Africa's Inspiration

Posted by catch up Friday, 30 December 2011 14:19 0 comments
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Like other continents, Africa has its problems and one of the major ones is perception. Unless you have been to Africa and are independent enough observe events in isolation, you will most likely approach the continent with a mind list of negativities.

There are many good stories in Africa and with the fast growth of mobile technology in the continent, more and more positive news of innovation and development are being reported. A number of countries keep recording fast, economic growth and a few can even report it in 2 digits.

Politically Africa is slowly becoming intolerant to ineffective and brutal regimes. Old and long time dictators in North Africa have fallen, forcefully removed from power by resilient protests. Egyptians continue to fight for complete reforms even after the resignation of Hosni Mubarak.

We can look forward to more of such welcome news from Africa in 2012. Cape Verde is already a trail blazer in some key areas as this journalist from BBC recently found out; An African good news story

Photo credit: i2eastafrica.net

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Libya… my Libya

Posted by catch up Wednesday, 2 March 2011 15:50 0 comments
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The raft of doom and gloom on Libya by the effervescent Western media is sharp, consistent and, to the extent that it is propaganda, a 21st century master-class masterpiece!  In fact, on the strength of their reports two weeks ago, it is a miracle Libyans are yet to overthrow this dictator called Gaddafi or better put… this gadfly.

Contrast the West’s energy to help Libyans protest against their government and the attitude of other countries/powers like Russia, China, Venezuela, Brazil and Africa. It is not like as if it is their business to scramble to cover the events in the Arab world or to order the convening of emergency Security Council meeting – all meant to conjure up the nullification of the Gaddaffi state/estate.  It is not even like as if there is an Arab rebellion in North Africa and the Mid-east. This speaks volumes.

It speaks of the fact that some powers and countries do not see it in their interest to have an opinion on everything under the sun.  One would have expected that with the emergence of a tri-polar world order (China, US with Western Europe and Russia), the Chinese should be keen to meddle in every international scene that is whipped up by the international media and their army of analysts, think-tanks and commentators. Such as… joining the US coalition to oust Saddam or using conditionalities in the manner of the West in the disbursement of largesse to developing countries including Africa’s.  These would have been the right thing to do to impress upon the world the reality that the China is a world power with not only military and economic competitiveness but also is a frontline defender, arbiter and custodian of international morality – whatever this is.

Since the end of the Cold War, Moscow has demonstrated a more predictable, even consistent and pragmatic foreign policy.  It is not seeking a domino posturing among other countries in the world except within and around its borders. So, Russia would be predictably tough-talking when it comes to Nato gaining membership and momentum among states like Ukraine, Georgia and Belarus. Apart from this, you’d hardly know that Russia does exist or for that matter that Russia is a military power. Well, you only get to hear about Russia from Western media and it’s all about saying… Russians are not free; Russians are under a dictatorship, Russia has no democracy… bla bla bla.

Except for the US along with Western Europe, the UN Security Council could have had less work meeting to impose travel bans, sanctions, authorize invasions and refer small countries’ leaders to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and more time to pursue genuine international peace. Perhaps, the UN Security Council, without the myriad US and Western interests to consider time and time again would have long being reformed so that it reflected the American dream of democracy with its plurality of views and the guarantee of equality and freedom to live and let’s live.  Perhaps, the UN Security Council without the West would have done much more to promote the interests of humanity against that of special interests.

Now, talking of special interests leads this writer back to theme of Libya.  The furor to save Libyans from Gaddaffi is, to all intent and purpose, turning out to be a Western plot to undermine Libya and lay hands on its oil. In the true scenario of Iraq, put them in turmoil and you are ready to order them around. The picture painted of Libya now by the Western media, upon whom much of less developed countries rely for information, is that Gaddaffi has lost his grip on power; that almost every Libyan wants to see his back; that displaced and refugees are all desperate to flee; and that Gaddaffi should be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

What is missing is that, since 80% of Libya’s oil is going to Europe and with Gaddaffi never truly a trusted ally, there is need to reorder the leadership of Libya using any opposition to Gaddaffi in order to guarantee Europe’s access to oil and oil deals in a country with huge oil reserves. It is not about protecting Libyans. O yes, the Italians had the opportunity to do just that in the last century but instead chose to invade and colonize and then evict and leave a King until he was overthrown by popular revolt in 1969 led by one colonel Gaddaffi.

