President William Ruto received a standing ovation in South Africa as he delivered a speech at the Pan-African Parliament Summit on Climate Policy and Equity.
The President wondered why foreign heads invited African leaders to their countries to discuss matters affecting the continent.
Dr Ruto who spoke for more than an hour decried the maltreatment of African heads yet the continent greatly contributes to the global economy.
“Why would you call 50 African heads only to give them one minute as part of the engagement?” posed Dr Ruto.
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“If you cannot respect our leaders then that is a sign of lack of goodwill. If we have a smaller group of ten or five people then we can have a meaningful conversation, and we can have a meeting of equals.”
According to the head of state, the humiliation had a significant influence on Africa, causing widespread instability that made it difficult to undertake meaningful programs without the help of Western nations.
He noted that imperialism and colonialism by Western nations in Africa had a long history. Between African leaders and their Western counterparts, this history has fostered a deep sense of anger and mistrust.
“The most unfortunate thing is that some of the people who normally invite us for these meetings do tell us that there will be consequences should we fail to turn up,” he said.
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“They have been inviting us to meetings that have no meaningful outcomes because of blackmail. It is not right.”
He admitted that Western nations frequently coerce African nations into doing what they want through the use of economic and military might. According to Dr Ruto, this disparity in power makes it challenging for African governments to defend their own interests and fend off Western meddling.
He stressed the significance of solving this issue and forging closer ties between the West and Africa that are more equal and respectful.
“I have written to my brothers noting that any engagement must respect the rules of the African continent. Anybody who wants us to take them seriously must first respect our socio-political architecture,” stated the President.
“We do not want to be invited to a confused meeting where we are ineffective and lack the spine to determine the outcome of the engagement.”
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