Blinded by Bandung? Illumining West Papua, Senegal, and the Black Paci c Quito Swan It was , and Ben Tanggahma was in Dakar. Hailing from the former Dutch colony of West Papua, the Melanesian activist could easily pass for West African on the streets of Senegal. Tanggahma was the Foreign Minister of the Revolutionary Provisional Government of West Papua New Guinea (RPG), which was embroiled in a bitter armed conict against Indonesian colonialism. With blood, iron, and re, the Indonesian government claimed that it was historically and ethnically entitled to West Papua (Irian Jaya). In contrast, the RPG adamantly defended its sovereignty as an Oceanic (Pacic) people of African descent.1 From Hollandia, Amsterdam, Dakar, and New York, West Papuan activists garnered support throughout the Black Diaspora. With the political and nancial backing of Senegalese President Léopold Senghor, Tanggahma established a RPG coordinating ofce in Dakar in . Seng- hor’s reasoning for assistance was straightforward — Papuans were Black and Negri- tude defended their right to political self- determination and civilization.2 Dakar proved to be a fruitful space for fostering relations with the African Diaspora. In , Tangghama attended Wole Soyinka’s Seminar for African World Alternatives in Dakar. Black artists, activists, scholars, scientists and journalists from across Africa and the Americas participated in the Seminar. While there, journalists Carlos Moore and Shawna Maglanbayan asked Tangghama about the relationship between Oceania and Africa. He responded: Radical History Review Issue (May ) ./- © by MARHO: The Radical Historians’ Organization, Inc. 58 Downloaded from https://read.dukeupress.edu/radical-history-review/article-pdf/2018/131/58/534734/2018058.pdf by
[email protected] on 20 July 2019 5 9 Africa is our motherland.