TransAfrica News

Contents: SOUTH AFRICA"S WARS GO UNCHALLENGED BY REAGAN • EXODUS FROM NIGERIA: "THE DECISION WAS NOT MADE OVERNIGHT" • AFRO-AMERICAN AMBASSADORS HONORED BY BOSTON TRANSAFRICA • AFRICAN AND CARIBBEAN NEWS BRIEFS • THE CIA AND GRENADA • MUGABE MEETS WITH AFRO-AMERICANS • NO SOUTH AFRICA-ANGOLA CEASEFIRE • US JOINS THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK • LAW OF SEA TREATY SIGNED IN JAMAICA • GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENTS IN WEST AFRICA • OAU TO MEET IN ETHIOPIA IN JUNE • LEGISLATION AND POLICY UPDATE • CARIBBEAN BASIN INITIATIVE • SIMPSON-MAZZOLI • RADIO JOSE MARTI • FOREIGN ASSISTANCE (HR 1450, S 637) • SOUTH AFRICA LEGISLATION • DIVESTMENT • CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES ON AFRICA • TRANSAFRICA'S SIXTH ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND • The Reagan administration is requesting $75 million in economic assistance to Zimbabwe and lesser amounts for Lesotho, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Swaziland, and Malawi, and another $40 million for the Southern Africa Regional Program for fiscal year 1984. Yet this apparent U.S. commitment to invest in the economic development of Southern Africa is consistently being undermined by a systematic destabilization program directed by the South Africa regime against its sovereign neighbors. South Africa is attempting to maintain its economic and military predominance and to undermine its neighbors support for the liberation forces of Namibia and South Africa. The U.S. claims not to want to choose sides. The newsletter includes an interview with Mr. M. F. Ekpu, the principal information officer at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington. Since 1949, 44 Afro-American ambassadors have been appointed to various countries and the United Nations, and since 1960 a handful have received appointments to countries outside of Africa and the Caribbean. In 1982 state and municipal legislation was passed that will force the withdrawal of up to $300 million in public funds from companies doing business in South Africa; Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut and the city of Philadelphia enacted divestment legislation last year. The newsletter mentions Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Chester Crocker, U.S. intelligence, the Soviet Union, Cuba, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Ted Weiss, a South African mercenary force in the Seychelles, Ambassador Franklin Williams, Ambassador Donald McHenry, MIT professor Willard Johnson, the Boston Support Committee of TransAfrica, Marilyn Carrington, Anne Holloway, Boston Mayor Kevin White, Governor Michael Dukakis, Clyde Ferguson Jr., John Reinhardt, the United States Information Agency, Franklin Williams, the Foreign Service, Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, Randall Robinson, William Lucy, Percy Sutton, C. Payne Lucas, Zimbabwe's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Witness Mangwende, the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, South West African People's Organization (SWAPO), the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Saharan Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), Major Jean-Baptiste Osedraoga, Colonel Saye Zerbo, Upper Volta, President Ahidjo, Prime Minister Paul Biya, President Abdou Diouf, Muammar Qaddaffi (or Gaddafi), immigration reform, drought-stricken Chad, HR 1392, Rep, Bill Gray, HR 1393, Rep. Steve Solarz, the Krugerrand, HR 1020, Rep. Charles Rangel, HR 1083, Rep. Julian Dixon, IMF (International Monetary Fund), ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), and Pan-African unity.