Muammar Gaddaffi’s 41 years in power has left most Libyans mostly better off than many British and American citizens in the 21st century! Yes, a daunting fact! The average Libyan lifestyle ridicules the African economic reality.  It leaves a gaping gap to make other Africans countries including… including Botswana and South African citizens look like living in extreme poverty.  The level of citizen satisfaction in Africa and in some European countries, measured in terms of availability of housing for everyone, free medicare, free education, job prospects, handsome remuneration and guaranteed old-age package and services leaves Libya in a unique class of its own.

The US and some of its Western allies must consider the risk of inadvertently torpedoing the painful economic recovery efforts that are largely and/or wholly dependent on a stable oil market. The current struggle in the west to rein in economic order in the midst of oil price disorder started with the second and long-drawn out invasion of Iraq which sapped oil reserves and increased the burden of governments to provide fuel at sharply higher costs. Family heads began to contend with the imposed hardship of providing for themselves and loved ones amidst escalating food prices and mortgages.

Going into Libya, ostensibly to protect Libyans, is a recipe for a long-term engagement policy by the US in an Arab country soon to be distrustful of the US intentions.  When the cry for freedom dies down and dries out and Gaddaffi is gone, we would see extremist Libyans increasing their fold and membership. It would lead many to draw parallels with Iraq where without a strong leadership to channel productively ethnic and religious division the country has descended into an unstable place in the mid-east. Libyans would naturally take up arms to defeat the invader.  Does the US want this? Shouldn’t they be more concerned about leading and protecting the recovery effort in the world and less about destabilizing Libya and potentially unleashing wild oil price rises and play into the hands of greedy speculators? 

The ramifications of the Iraq invasion in the US was the exposure of a weak US economy flooded with phony Ponzi schemes, weak housing market, bank failures and bail-outs and a 9.8% jump in unemployment within 2 years.  It was not the housing market that caused the double dip recession. It was not even banks’ laxed lending policies.  It was the dramatic rises in oil prices from pre-Iraq invasion of US$29 a barrel to over US$130 by 2008.  This, predictably, affected production in industrialized countries and living standards dropped as people adjusted to lay-offs, price rises and employers cutting back on investments in order to save their businesses.

The United States should reconsider its attitude in the conduct of world affairs.  It should stop playing the domino, god-father card and into the hands of its enemies.  It should play down its media who, may be, out of sentiment, refuse to understand the ramifications of their propaganda on their very interests around the world. The US must stop serving special interests (in this case, oil companies and their investments); rather it should genuinely seek to promote the interests of humanity using pragmatic policies. 

Sometimes the US should recognize that there is nothing like international morality so to speak where human rights, democracy, rule of law, freedom of speech can mean anything more than the theoretic. Otherwise we would not have Guantanamo Bay and racism in the United States including recently in New Orleans.

Sometimes it is good for the US and the West to admit that China and Russia cannot operate a pluralistic political culture otherwise they would risk fragmenting their nation-states into religious and ethnic identities and rivalries.  Except, perhaps, international morality as espoused by the West is applied with the intent to whittle away rival powers in the international scene. 
    
At this juncture, it is right to say that the protests in Libya, while legitimate is not overwhelming and must not be used by countries promoting special interests to make that country unstable and ungovernable. It would not be fun play to see oil price rises in a volatile market dominated by speculators.  It will ruin industrialized economies.  It would ruin developing countries.  It would be a burden on America’s military and Americans freedom around the world.  It is better for the US and Western Europe to re-set their foreign policies to include non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, except where a democratically reformed Security Council demands it.

