How the UN Tricked Africa Into Staying Weak and Defenseless — The Pelindaba Story

I am a father. As a father, I know I am a leader. And as a leader, I know I owe responsibilities to those I lead. I am responsible for the welfare of my family. I am the breadwinner, tasked with providing the necessities of life — food, water, shelter, and much more. But above all, I am responsible for ensuring the safety and security of my family by providing a safe and secure environment for them to live in. That is true leadership.

Have you ever wondered whether you are truly safe anywhere in Africa? If not, have you ever thought about what your country is doing to ensure your safety? Trust me, security is everything. You cannot thrive or even be productive in an insecure environment. You can have all the resources and talents in the world, but you can never achieve greatness in an unsafe and insecure environment. That makes security the key.

Have you ever asked yourself why presidents and prime ministers carry the title “Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces”? Take a moment to think about it. Every country requires leadership to guide and govern, but among all the responsibilities of a president or head of state, security stands above all.

Africa is richly blessed with natural resources, yet history tells us that we have been conquered, brutalized, and enslaved for 500 years by foreign oppressors. Today, our leaders smile and dine with these same oppressors as if they are friends, collaborating with them more eagerly than with fellow African leaders. Many of us believe that our former colonizers or slave masters have our best interests at heart — a dangerous and foolish illusion.

After more than 36 years of seeking education and knowledge in Ghana, I was shocked to realize that I had never heard of the Treaty of Pelindaba until about a year ago. Nothing has ever surprised me more. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is also your first time hearing about it — but allow me to explain it in my own simple terms.

In 1996, the United Nations gathered African nations together. As always, our leaders, ever obedient to external powers, boarded their first class flights and went to sit at the feet of their former colonial masters. The meeting took place in Cairo, Egypt. During that gathering, they were told something along these lines:

“Hello Mother Africa, we love you so much. You are a great continent with great potential. And because we care for you, we want you to sign an agreement that prevents you from ever having anything to do with nuclear energy and weapons.”

This treaty — officially called the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty — bans African states from researching, developing, manufacturing, stockpiling, acquiring, testing, possessing, or stationing nuclear weapons on African soil. It was meant, they said, to ensure Africa remains a “nuclear-free” continent.

Funny, isn’t it?

Reports show that 41 African countries signed the agreement initially, later increasing to 51. Yes, Africa bought it. Africa signed away its security, disarmed the continent and gave away the continent’s power .

I wasn’t there, but I can’t help wondering — did anyone ask why? For heaven’s sake, we all know what nuclear weapons can do. The world witnessed their destructive power when the U.S. bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. We also know that those who possess such weapons cannot be bullied easily. Isn’t protecting your people from bullying exactly what good leadership should ensure?

Why didn’t anyone ask the United Nations to advocate for a worldwide nuclear-free zone instead of one limited to Africa? Isn’t the UN supposed to represent the interests of the entire world? Why was it so urgent and pressing that Africa remain nuclear-free, while the Western and Asian powers continue to build and stockpile nuclear weapons?

If nuclear weapons are truly evil, why does the UN show so much concern for Africa to abandon them, but so little interest in getting the developed world to do the same? Yet our leaders signed this agreement — and it still binds us today.

It’s like a father being told that a powerful weapon could protect his family — and then his oppressor, the same one who invaded, enslaved, and exploited him for centuries, insists he must never possess it. And he agrees! Not just one father, but 51 of them. Wait, were they expecting to received a Nobel Peace Prize for their compliance?

Some may say I’m oversimplifying the issue. I don’t think so. In the 1950s, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana established Africa’s first nuclear energy program, Kwabenya Nuclear Reactor Project (GNRP), at the University of Ghana. The greatest visionary Africa has ever produced understood that nuclear energy would shape the future of warfare and security. He wanted to ensure Ghana — and Africa — had the protection it deserved. But as history shows, every time a true African leader rises to defend his people, he is eliminated by those who have never wished us well.

Africa can have all the resources in the world. We can be the richest continent on Earth. But remember this: if you do not hold true power, no one will respect you.

Did you know that many African countries are richer than North Korea in terms of GDP, yet on the global stage, North Korea commands more respect and influence in world security affairs than any African nation? Not a single African country sits on the United Nations Security Council. Different African leaders, including the President of Kenya recently, have spoken on this matter. Yet in the eyes of the Western world, these speeches are merely performances — opportunities for Africans to vent while nothing changes.

Today, I believe South Africa regrets dismantling its Pelindaba nuclear program — the source of the treaty’s name. And I dare say that Dr. Nkrumah, in his grave, must be weeping. His vision for Africa’s strength and self-reliance died with him, leaving behind a continent rich in resources but poor in security and respect.

Think about this: if Africa is meant to be a nuclear-free zone, why do these same colonial powers continue to extract uranium, rare earth minerals, and other materials used for nuclear energy and weapons from African soil in Namibia, Niger, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Algeria, Madagascar, Nigeria, Kenya, and Burundi.

So, let’s get this straight — African nations sign an agreement banning themselves from developing nuclear weapons or energy, supposedly because it’s dangerous. Yet, they continue to export the raw materials that others use to build the very weapons they forbade themselves from producing.

I may not know all the details, but one thing is clear: no wise African, understanding what we know today, could ever call that decision a good one. It remains one of the greatest acts of irresponsibility, carelessness, naive, cognitive laziness and self-inflicted insecurity our leaders have ever imposed on their people. So how will any intelligent and analytical person describe this treaty? This is not a treaty of peace, nor of helping Africa, it is a one that silenced and disarmed a continent of giants, it is a treaty of surrender of power and safety, it is a treaty that makes Africa helpless and defenseless.

Of course, our education systems will never teach us this. But at AfriDeem, we strive to decolonize the African mindset — to make you aware, to make you think, and to make you care for Africa. This is your home and always will be, whether you live on the continent or in the diaspora.

And for those in the diaspora who believe they are safer in foreign lands, remember: no matter where you live, they still know you are not one of them.

May the true God’s of our land, bless our continent.