The African Personality

"Why is this conference so important?" Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah rhetorically asked his people in a radio broadcast last week. To his capital of Accra he had invited the leaders of all of Africa's independent nations. It was an occasion Nkrumah had been dreaming about for years, and he obviously hoped that it would bring him closer to realizing the vision his mother once had of him as the voice of Africa. Now that the big day had come, Nkrumah was full of optimism. "For too long in our history," said he, "Africa has spoken through the voice of others. Now, what I have called the African Personality in international affairs will have a chance of making its proper impact."

Full House. For nearly twelve hours Host Nkrumah shuttled back and forth between his Christiansborg Castle* and Accra's flag-draped airport to welcome delegates. As cannons boomed, planes disgorged the Foreign Ministers of Libya, Tunisia and the Sudan. Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie sent his third son, Prince Sahle Selassie. The United Arab Federation's Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Fawzi, deplaned explaining that only ''very pressing and unforeseen circumstances" (i.e., an imminent trip to Moscow) prevented President Nasser himself from coming.

The only chief of state to attend was Liberia's President William V.S. Tubman, who had taken over the entire fleet (two DC-3s) of the Liberian National Airways to airlift himself, his party and his 3,500 Ibs. of luggage (including a portable flagpole). By the time the Moroccan Foreign Minister arrived that night, Accra had a full house. It was a little disappointing that only one chief of state had shown, but with the exception of South Africa--which would not come unless colonial powers were invited--all of Africa's independent states, Arab and black, were on hand.

Cordon Rouge & Fat Mammies. At a banquet in State House, Prime Minister Nkrumah proposed a toast "To free Africa," raising a glass of Mumm's Cordon Rouge 1952 that had come straight from colonialist France. An orchestra struck up some Ghanaian calypso tunes, and at one point Nkrumah grabbed bemedaled President Tubman and whirled him about the dance floor. Next night the Prime Minister threw even a bigger party--a two-hour show for 50,000 people in the Accra stadium that featured tumblers, army drill teams and Accra's hip-swinging, fat "Mammy Traders."

At the conference itself, Nkrumah opened the proceedings with an impassioned "Hands off Africa!" speech. But as the conference progressed, Nkrumah seemed to be less in control of it. The real stars turned out to be the Algerians, who had wheedled their way into the conference by attaching themselves to the U.A.R. delegation. Chief performer: M'hammed Yazid, the Algerian F.L.N. observer at the U.N.

Q. & A. Under a special ruling allowing him "to submit his views," Yazid eloquently pleaded the F.L.N. case. Sample exchange:

Q. Would you consent to a cease-fire in return for an immediate plebiscite?

A. Our resistance is our only bargaining power. The F.L.N. will not agree to a cease-fire before a political settlement. It would only give France a chance to delay.

Q. What does the F.L.N. want from the Accra conference?

A. We do not expect the conference to take up arms against France, but we want diplomatic, political and material support.

At week's end, the conference passed a resolution giving to Algerian rebels just about everything they asked. Equally important: Ghana, Liberia and Ethiopia, which had hitherto expressed only vague solidarity, seemed ready to offer material help, probably in the form of food. All in all, Yazid, who officially should not have been at Nkrumah's conference at all, came close to stealing the African Personality show.

* Built by Danish slave traders in 1661, it became an official residence of the British Governor General, then Nkrumah's.

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