But alas! The US and Western Europe will not take heed until Russia, China, India and Brazil speed past the colonizers turned liberators. 
  
It would be good to be alive to see.

About the author: Cyril Jengo I holds an M.Phil from the University of SL and is the publisher of the Popular Express News in Sierra Leone.

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Here is an opportunity for Africa in Ivory Coast

Posted by catch up Friday, 7 January 2011 05:21 0 comments
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From the ruff you can get diamonds. Africa just might from the Ivory Coast story. Laurent Gbagbo will welcome any peacemaker, give them four kisses and his ear and forget about them as soon as their planes lift off back to their homes. His army will still encircle Alassane Ouattara aka ADO and his currently floating government. 

However as bad as this situation validates the fact that a majority of African leaders are only dragged out of power kicking, spitting and shouting, the continent has a chance to set a good habit. The heads of states and delegates who have visited Gbagbo so far have all attempted to talk him into unconditional negotiations with Ouattara. He has agreed but verbally sans actions till now. 

The second option to saving Ivory Coast from strife appears to be unanimous among African leaders; force. Even days after the dispute a number of West Africa states were ready to march their soldiers into Abidjan. Force therefore remains a likely and possible option should negotiations fail.

Military intervention has its consequences; deaths, diseases, rape, plunder, degeneration of infrastructure and it's costly to reconstruct a war devastated economy and society. It should not reach such a point for Ivory Coast at all. All the same, if by whichever means and I pray peaceful ones, justice eventually reigns in Ivory Coast, and this with a great contribution from African heads of states and governments, the continent will have won.

Africa has always complained of meddling by the West in its leadership matters. Here is a chance to once again show that indeed the continent is fully capable of being its brother's keeper and that it is prepared to work together to uphold justice in leadership. I say once again because thanks to efforts by East African countries, peace came to Southern Sudan and in two days from now, 9th of January 2010, Africa could add a brand new country to its map.


Photo credit: BBC

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Where is Democracy?

Posted by catch up Friday, 1 October 2010 15:16 2 comments
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Post by Cyril Jengo 1. from Freetown, Sierra Leone.


The reality of modern politics exposes the fact that it has been laid waste by powerful interests who can make and unmake leaders and dictate the shape and tone of public opinion. And this has been made plausible by the media moguls, that small set of family members who control the world press. Once they stand in your path... forget it! You're damned. Because they'd manipulate and manufacture public opinion polls that perpetually castigate you as the underdog in the system while caustically destroying your credibility and acceptability to the people.

 Keeping the status quo politically, economically and socially 'correct' within the context of their own perceived world view characterizes their ideology and motive.
This control of world opinion is reflected in the spurned news outlets of Reuters, AFP, CNN, Fox News, ABC, Sky News, Washington Post and many others of their subsidiaries.  The attempt by the Obama Administration to change Washington and its runaway Wall Street politics, while agreeable to many Americans during his campaign for President is being challenged and even ridiculed by hired intellectuals and journalists seeking favour from huge interests.  These interests have their media or their connections to the media-moguls to mount concentrated and psychological attacks on the change Obama promised, twisting and misinterpreting landmark reforms like the health care overhaul, sweeping (although much diluted) reform of Wall Street and the stimulus package which successfully halted the collapse of the bedrock of liberal capitalism.

While these powerful interests should be grateful, they have instead decided to run the gauntlet unless political and economic conservatism are back on track in America. But as Obama has argued, these were the very policies that took America down the paths to sapping its military's energy in illegal wars and leading to the worst economic crisis since the so-called Great Depression.
America is not owned by the conservatives and ultra-rightists. America is a representation of unity in diversity - or so it was. America does not have first class citizens. I used to see America as having citizens of the nations. But alas!! Things are changing.
Could it be that the distortion of democracy in the cradle of modern democracy (the United States of America) spells the end of a moral nation and the birth of an immoral one???
We'd take a look into the horizon and may answer this authoritatively thereafter.
  
