SAPSN STATEMENT, WINDHOEK, 25 MARCH 2010
The Southern African Peoples Solidarity Network (SAPSN) is a regional network embracing a wide range of civil society organizations, labour and social movements from all the countries of the whole Southern African region.
Amongst many concerns common to all the countries and peoples of our region, we also have to deal with the economic and political relations between the governments of our region and the European Union (EU). These have most recently been expressed in their negotiations over so-called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).
In this context we observe the active and highly questionable interventions of representatives of the European Commission (EC) on the ground in various of the countries and in relation to targeted governments in our region. This has recently included criticisms and barely veiled threats targeted against the government of Namibia.
Meeting in Windhoek, Namibia, 24-25 March 2010, we take this opportunity to commend the stand taken by the government of Namibia – actively supported by Namibian labour and social movements and other national stakeholders – not to accept the many highly contentious demands inserted into the EPA negotiations by the EU.
We also note that EC negotiators manipulate the perceived aid and trade needs of various African governments to propel them into agreeing to the extensive opening up of their economies to European exporters and investors. The self-serving and opportunistic tactics of the EC are also evident in their negotiation and initialing of an interim EPA agreement with the government of Zimbabwe which they simultaneously denounce and sanction as a paraiah state.
We observe and deplore the multiple pressures to which African (and other governments) are being subjected by the EC, and the simultaneous persuasions and false reassurances from many European politicians. But we are also aware of the “Global Europe” strategic aims driving the international EU offensive to maintain its competitive position in the world and to secure its continued dominance over Africa’s rich resources.
In the EU’s pursuit of these global aims, existing African regional groupings – the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in our region of Africa – have been broken up through the EPA negotiations with the EU. African governments, however, also carry responsibility for the success of the EU’s divide and rule tactics.
Thus, we urge all African governments to resist the EU’s EPA offensive, reverse the damaging fragmentation of SADC and counter the threats to the integrity of SACU and , instead, to reunite and act decisively to advance and deepen the development cooperation and integration of the Southern African region.
We urge all African governments not to compromise their policy-making (political) rights and obligations to their peoples by signing long-term trade, investment, services and other areas of liberalization through EPAs with the EU, or other similar ‘free trade’ agreements with other governments, North or South.
Thus, we demand a suspension of any further EPAs negotiation until all the implications have been fully investigated and alternatives devised throughtransparent and inclusive processes.
In the face of current profound economic, socio-economic, social and environmental stresses and pressures in our countries, and looming climate change challenges to the whole region, we are committed to do all we can, as the peoples of this region, to ensure that our governments are responsive and accountable to us and do not undermine our rights and block our development and security aspirations through their adverse agreements with foreign governments and concessions to powerful financial and economic forces.
read also the New ERA article “Namibia inspires NGOs’ anti-EPA campaign” and the IPS article “Reclaim Control over EPA Talks” reporting from the meeting.
