ONESXM: Independence Is Also an Economic Question. Africa–Caribbean Cooperation | Soualiganewsday

SINT MARTIN (GREAT BAY) - ONESXM welcomes Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama’s call for Africa and the Caribbean to strengthen their historic relationship and cooperate to create economic prosperity.

According to an August 6 Jamaica Information Service article, President Mahama said that while Africa has largely achieved political independence, the present challenge is economic emancipation through stronger partnerships.

His message must be taken seriously throughout St. Martin—an island colonized by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the South and the Republic of France in the North—and across the remaining Dutch and French colonies in the Caribbean.

Independence is also an economic question. It concerns whether our people possess the authority to negotiate directly with major markets, access international funding, attract investment and build partnerships based on our own needs.

Africa offers opportunities in tourism, trade, education, technology, agriculture, renewable energy and the creative industries. Stronger relations could produce:

•⁠  ⁠New jobs and business opportunities.
•⁠  ⁠Investment in tourism, housing and infrastructure.
•⁠  ⁠Heritage and cultural tourism.
•⁠  ⁠Scholarships and university partnerships.
•⁠  ⁠Markets for our music, film, media and other creative products.
•⁠  ⁠Cooperation in food security, energy and climate resilience.
•⁠  ⁠Access to development and reparatory funding.

St. Martin cannot fully pursue these opportunities while its international affairs remain controlled or restricted by the Netherlands and France.

The same questions confront the people of the other Dutch and French colonies. Can we secure lasting prosperity while remaining politically dependent and internationally restricted?

Reparations must be part of the process. Reparatory justice must go beyond apologies and ceremonies to include economic repair, access to capital, land, education, technology and international markets. The Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of France must both be held accountable for colonial exploitation, Slavery, and the continuing consequences of their rule.

ONESXM calls for a St. Martin–Africa strategy focused on tourism, trade, investment, education and cultural cooperation. Africa itself was brutally conquered and exploited by the Netherlands, France, and other European colonial powers. Today, African nations are still working to disentangle their economies from the enduring systems of foreign influence and resource extraction created under colonialism. A genuine St. Martin–Africa partnership must therefore advance mutual ownership, fair trade, reparations and shared prosperity—not reproduce the exploitative relationships of the past. This must form part of a wider national discussion about independence, reparations and the authority our people need to engage the world in their own interests.

Shared history must now become shared prosperity.

If we fail to reconsider our constitutional status, St. Martin and its people risk missing major markets, funding and investment opportunities. The longevity of our island—and the destiny of our people—depends on the decisions we make today.

One island. One people. One destiny.