Interesting Links

1. There is magic in South Africa, literally. Watch it here.

2. If you do not like reality, create your own; or Gaddafi dreams. See him dreaming here.

3. Chevron uses Angolans to advertise in American market. I wonder why? Watch "We Agree: Community".

Narrating Oppression As Religious Resurgence

Since after the September 11th 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in the US, many attempts have been made to understand why some followers of Islam would carry out such an act. Among some of the reasons that have been given is that of the resurgence of religion in the contemporary world. This narrative that stresses the importance of religion has even argued that unlike Western liberal societies that prize individual freedom, many non-Western societies, including Muslim societies, see religion as paramount. The warnings went out that unless religion is taken seriously, the Western world will fail to understand much of contemporary international relations.

My aim here is not to suggest that religion is not important - in fact, religion is important to both Westerners and other peoples around the world. However, my aim here is to point out that such a reading of the place of religion in non-Western societies, including Islamic countries, mistook oppression for religious resurgence. Most people around the world have always been religious. There is no clear proof that more people in the non-Western world have suddenly become religious, as the language of religious resurgence might suggest. What has rather been going on in much of the non-Western world is that people have been so oppressed in these societies that they have been gripped by fear. This fear has made them docile and this docility has made them to allow a few selfish people to define what the interest of the majority is or should be. Thus it is that a few people like Osama Bin Laden, Hosni Mubarak, Muammar Qaddafi, Ben Ali, have argued that Arabs be understood mostly in religious terms. Thus, North Africa and the Middle East have come to be interpreted in mostly religious terms. Since the goal in international relations was perceived as putting a lid on religious fundamentalists, issues of standards of living and the need for freedom have hardly been addressed. Oppression thus came to be interpreted as the resurgence of religion, as scholars went on to argue that Islamic militancy must not be understood in economic terms. According to these authors, people are not mad because their economic situation is despicable; they are mad because their religion is not respected. Supporting dictatorships in the Arab world was rationalized as attempts to undermine religious zealots.

The current uprising in North Africa and the Middle, if anything, gives the lie to this narrative. It says that even though people love the religious life they also love democracy and a better standard of living. The cry we have been hearing from demonstrators have been cries for freedom and better standards of living. These cries even confounded Osama Bin Laden and the Muslim Brotherhood, quintessential representatives of the supposed religious resurgence. Henceforth, no leader, not even a religious leader, in North Africa and the Middle East will be safe if they fail to grant their people freedom and a better standard of living. Nick Kristof is essentially correct when he insists that the fear that religious fundamentalists would take over in these countries is unfounded. In the future, religion will continue to be important, but it will be just as important as freedom and a better standard of living for the people.

"The Most Beautiful Object In South Africa"

Watch and make your choice through your comment.

Oil, Poverty, And Wealth In Angola

A video from The Economist.

Paul Biya's Ill-Gotten Wealth: Video

While Cameroonians languish in poverty, a group of activists has recently discovered Paul Biya's mansion in Geneva, Switzerland. At the gate of the mansion the activists have put a placard written in French but translated into English, it reads: "Proof of ill-gotten wealth." In this video the pacard can be seen at 7:17. Paul Biya, the President of Cameroon, has always asked for proof whenever Cameroonians have pointed out that he is corrupt. This is another chance for him to come clean about the matter of this mansion.

In a related matter, mild protests have begun place in Cameroon as demonstrators call on Paul Biya to leave power. Some protesters were arrested and tortured. Biya's minister of communications denounced the demonstrations as day-dreaming - just like they all do before they fall.

"Entertaining Repression": How Beyonce Was Tied To Gaddafi

The title above is borrowed from a Cameroonian sociologist who used that expression to show how some Cameroonian musicians have been promoting dictatorship in Cameroon through their music. That expression could be used to describe the current media frenzy over the fact that Beyonce and some African American musicians sang for Gaddafi's son last year. Not wanting to dismiss the lapse in judgment of these musicians, it seems to me that so much is being made of that party. Just as so much is being made of the fact that Gaddafi is hiring African mercenaries to kill Libyans. Listening to some media reports, one would think that Libya is filled with black mercenaries trying to stop peace-loving Libyans from getting rid of the dictator Gaddafi. This may mask the racism which some Libyans manifest toward black people in Libya.