God Bless the World.
  
 _________________________________________

Cyril Jengo I - B.A Hons, M.Phil (University of Sierra Leone) is a friend and a long time telecommunications professional and a contender for the Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone. Cyril regularly writes and comments on African and World media issues.
 
 Photo credit: http://waliberals.net
 

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Kibera: The Lie of the Biggest Slum in Africa

Posted by catch up Monday, 6 September 2010 07:24 7 comments
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Kibera is famous and it's fame keeps spreading. Kibera is more than the largest slum in Africa, as has been believed by many for long. It is also a tourist attraction. Any visitor to Kenya with a heart for improving the well fare of the wretched of Africa, get his signature of philanthropy by going to Kibera.

BBC, Al Jazeera, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Gordon Brown, numerous celebrities, big and small corporates have all visited Kibera to first hand witness the plight of the dwellers of Africa's largest slum. Their experiences have justified sponsorship and NGO funding running into millions of US dollars. An NGO is even more credible if it has a project running in Kibera.

It is given to see residents of this slum who consider themselves to be tourist attractions, having been used to attention from all manner of visitors from all over the world, interviews with international media, mercy tears, cameras and many freebies.

However the 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census results statistically confirms the fame of Kibera to be media created. Kibera is neither Africa's largest slum, nor Nairobi's even. Muchiri Karanja, a Kenyan Journalist puts it thus;

For a long time Kibera has been touted as Africa’s largest slum, with various ‘experts’ putting its population at anything between one and two million. ...It turns out to one big lie. Not even the combined population living in all of Kenya’s slums comes anywhere close to the largest slum in Africa. According to the census, the total number of Kenyans living in slums is 618,916. ...According to the census figures, the eight locations that form Kibera slums combined host a paltry 170,070.

This factual revelation made a very important and delightful reading to me for two reasons.

Firstly, I have never believed in the labeling of Kibera as the largest slum in Africa and not amused at wastage of resources by having too many NGOs and GOs serving a small population. Estimates put it at about one organization for 15 Kibera residents. This is grievous and extreme, not to mention the exploitation of this lie to get developments funds, of which a good amount is not properly accounted for.

Massimo Barbiero, a the team leader of Community of Pope John XX111, a community based organization working in one of the slums in Nairobi says;
 
"a huge percentage of aid to Africa goes to servicing the lavish lifestyles of employees of particular programs. There are numerous NGOs that only make numbers because in their staff registers are salary makers and not development workers." 

Given the status of life in Kibera is not much better, despite this ratio of N/GO to resident, Massimo's confession is candid, accurate and courageous.

Secondly, the revelation buttresses the serious doubts that UN figures and reports have been treated with, especially when talking about Africa and her issues. The United Nations states that up 16 million Kenyans live in Slums. In its report, Percentage Change in Slum Populations in Africa between 1990 and 2010, UN Habitat estimates between 40 and 50 per cent of Kenyans live in slums. Kenya has 38 million people. As per the census about 619,000 Kenyas live in slums. Where does that put the UN and it's report? Shame on the UN.

It is my hope that this revelation will spread as wider and as deeper as the lie of the biggest slum in Africa has spread, and erase it.

Read the article by the Kenyan journalist here
Kibera according to wikipedia. 
Photo credit: trigallery & flickr.

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An African solution to the Somalia problem is feasible.

Posted by catch up Tuesday, 10 August 2010 10:50 3 comments
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Somalia's societal breakdown and the famine that accompanied it were results of political and economic problems... . The U.S. and UN interventions in Somalia are unlikely to resolve the country's crisis because they do not offer solutions based on African initiatives. 

Indeed, dozens of UN and U.S. troops have already been killed by Somalis angry with those forces for trying to impose a settlement to Somalia's complex political disputes, and hundreds of Somalis have been killed in clashes with the occupying forces. That should not be surprising since outside attempts to resolve Africa's problems have regularly proven ineffective and even counterproductive.

