The General-Secretary of the Communist Party Marxist – Kenya (CPM) Booker Omole has delved into his first international foray as General Secretary, just a day after being elected to the coveted position.
Omole, who is in Niamey, Niger, for the convention dubbed “Conference in Solidarity with the Peoples of the Sahel”, addressed his first international audience, taking with him a message of Pan-Africanism, resistance to imperialism, denouncement of neo-colonialism and also a call for the strengthening of revolutionary forces across the world.
Booker, who has steadfastly maintained his allegiance to the African people’s struggles, starting with his own home country, Kenya, expressed his admiration for recent Niger revolution which has seen the expulsion of external forces and the unification of the country. He also echoed the sentiments of the rulers of Niger, maintaining that his party, Communist Party Marxist, was committed to uniting all of Africa’s revolutionary forces.
“The Communist Party Marxist (CPM) Kenya, stands in solidarity with the peoples of the Sahel and affirms our unwavering commitment to the struggle against imperialism,” he said.
“Our presence at the Conference in Solidarity with the Peoples of the Sahel, held in Niamey, Niger, underscores our dedication to fostering Pan-African unity, sovereignty, and genuine independence from the shackles of neo-colonial control.”
Booker also said that his party, which he represents at the highest level, was proud of the recent wave of progressive military actions which have swept the Sahel region, especially in countries like Mali and Burkina Faso.
These actions, he said, reflected the popular will to ‘dismantle puppet regimes, overthrow systems of corruption and resist neo-colonial domination’.
He said: “The courageous military and civilian forces standing against imperialism embody the aspirations of our continent’s oppressed masses. We call upon these revolutionary forces to form tactical alliances, rooted in Pan-African unity, and to channel their victories towards the establishment of pro-people socialist economies that benefit all citizens.”
Booker also took time to express his party’s position when it came to foreign military bases camping on African soil, saying that the move was a violation of the sovereignty of African states as well as a subversion of Africa’s pursuit for self-determination.
“Such bases deepen colonial wounds and perpetuate violence, resource exploitation, and political interference. The CPM Kenya calls for the immediate dismantling of all foreign military installations, including those established by France and its Western allies,” he said.
He added, “We demand that Africa be given the freedom to chart its own destiny—free from foreign coercion and militarised subjugation.”
The ongoing Niger, which will run from November 19-21, 2024, has been organized by the Pan Africanism Today ( PAT) Secretariat and the West Africa People’s Organization ( WAPO).
The gathering brings together over 300 delegates, including trade unions, leftist parties, and anti-imperialist movements, to address the multifaceted challenges posed by Western influence, particularly French and NATO-led interventions in the Sahel.
A key theme of the conference has been the systemic exploitation of Africa’s natural and economic resources by Western powers under the guise of “stability” and “counter-terrorism.”
Conference speakers have highlighted the hypocrisy of Western policies, which support or oppose political transitions and military actions based solely on their geopolitical interests.
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