Antifascist Former Resistance Fighters Netherlands (AFVN)
Especially focus on US imperialism, but EU imperialism also plays a major criminal role
Typically, when discussing imperialism, the focus is mainly on the crimes of the US. They lead the imperialist system and, from that role, commit the crimes. However, the focus cannot be solely on them, especially if you live in an imperialist country like we do. The Netherlands is among the biggest players within the EU, and there are numerous large multinationals here that are part of dominating the world. These multinationals determine the policies of the Dutch government and are the plunderers of raw materials and exploiters of labor. The Western European countries have traditionally seen Africa as their backyard. What Latin and Central America are to the US, Africa is to Western Europe.
History of the Netherlands in Africa
Marx calls the Netherlands the original capitalist model nation. There was a time when the Netherlands led the colonial system. This was the period that the Dutch ruling class calls the Golden Age. It was during this period that the Netherlands began colonizing parts of the world, including Africa. That started in what we now call South Africa and reached all parts of Africa. This was a struggle with Portugal, which had already colonized parts of Africa. Later, the Netherlands also acquired a colony in West Africa, and through the ports there, the Netherlands became the largest trader in enslaved Africans. After England took over that role, the Netherlands gradually had to relinquish its dominant role as well. Also in Africa, where Ghana was traded away to be left alone in Indonesia. Meanwhile, through divide-and-conquer practices, people from present-day Burkina Faso and Ghana were recruited to suppress Indonesian freedom fighters as part of the Dutch army.
Imperialist phase of the Netherlands in Africa
In the imperialist phase, the Netherlands had no colonies in Africa, but that certainly does not mean it had no influence there. It is no accident that ‘Apartheid’ is a Dutch word that became internationally known. The criminal regime of Belgium in Congo was inspired by what the Netherlands did in Indonesia. Dutch capital was therefore present in Congo from the very beginning of Belgian colonialism. Dutch multinationals and investors also profited from colonialism in Africa, even though it was carried out by its competitors. Despite the two world wars, imperialists have far more often cooperated throughout history to oppress oppressed peoples. Certainly Unilever, with its Dutch roots, became gigantic through Africa. After the Second World War, the US became the greatest power and neo-colonialism emerged in Africa. In the economic works of Kwame Nkrumah and Dani Wadada Nabudere, which expose neo-colonialism, Dutch multinationals such as Philips and ABN Amro appear regularly. The EU has ensured that Africa is linked to the Caribbean region since the Lomé Convention in 1975 through partnership agreements.
Contemporary focus on Africa
Africa is becoming increasingly important for Europe, partly because their role is diminishing elsewhere. Currently, the EU together is the largest ‘trading partner’―or better said, plunderer―of Africa. After France, the Netherlands is the largest investor, and within the EU, it has the most trade with Africa. Through Global Gateway, the EU is trying to determine its investments in Africa and its foreign strategy. Last year, the royal family visited Kenya, a NATO ally. In 2023, the Dutch government created a plan specifically for Africa for the first time. The organization of Dutch capitalists has also made a plan for Africa. If you look at the trade balances, you see that the Netherlands mainly exports industrial products to Africa and imports raw materials. The Netherlands also exports its agricultural products to Africa through numerous subsidies. In this way, it ruins local industry, making unemployment in Africa a bigger problem. It also hinders the import of African products, partly by having certain requirements that lead to African products being rejected for the Dutch market.
Resistance to China and Russia in Africa
Through VNO-NCW, Dutch capitalists organize themselves, and they are part of Business Europe. The largest European capitalists meet there. This was set up in the 1970s in competition with the US. They also resist China and Russia. China was declared a systemic rival by the EU in 2019, and this also applies in Africa. Therefore, according to Dutch capitalists, there must be a European alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative, which is Global Gateway. Russia is currently the EU’s biggest military opponent, and Africa is called the southern flank. When the mainstream media discusses Africa’s relations with China and Russia, they want to convince us that China and Russia are the imperialists, not the EU. Russia would therefore install ‘pro-Russian regimes’ in Africa and thus undermine the West. In Africa itself, journalists are also being trained by the EU, most likely to further promote this message.
Dutch military in Africa
The Netherlands is a small country, but it is among the top 10 arms exporters. The industry is of a very high level. The Dutch military is also present all over the world, including in Africa. Actively involved in both the so-called ‘war on terrorism’ and the ‘war on drugs’. This legitimizes the military presence. Until 2020, most of its forces were active in Mali, but under the revolutionary government there, it was expelled from the country, just like the other imperialists. The Dutch government explicitly states that it wants to contribute to UN and EU missions in Africa. Currently, there are Dutch military personnel training African armies to suppress their own populations, such as in Kenya and Chad. And perhaps also to use them against the AES (Alliance of Sahel States). When Libya was destroyed in 2011, that country had fewer people living in poverty than the Netherlands. The Netherlands, as part of NATO, also played a role in the destruction of Libya. Besides military pressure, there is also economic warfare carried out through sanctions. The EU and the Netherlands are also skilled at this. For example, the anti-imperialist countries Mali, Niger, Eritrea, and Zimbabwe are victims of those sanctions.
Propaganda also through the trade union
In the Netherlands, despite all the austerity measures, social provisions are still relatively of a high level. There are also two social democratic parties in the Netherlands, both of which have a great deal of influence on the largest Dutch trade union, the FNV. Within this trade union, there is also a Sub-Saharan Africa working group. This group is mainly active in the struggle against the Zimbabwean government. In this, it also cooperates with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In any case, the Dutch government also finances the international work of the FNV through the Trade Union Co-financing Programme. That work has little to do with international solidarity but rather with serving Dutch imperialist interests. Traditionally, trade unions in Africa are much more political and more focused on anti-imperialism. The FNV, with its ties in Africa, wants to remove these ideas as much as possible so that the focus is solely on struggles within companies and for higher wages. Kwame Nkrumah and Mohamed Babu already pointed out imperialism that operates through trade unions.
Anti-imperialist struggle in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has a large African diaspora. This group has primarily risen up against the racist figure of Black Pete. Yet, in general, the anti-racist struggle is not linked to the anti-imperialist struggle. The contemporary colonialism of the Netherlands in the Caribbean region is also hardly criticized. Still, it is positive to see that there are positive reactions regarding the AES (Alliance of Sahel States), despite all the negative propaganda about it in the Dutch media. Although there is attention for the anti-colonial history and its leaders, it is important to also link this to the contemporary anti-imperialist struggle in Africa. Therefore, we also support the GoFundMe for the leader of the Kenyan party, Booker Omole. We also follow the news from Sovereign Media, more or less the successor to African Stream, to stay informed about the struggle in Africa. In addition, The Spearhead has also emerged, which also critically exposes imperialism in Africa. The Thomas Sankara Centre also provides interesting information that we can follow, as does the West African Peoples Organization (WAPO).