                                                                                                         George B. N. Ayittey, 1994.

There definitely is an African solution to Somalia. Definitely because the possibility of a non-Africa solution has been tested and found near impossible. The UN and the US have washed their hands off Somalia as regards direct intervention. US because of the sad memories of its 18 soldiers killed in Mogadishu in 1993 – relived in one of my favorite films, Black Hawk Down – while for the UN, because of lack of consensus on the effectiveness of a military edged involvement, especially after losing dozens of peacekeepers in Somalia in 1993.

The possibility of an Africa solution has been tested and found possible. On this I will mention the Ethiopian army intervention/invasion that for a moment restored order in Somalia. This in my opinion will be the model plan of action for an Africa solution to Somalia.




History of Somalia and origin of the present crisis.

Somalia received its independence in 1960 after the British protectorate and Italian trust joined to form one nation. The Somali are a homogenous people and due to the unreasonableness of colonial boundaries, others were left in Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya, where they are distributed to this day.

The civilian administration that assumed power was on October 21, 1969 overthrown in a coup d’état by Maj. Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre, who adopted the socialist model, with its central command being the Supreme Revolutionary Council.

Barre was allied to the Soviet between 1970-77 until he invaded and seized Ogaden in southern Ethiopia in his drive to form a greater Somalia. Due to this aggression, Barre fell out with the Soviet who did not support his invasion of Ogaden. The Soviet then helped Ethiopia recapture Ogaden in 1978, the same year when Barre’s ties with USSR were severed.

Amidst this Somalia was a major supplier of bananas, by 1979.

The economy of Somalia started receiving a thorough beating that it would never recover from for decades. In July 1976 the Revolutionary Council was disbanded and replaced with the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the sole legal party. Amidst this Somalia was a major supplier of bananas, by 1979!

The International Monetary Fund came to help in 1980, but after six year of government reluctance and feet-dragging in implementation of economic policies sponsored by IMF, the fund closed its vaults in June 1986.

Barre’s regime had now become brutally oppressive, murderous and intolerably unpopular amidst a poor hopeless people. Having had enough, the United Somali Congress and the Somali National Movement overthrew Barre in January 1991. The two rebel groups could however not agree on power control and in March 1991 the SNM seceded to form the Republic of Somaliland and the USC went on to control the current day Somalia; the famous war torn Somalia as we know it today.

The African Solution.

"I confess that I find it extremely difficult to get myself psyched up to put my faith in the genuineness of a gesture of goodness originating in areas of the globe with a history of imperialist domination…. Shame on you, Africa; shame on the Secretary General of the Organization of African Unity; shame on your heads of state. I speak as a pan-Africanist!

                                                                                               Nuruddin Farah, a Somali novelist.

Primary to my opinion of the possibility of an African Solution to Somalia is that most of African civil strives have been of a home-grown derivation; blatant corruption, misguided quest for power, bad economic policies, negligent leadership, disregard for governance structures and unequal allotment of natural wealth. 

First, the Al-Shabbab and similar factions will have to be forcefully suppressed to give the 2004 established Transitional Federal Government (TFG) an uninterrupted working space. Even if they will not be broken up, they will have to be controlled and their zones of operation condensed. If crushed or if they surrender, the warlords should not be integrated into the TFG. Recently Somalia history shows that the converted warlords never abandon their ways of causing strife within coalitions.

Secondly, get Somali youth proper and legitimate sources of livelihood. Remember many youths are in the war front; either on government side or others, as employees, the major cause for militancy being to earn daily bread. The Al-Shabbab ideology of religion is just a control mechanism, which has so far worked well for them.

The way to do achieve this is funding. Can the AU entirely fund the TFG? Of course not alone, but in collaboration with the international community which pledged $213m in 2009 in Brussels. The TFG will need hefty but guided funding to pay its army well and boost loyalty and morale. As the TFG President says, "the reestablishment, training, equipping, payment and retention of Somali security forces is vital for long-term stability."

