THE U.S. THREATENS TO PUNISH AFRICAN COUNTRIES:
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield has said that African nations are free to buy grain from Russia but could face consequences if they trade in US-sanctioned commodities such as Russian oil.
“Countries can buy Russian agricultural products, including fertilizer and wheat,” Thomas-Greenfield said in a news conference in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, yesterday after a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni.
“We have no sanctions on any agricultural products coming out of Russia,” said Thomas-Greenfield.
“If a country decides to engage with Russia where there are sanctions then they are breaking those sanctions. We caution countries not to break those sanctions because then if they do they stand the chance of having actions taken against them for breaking those sanctions,” she added.
As the Green Party, we find the behaviour of the U.S. to sanction other independent countries as sovereign terrorism.
First of all, the U.S. has no legal or moral authority, whatsoever, to sanction any sovereign country.
Secondly, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is a local issue which has nothing to do with African countries.
Thirdly, several European countries are currently buying oil and gas from Russia.
Why then should African countries be barred by the U.S. from trading with Russia on commodities which European countries are currently buying from Russia?
Fourth, China and India are buying oil from Russia. Why has the U.S. not sanctioned them for that?
The U.S. plans to set up a military base in Zambia for its Africa Command. This base will be used as a spring board for launching military operations against sovereign African countries that refuse to toll American policies such as the above-cited. Such operations will be tantamount to sovereign terrorism.
We therefore call upon Zambians to reject the proposed establishment of a U.S. military base in our country. Zambia should never be used for sovereign terrorism or any such activities, for that matter.