.
As in the book, there is a consistency in the various contributions to remember each of
these figures.
? Cultural reinvestment as a prerequisite for awareness and necessary step to regain her
dignity and pride, but also as a political and ideological approach undermining Western
supremacist arguments that defend the colonial powers (the "civilizing mission").
? Then considered by many the class question, whether in the stage of struggle and
national awareness or to others in the exercise of power. We realize that it is the threat
given to the economic interests of the old powers that led to the overthrow and murder of
several of them, like Patrice Lumumba. But it is also sometimes to counter the
construction of an international balance of power in favor of the third world, such as the
assassination of Mehdi Ben Barka in connection with the development of the Tricontinental.
The stage of the militant and revolutionary action where ever detached theory of action,
and reflection on the relationship to violence, are often required against imperialist
violence.
? Finally, the imperative not to be fooled by a formal legal independence without economic
independence and sovereignty or capture by an indigenous bourgeoisie.
Only downside: it is regrettable in the book the absence of female figures, the author
states that this pitfall, due to the choice to focus on famous personalities or
celebrated, which "could have been bypassed by shining the spotlight on some lesser-known
heroines do not mean to underestimate the crucial role that women have played in the
anti-colonial struggle. It demonstrates rather (...) that women have massively been
maintained in subordinate roles (...) in conflicts, often armed, much valued masculinity " .
We find a few places in the book quotes from Daniel Guerin who closely followed the Third
World Movement ( West Indies decolonized prefaced by C?saire, French preface of the
biography of Malcolm X ...). Finally, a small reflection: if home Guerin is known, his
fight and his anti-colonial and anti-racist thinking much less, perhaps would it also time
to dive back into his reflection to the emergence of a Third World and anti-racism
libertarian communist?
Nicolas Pasadena (AL Montreuil)
? Said Bouamama, Figures of the African revolution, De Kenyatta Sankara , Zones, Paris,
2014, 300 pages, 23 euros.
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Said-Bouamama-Figures-de-la
