Controversy Over Gabon President’s Visit To The White House (VIDEO)

Open Letter to the New York Academy of SciencesOnly
a few months ago, several organizations of African and Western civil
societies rebelled against you and expressed their outrage at your
institution which applied for sponsorship of President Obiang Nguema of
Equatorial Guinea, for his lavish prices. Today, you tend the perch to
Ali Bongo of Gabon, the “yellow jersey” of African dictatorship, as if
you are making the difference between AIDS and the plague…

The
choice of sponsorship of your institution for some time and his love
for African dictators are in line to significantly impair the credit
enjoyed by far the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences.

It
must be remembered that Mr. Ali Bongo is far worse than President
Obiang Nguema when it comes to corruption, dictatorship and deprivation
of basic citizen freedoms. Yet history teaches us that the Academy, the
first school of philosophy, was frequented by disciples or those
carefully chosen. Indeed, Plato, the founder, was a significant engine
of the democratic development of his time and his works with the tyrant
of Sicily and later with his son, also his thoughts, are perfect
examples and deserve an actualization and a fundamental review of the
role of our academies today.

If
you are so indifferent to the cries of thousands of Gabonese who do not
have at least basic social services, have at least consideration for
the science that is the reason for your Academy. Are Americans so
pathetically and tragically affected by the economic crisis to the point
of deepening into complicity with the dirty money of African
dictatorships and hence undermining the image of their prestigious
institution?

In
addition to the U.S. Senate which published a report on the ill-gotten
gains of African dictators [1], your embassy in France to let you know,
very discreet and laid bare by Wikileaks, that Mr Ali Bongo was placed
in power against the will of the people [2], and recently a document of television news of ABC
showed the poor living conditions of Gabonese. would Ali Bongo be
solicited by the Academy for his brilliant scientific career, his
enormous wealth, as a representative of an oligarchic group or as
representative of the people of Gabon?

If
it is his (bad) treatment of the people of Gabon that earned him so
much honor on the part of your institution, we find this very cynical
and thus conclude that science has no rightful place in your
institution. Possibly taking note of this option, we may consider
actions of discredit against you and initiate legal actions against the
New York Academy of Sciences in our capacity as taxpayers of Gabon. This
will be the battle of David and Goliath!

That
is why we, the collective signatories of this letter, do earnestly
appeal to your sense of responsibility and the will of your
distinguished institution to find another African personality to be
given the great honor to sponsor your price, being an individual or a
legal entity (e.g. a business) truly representative of the dignity past,
present and especially future of Gabonese and / or African, and their
hope for greater justice and again and again, more dignity.

By Gabonese of France

WOULD YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO TAKE MONEY FROM GABON TO FINANCE YOUR PRICE IN THE UNITED STATES?

[1] A trial on the issue much stifled is underway in the Tribunal de Paris
[2]
A documentary confirming this is being broadcast right now in France on
the television channel of the French Parliament – LCP.