The money will also help the TFG to get a hold on the citizens and win them over by solving their most crucial needs; free health, security and food. Restoration of legitimate commercial activity will require creation of universally acknowledged financial institutions and strong economic policies.

All this with a joint AU force holding brief as the TFG entrenches itself gradually. Underlined is the fact that a solution to Somalia has to come by way of an intervention that will first hold or crush warlords and give room for Somali to build strong institutions of reform for their country. Note that today, Al-Shabbab has only been kept from overrunning the TFG by the current AU peacekeeping deployment, African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), which has by all means outdid itself.

However, the key to this envisaged rebirth of Somalia remains with the Somalis themselves. A political answer can be homegrown if the people have the will to save their country. The Somali whether those at home or the estimated 3million in the Diaspora, have the will on which the outside world can build on. A path can only be beaten but the Somali have to take the walk.

Somalia is an African problem, requiring long-term African solutions. Even if it will take 50 years or more, money and military intervention is Africa’s solution to Somalia.

More; 
Policy analysis on Somali by George B. N. Ayittey. Here
What is AMISOM doing in Somalia? Nicolas Bwakira answers. Here 
What comprises of TFG? Here

Photo credit: biyokulule.com 

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Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra? Polisario?

Posted by catch up Monday, 26 July 2010 06:49 3 comments
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Do the above names ring a bell? Most probably not, neither does the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. SADR, also called Western Sahara is a mostly Moroccan-controlled territory in North Africa, with a surface area of about 266,000 square kilometers. Its would be capital city, if size was a determinant is Laâyoune, the largest city.

Western Sahara has been on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories since the 1960s when it was a Spanish colony. The Kingdom of Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front separatist movement, with its SADR government in Tindouf (Algeria), dispute control of the territory.

The first time I heard of Western Sahara I was a small boy of about 14 years. While leisurely reading a magazine, there was a feature about Moroccan soldiers who had been taken captive by the Polisario and were still in custody, many years later. It was a heart rending and captivating story of survival. The name Polisario never left my mind.

Right after Spain moved towards decolonization and withdrew from Western Sahara on 14 November 1975, Morocco and Mauritania each moved to annex the territory. They however met immense violent opposition from Polisario guerillas backed by Algeria and Mauritania backed away in 1979, following bombings of its cities. Morocco continues to hold on to the territory, with the entire coastal strip under its control.

Armed conflict ended under a UN overseen ceasefire in 1991. Several agreements and proposals for a referendum to self governance have been reached and made over the years with none ever taking root. Hopes of Western Sahara holding any referendum on independence are bleak with King Mohammed VI of Morocco saying, "We [Morocco] shall not give up one inch of our beloved Sahara, not a grain of its sand".

SADR determination to independence is supported by a substantial number of countries just as Morocco's stand is. At present an impasse reigns between the two sides with none giving away even the slightest intimation of giving in.

Read more on Western Sahara here.

Image credit: Wikipedia. 

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Why you should read the Africa Progress Report.

Posted by catch up Friday, 23 July 2010 07:51 1 comments


The Africa Progress Report is produced every year and focuses on economic and political governance, finance and MDG achievement. It is prepared by The Africa Progress Panel under the chairmanship of Kofi Annan.

For anybody concerned with Africa, this report presents a balanced outlook of the continent development status in a collative and summarized approach than any other report. Reading the report is remarkably eye-opening and perceptive as regards where Africa is coming from, is and is likely to be in the future especially on the economic and social faces.

The report is neither prejudiced nor tolerant. It tends to emphatically point out the factual in Africa's progress. The deductions are compellingly buttressed with clear graphical representations of statistics and references to numerous other indexes of credible data. 

Assertions in most cases cannot stand the glare of facts. The Africa Progress Report well validates this truth. It does not accord misconceptions a place. What is creditable and bleak about Africa and the rest of the world as far as influencing the political, economic and social direction of Africa is plainly stated and statistically proven.

