AFRICAN NATIONS VULNERABLE TO GLOBAL THREATS OVER NUCLEAR-FREE COMMITMENT - nbc

Описание: Namibia and other African countries remain vulnerable to global security threats due to their commitment to remaining nuclear-free zones under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
 
In a wide-ranging interview discussing tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran, International Relations Analyst Tuliameni Kalomoh reflected on Africa's nuclear history.
  
The veteran peace and security expert revealed that Africa's decision to sign onto the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has limited its strategic options.
 
Kalomoh points to the early 1960s, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union established the Non-Proliferation Treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
 
Many African nations later became signatories, committing themselves to being a nuclear-free zone, despite possessing the raw materials to produce weapons.
 
But Kalomoh argues the continent's nuclear story began even earlier.
 
After Algeria gained independence, France continued nuclear testing in the Sahara Desert—tests that were eventually halted following pressure from Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah.
 
From there, the Kalomoh says Africa embraced the idea of becoming a nuclear-weapon-free region.
 
“I have had a running argument with the Egyptians. Egypt is a neighbor of Israel. We all know Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but Egypt was among the first to sign the Non-Nuclear-Proliferation Treaty. This is, for me, dumb, and then came Muammar Gaddafi. He was lured into believing that these Americans are genuine, so he gave up all the technology and scientists on nuclear science.”
 
Ambassador Kalomoh also referenced South Africa's case.
 
During the apartheid era, the country developed nuclear weapons and conducted a suspected nuclear test in 1979 in the Indian Ocean—an event widely debated internationally at the time.
 
The programme was later dismantled before the country's transition to democracy, and Kalomoh argues that these examples illustrate how Africa has repeatedly relinquished strategic leverage.
 
“So, we Africans are exposed. And now, because of you, Iran is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. That is why the Americans are saying, "You have to honor obligations." "The treaty allows all its members to produce nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The Iranians are, shall I say, deeply religious, and they believe that the possession and use of nuclear weapons is an act of infidelity. It's amoral. Therefore, they have declared a fatwa, a religious interdict, that they will never produce nuclear weapons. But Israel, which is behind all this American action, fears a strong Iran, a strong country in the region.”
  
Kalomoh's comments come amid renewed debate over nuclear deterrence as African countries remain among the top primary producers of uranium, accounting for 1/5 of the world's annual production.