French Bombers in Chad

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IN 9: 1260 The tricolour of the Great French Revolution has once again been hoisted above the armies of imperialism.

As capitalism's vigilant police force in western Africa, the French bourgoisie has now substantially increased its military presence in Chad, in a bid to contain the apparently irrepressible advance of the Frolinat (the National Liberation Front).

Created in opposition to the thoroughly corrupt dictatorship of President Tombolbaye, the Frolinat has continued its guerrilla warfare against the military government of General Felix Malloum which ousted that regime.

Control extended

Backed by Gaddafi from Libya (immediately to the l forth of Phael the minorillar warr shin at least half of this huge, but largely barren country is in their hands.

Having used the Frolinat to his own ends for a while, Gaddafi then moved to the position of 'mediator'-supporting initiatives for a ceasefire, while Libyan troops moved in to seize the northern areas directly for the Libyan 'people's republic'.

The recent arrival of Mirage jet bombers has coincided with a renewal of direct French military involvement in the Sahara.

There the Polisario Front has been subjected to bombardment from the French forces supporting the occupying armies of the repressive Moroccan monarchy and its client state of Mauritania.

These acts of aggression in West Africa are nothing new for the French bourgoisie.

The ending of its formal anlonial rilo nuor hiro arase of attempts to to secure imperialis dominance.

Cooperation with Hassan's dictatorship in Morocco led to the imperialist adventure in Benin; with an attempt to overthrow the 'left' government, and other joint ventures have been undertaken, as in Zaire and Western Sahara.

There can be little doubt that these latest moves in Chad have been planned after full discussions with the South African Government.

Of all the imperialist governments, it is that of france which has maintained the most intimate relations with Vorster's racist regime.

Threatened by the increase in Soviet and Cuban influence in Angola, Mozambique and Ethiopia, but impotent to do more than protest, the imperialist powers have been forced to find nthor wave in attank tha lihara. claiming responsibility for securing peace; and with their philosophy the predominant theme of the island's musicreggae-and with the vast majority of Jamaicans under thirty there is no doubt that the Rastafarian influence is growing steadily.

However, none of this of course goes anywhere near solving the huge economic problems confronting the Jamaican ruling class.

Unemployment stands at 60%, inflation still rages and whole sections of the island live in grinding poverty.

Sharply posed is the need therefore to build a Trotskyist leadership in opposition to the growing influence of the Rastafarians and the wholly undeserved left reputation of PNP leader Manley.

SOCIALIST PRESS

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SOCIALIST PRESS, Heanesdas i