Osama bin Laden's terrorist activities did not only affect Americans and Europeans; many Africans, especially in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, and Tanzania, have died from the unholy activities of his al Qaeda network. Their terrorist activities are still going on especially around the Sahel and northern Africa. The death of bin Laden should therefore be of import to Africans. In fact, African leaders should be at the forefront of chasing those who threaten the lives of their people but it is rather unfortunate that many African countries do not even have the resources to do so. Although al Qaeda was behind the 1998 attacks in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2010 attack in Uganda, leaders of these countries could do nothing to track down the leaders of this group. Tracking down terrorists groups that injure Africans is always left to Western countries who seem to take these matters seriously. Thus it is that terrorists, ranging from the Lord's Resistance Army to al Shabab and al Qaeda, are allowed to roam free in many African countries. Nothing speaks so loudly about the profound weakness of many African states than the fact that terrorists who injure Africans are allowed to roam free in these countries.
Saying that African leaders should chase out terrorists from their countries seems to be putting the cart before the horse. Perhaps they should start by valuing the lives of their own people rather than regarding them as disposable objects. In many ways, many African leaders are themselves terrorists who have no regard for the lives of their own people. That is why it is so easy for them to kill their own people with reckless brutality. In fact, where they do not openly kill their own people, like Gaddafi is now doing, they kill them slowly by withdrawing all sources of sustenance so that these people die of want. Perhaps it would be more helpful to see African leaders such as Mugabe, Gaddafi, Paul Biya, Obiang Nguema, Iddris Derby, Yoweri Museveni, Blaise Compaore, and their fellow dictators as themselves terrorists.
Saying that African leaders should chase out terrorists from their countries seems to be putting the cart before the horse. Perhaps they should start by valuing the lives of their own people rather than regarding them as disposable objects. In many ways, many African leaders are themselves terrorists who have no regard for the lives of their own people. That is why it is so easy for them to kill their own people with reckless brutality. In fact, where they do not openly kill their own people, like Gaddafi is now doing, they kill them slowly by withdrawing all sources of sustenance so that these people die of want. Perhaps it would be more helpful to see African leaders such as Mugabe, Gaddafi, Paul Biya, Obiang Nguema, Iddris Derby, Yoweri Museveni, Blaise Compaore, and their fellow dictators as themselves terrorists.
1 comment:
Oh wow! I did not know that Bin Laden's al Queda network was prominent in African countries as well. You would think that the leaders would be trying to cooperate in the efforts to catch him, but as you said... how can you fight terrorism when your a terrorist yourself?
NY
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