A strong point from this report is that the attainment of Africa development goals depends much on its compliance and commitment from the continent's development associates. 

It is a must read. You can get the 2010 report here.

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Much of Africa's leadership is an astronomical pain.

Posted by catch up Tuesday, 13 July 2010 20:39 2 comments
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It is very hard to be optimistic about political leadership in Africa  because it is very hard to resist remaining or becoming pessimistic. In the continent's political leadership you will find the major reason why. The leadership just irks. It irks dead.

Move around the continent and in almost all countries there are needs that should have been prioritized long ago by the respective governments but they never were. So you still have full blooded men wobbling from hunger, women the same though trying to remain hopeful, children looking worse…and someone in the name of a leader busy looking sharp and acting normal. Incredible!

Is this negligence and complete lack of foresight common everywhere? Most political leaders in Africa are just amazing creatures. Much removed from actual usefulness. Who are they and what do they represent? Do they have a vision for leadership? Do they practice evaluation? What can they be proud of? 

One wonders what will one day save the people of this continent from their own political leaders. I would have loved to write about a new project that just got completed somewhere and where life is better now but disappointment just won’t let. 

Money is not Africa’s problem and never has been. Lack of vision is. The same worthless cycle is repeated in many countries; a politicians assumes office, yaps around until death, ballot or bullet creates space for another time-waster. 

What generation will govern this rich continent with a vision? When will Africans see signs that enthuse substantial hope for better lives? When will shame be as familiar as it is not now? That for the sake of reputation a politician will be selfless? That government institutions will be stable enough to play the role of the singular governing instruments of a country?

Why should Africans today, in this 21st century, still be struggling with basic necessities like food and clothing? That hunger becomes a national disaster among a people who spend half the year bathing in rain and more rain? 

I want to see a prosperous continent, and I am working to be part of this awaited generation either in practice or in an ideological blaze. It is my great hope and dream that Africa will one day experience an activation of its potential and that its own leader will be accountable enough to dedicate their service to improving the welfare of Africans.    

We have the materials but we are worryingly wanting in attitude.

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Tribute to Guinea Military Rulers

Posted by catch up Wednesday, 30 June 2010 21:52 0 comments
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Everyone is congratulating Guinea for holding the first presidential elections ever in the West African nation. But it goes past the elections being a first - the process was orderly and peaceful thanks to none other than the military. Actually many countries among the existing democracies in Africa can only wish for such a flawless exercise. They indeed could do with lessons from a first-timer this time round.

Guinea’s leadership history is that of a sorry oscillation between civilian and military dictators, since gaining independence from France in 1958. When the current military ruler, Moussa 'Dadis' Camara, took over leadership in a coup d'etat, he promised to work hard and fast towards having democracy in Guinea. Well, as was expected, given similar empty promises by military rulers before, many were skeptical of Camara’s words. Many more even, when he was shot by an aide in December 2009, and was forced into exile.

The measures taken by his deputy to appoint a civilian prime minister and transitional council, have however given credibility and hope to Guinea’s political and so economic future. This dedication saw successful and quick planning of elections that were held last Sunday. Of importance is that even Guineans in the diaspora were able to vote.

Cherry on top: the military has declared that whoever wins will be the actual winner. Indeed reports indicated that there was no interference by the soldiers and that the process on Sunday was peaceful, organized and got a clean bill of health from election observers.

As the election outcome is awaited, it is my hope and prayer that this exercise will herald a new era for the 10 million people country; an era that will see an accelerated improvement of the well being of Guineans and also bring with it the good of democracy. 

The soldiers deserve great commendation for doing the unexpected; an evidence of sensible leadership by the current military generals. I’m pretty sure that a few months ago, only a few envisaged this for Guinea. As one journalist from Al Jazeera put it, "For the first time in Guinea's history, the military has been called upon to act as guardians of democracy rather than suppressors of the people,"

Long live Guinea!

Photo credit: Africanews.com

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