INVESTMENT IN AFRICA

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"For the past few years big names including Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase of the US, have been popping up in places such as newly oil-rich Ghana.

"In London, Helios Investment Partners, an investment firm founded by young Nigerians, is poised to close subscriptions to a $900m fund, so far the largest private equity fundraising exercise to target Africa.

"This comes as the much bigger Carlyle Group of the US is backing the continent for the first time, setting up in South Africa and Nigeria – the two biggest economies south of the Sahara."

Ripe for reappraisal‎ - Financial Times

"Growth has been spurred by market liberalisation and improved public management of finances as well as a boom in the commodities that Africa has in abundance.

"Perhaps the biggest factor has been the engagement of emerging powers including India and Brazil but led by China."

Ripe for reappraisal‎ - Financial Times

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LIBYAN ATROCITIES

Belgian UN troops admit to roasting a Somali boy

The CIA's coup in Libya is all about stealing oil.

And helping the arms trade and Wall Street.

And removing Chinese influence.

And giving the USA control of North Africa.

On 9 March 2011,at Global Research, Professor Michel Chossudovsky has an article entitled "Operation Libya" and the Battle for Oil: Redrawing the Map of Africa

Among the points made:

1. Libya has the largest oil reserves in Africa.

The idea behind the US-NATO coup is to control that oil.

And take over Libya's National Oil Corporation.

2. And help the weapons producers.

3. And remove Chinese influence.

China plays a central role in the Libyan oil industry.

The UK's Clegg and Cameron seem to support the CIA coups.

4. And help Wall Street.

Billions of dollars of Libyan financial assets, deposited in Western banks, are to be conficated.

5. And give the USA control of North Africa.

This means weakening French links to Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria; and other parts of Africa such as Niger and Chad.

And weakening Italian links to Libya.

Victims of the Belgians

How do Europeans behave in Africa?

A Belgian officer described a raid to punish a Congolese village that had protested against Belgian actions.

The white officer in command: "ordered us to cut off the heads of the men and hang them on the village palisades, also their sexual members, and to hang the women and the children on the palisade in the form of a cross." (Mass crimes against humanity in the Congo Free State)

It's not Libya that has murdered up to two million Iraqis.

Gaddafi wants an international fact-finding team to visit Libya to investigate alleged atrocities committed during the present troubles. (Tripoli calls for atrocities inquiry)

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African Star Wars Masks

What if a long time ago, the residents of a galaxy far far away visited Africa. What sort of impact would they have had on the culture? Artist Alex Griendling explores with African-inspired masks of a Stormtrooper, Darth Vader, a Tie pilot and Boba Fett. (Link via Rampaged Reality)

Previously on Popped Culture...

I Find Your Lack of Mask Disturbing

Boba Fett In... Carbonite Is Forever

I Love The Smell Of Midi-chlorians In the Morning

SOUTH AFRICA BECOMING MORE LIKE USA?

South African president Jacob Zuma

Africa is becoming more like the USA and Europe?

In 2004, Edward Clay, the UK high commissioner in Kenya, said that corrupt Kenyan officials were "eating like gluttons" and "vomiting on the shoes" of donors. (UK Kenya envoy's comments justified?)

In South Africa, in October 2010, politically connected businessman Kenny Kunene spent a vast fortune on his 40th birthday.

Top people connected to President Jacob Zuma's government attended the party, where women 'dressed only in underwear' clung to Kunene's arm. (Elite 'spitting in faces of poor' - Sowetan LIVE)

Zwelinzima Vavi was at one time a child labourer.

Now he is General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions.

He has just crticised some of South Africa's "predatory elite" for "spitting in the faces of the poor" while guzzling "sushi... served from the bodies of half naked ladies."

Vavi's comments target wealthy relatives of both President Zuma and Nelson Mandela.

Julius Malema, a top man in President Zuma's party, is one of those alleged to have been using his position to win lucrative government contracts for several private companies that he runs, or used to run. (South African power broker Malema condemns 'smears')

According to Trade Unions boss Vavi, "Why sweat, when political connections and greasing the hand of those in political office can make you an instant billionaire? We are rewarding laziness, greed and corruption and discouraging hard work, honesty and integrity." (Spit, sushi, and the battle for South Africa's future)

NIGERIA, INDONESIA and THE CHINESE

Nigerian Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan shakes hands with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in Abuja, capital of Nigeria, 8 January 2010.

On 1 October 2010, Nigeria is celebrating 50 years of so called independence.

Indonesia and Nigeria are similar.

Both Nigeria and Indonesia have oil and gas.

Both, at independence, had similar standards of living.

Both have suffered from military rule and corruption.

In 1965, there was a CIA coup in Indonesia which put the military into power.

Nigeria had a coup in 1966.

And also in 1976, when the CIA reportedly put Olusegun Obasanjo into power. (THE CIA IN NIGERIA)

Let's look at some figures for Nigeria and Indonesia

Life expectancy
Nigeria: Men, 47. Women, 48
Indonesia: Men, 69. Women, 73

Gross national income, per capita
Nigeria: $1,160
Indonesia: $2,010

Gross domestic product
Nigeria: $207.12 billion
Indonesia: $510.73 billion

Population below poverty line
Nigeria: 70%
Indonesia: 17.8% (the poverty line is set VERY low)

In 1960, Nigeria produced almost half the world's palm oil, now it covers just 7% (Nigeria and Indonesia)

Why has Nigeria not done so well?

Indonesia has its Chinese-Indonesians, the people said to be responsible for much of Indonesia's economic progress.

Until recently, Nigeria has had no equivalent.

Now, Nigeria has become an important source of oil and petroleum for China.

Nigeria is looking to China for help in achieving high economic growth; China has provided extensive economic, military and political support.[3][4]

The Chinese-Indonesians are not always popular in Indonesia.

The Chinese in Nigeria may not always be popular.

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FACTBOX-Key political risks to watch in Nigeria

'40000 Nigerian girls forced into prostitution in Mali'