What the Papers Say
Challenging arrogance of racists
The Ethiopian Herald
International Solidarity Day with Political Prisoners in South Africa was recently observed throughout the world. The event affords an opportunity to ponder over the plight of the struggle against racial discrimination and oppression as currently practised by the racist regime in Pretoria.The struggle against apartheid has for long pre-occupied progressive and peace-loving forces in the world. Anti aparthied champions have been demanding effective measures to put an end to the policy of racial discrimination in South Africa and condemning the latter's illegal occupation of Namibia. The United Nations for its part has been urging an all-embracing and mandatory sanctions against the Pretoria regime.
The world body has adopted a number of resolutions in support of the legitimate causé of the oppressed peoples in South Africa and Namibia. But the racist authorities continue to turn deaf ears to the call of the international community for termination of aparthied policies."
Encouraged by the support it receives from some imperialist powers, Pretoria continues to destabilize peace and security in the region and subject the Africans and Namibia and South Africa to suppression, economic exploitation and dehumanization. As of late, the racist authorities in South Africa have stepped up repressive measures.
That is not all. The racist supremacists are developing a nuclear potential with the collaboration of imperialist countries. Pretoria's engagement in the production of nuclear weapons and its fostering of ever closer alliance with international imperialism and zionism should be viewed with serious concern.
Pretoria's militarism and its aggressive policy stance pose a menace to world peace and security...
The Right to Eat
Sunday Nation, Kenya
The first and most basic of human rights is the right to stay alive, a right that is being threatened in Africa by the continent's failure to feed its people.At a time when other parts of the developing world, notably Latin America and South-East Asia, have increased food production by an average of 2% a year, Africa has seen output fall by that amount.
Some 80 million of the continent's 500 million people are undernourished and 20 million are facing starvation. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) predicts that 600,000 tonnes of extra food will be needed this year to keep them alive.
These are not statistics to be proud of; while international factors outside the individual country's control, such as energy costs, have done enormous damage to economies in Africa, the effect has been no less serious in other parts of the world: it behoves us to examine those causes of our near famine that can be rectified and attack them at source...
History is Created
The Ghanaian Times, Ghana
The Ghana-Upper Volta Armed Forces exercise ended on Tuesday with speeches by the Leaders of the two countries which unequivocally underscore the determination and preparedness of the revolutionary processes in both countries to stand to all the challenges. The basic aim of the exercise to achieve maximum cooperation between the two countries and promote joint planning and the execution of joint operations - also put in healthy relief the fundamental law of revolution: that all revolutions, old and new, support one another.In his speech, the PNDC Chairman, Flt-Lt John Rawlings, proclaimed the high quality of the Ghana Armed Forces and their capacity to hold hands with their Upper Volta counterpart in defence of the revolutionary processes of the two countries. "The more the enemies charge, the more the confidence of the two armies would increase to quell the enemy," the Chairman warned, significantly. The people of Ghana and Upper Volta, resolutely backed by the progressive armed forces, have set out on the course of revolution and they will not give in to any enemy, he affirmed..
The Chairman of the National Revolutionary Council of Upper Volta, Captain Thomas Sankara, declared: "Ghana and Upper Volta share similar revolutionary problems. The two countries would maintain armies which will learn the techniques of modern warfare. Henceforth the enemies would have to burn all the people of our two countries to succeed."
Captain Sankara expressed the confidence of the two sides when he stated: "Someone is trembling due to this assembly of Ghanaian and Upper Volta soldiers. At this moment the observers are unfortunate and sad because of the unity between our two countries. Even though the exercise is between friends, there are enemies watching critically. But our troops, our people, are now ready to fight and defend their rights. If the enemy plans an attack on any of our two countries, it will mean an attack on the entire people of both countries. And we are determined to fight back as one angry people until, perhaps, we are all burned down to ashes."
The Ghana Force Commander, Maj-Gen Arnold Quainoo, told the enemies what they must be told: "This exercise has damped the spirits of those who want to see the collapse of the two revolutionary governments. With the planning of joint exercises, the enemies are seeing the seriousness of the two revolutionary governments and their capacity to quell their enemies."
Of the exercise - 'Operation Bold Union' - the Force Commander declared: "This is the shadow of things to come. Friendship between officers and soldiers of the two countries will be kept up, and close links between Ghana and Upper Volta will be maintained."
Members of the People's Armed Forces of Ghana are seeing the finest moment of their honourable profession the moment when they have become not only the true roch revolutionary process and the bulwark of its security Together with the Armed Forces of Upper Volta, they have taken the patriotic duty of creating history as officers and men who stirred two nations to self-realization, set the people on a steady course of ordering their lives as master of their own destiny, and standing guard to ensure that the revolutionary process succeeds. We call on all progressive soldiers to become part of the history, to stand for the defence of the people's revolution to the end.