However, just last week, Gaddafi deposited about 5 billion dollars in a bank in England, apart from the billions he has in Swiss banks. He paid American lobbyists millions to clean his image in America so that he could be supported by the US again, even though everyone knew that he was a brutal dictator. To portray his son's partying with Beyonce and co. as if it were the hight of the Gaddafi's family financial extravagance is to tell the story in a false way. It is just like blaming black African mercenaries for aiding Gaddafi to kill his people when we know that these people form only a very small fraction of those fighting to keep Gaddafi in power. This narrative plays into the long tradition of painting Africans in a very poor light in Western media. That narrative must be condemned.

The Folly Of Ethnicity In Africa

"Tribalism" is the name that has been given to the tendency of African politicians to favor members of their ethnic groups to the detriment of all others. This has been recently brought home not only by the claims of this article but also by the recent civil war in Libya which Gaddafi's otherwise intelligent son promised would be fought on ethnic basis. The purpose of this brief piece is simply to unveil two lies on which this ethnic favoritism is based.

First, an ethnic group is a fiction. This does not mean that an ethnic group does not exist; there are many ethnic groups all over the world and many people have died on the basis of ethnic differences. Telling people in Rwanda or the former Yugoslavia that ethinicity is a fiction would not make much sense to them because they know people who have been killed on the basis of ethnicity. Ethnic groups or groups that have the impression that they are of the same ethnicity do exist. But these groups are usually more diverse than they may admit. Ethnic groups usually hold the false belief that they have the same ancestral background. But this is not true of any ethnic group. Most people who believe that they are members of the same ethnic group are people who actually came from different places to live together in one place. Take the example of the Babungo people of Cameroon. They call themselves Vengo, which means "of the same family." This gives the impression that Bagungo people have the same ancestral background. But that is in fact not true. The history of the Vengo people shows how they came from different places to dwell in their current location in the the north west province of Cameroon. Even in the last one hundred years or so, many people have come from other regions in Cameroon to make Bagungo their home. They are now thoroughly immersed in the Babungo tradition. Stories like this abound all over Africa and they have been pointed out by scholars of African studies. The case of how Tutsis and Hutus developed mixed identity in Rwanda is well known.

This mixedness of identity and ethnicity in Africa has not stopped uncrupulous politicians from deceiving people with rhetoric of ethnic idenity. From southern to northern Africa fake ethnic identies have been ossified to weep up sentiment and win votes for politicians who do not even care about the people they claim to be members of their ethnic groups. And herein lies the second lie. Members of the the so-called ethnic groups to which an opportunistic politician come, are made to believe that they have a stake in defending a politician from that ethnic group. However, many of these people live in desperate poverty. Take the Beti people in Cameroon. Paul Biya has deceived them into believing that they have a stake in defending the Biya regime. And many of them have fallen for it. However, most of them are desperately poor. Theirs is one of the least developed region in Cameroon. The only one benefiting from this ethnic illusion is Paul Biya.

One of the most impotant jobs that Cameroonians in particular and Africans in general can do for each other is to help each other understand just how fake this idea of ethnicity is and how politicians have been using this fake idea to make themselves rich at the expense of everyone else. We are far more related to each other than our politicians care to tell us. Our shared goal should be to throw out those who want to use the fake idea of ethnicity against us. This lie of ethnicity is standing in the way of much that we could do.

Paul Biya's Police Swing Into Action In Cameroon

Watch how police beats a protester in Cameroon today. Other members of the opposition were brutalized.

Paul Biya, Cameroon's God

Many may be scandalized by the very suggestion that Paul Biya is Cameroon’s God; but they should not be. Paul Biya became God since he became president of Cameroon in 1982. Or is it that he has always been Cameroon’s God but we, docile Cameroonians, just did not know it? It may well be that before Cameroon was, Paul Biya is.

If this is not the case, how else can one explain the fact that since Paul Biya became the president of Cameroon he has become the epitome of goodness, in fact, good itself? Out of the goodness of his generous heart, he has created Cameroon in his image, given it well-being and prosperity, and brought democracy to the people. Without Paul Biya, Cameroon would not be the perfect example for the world to emulate. Paul Biya, the God of Cameroon, has called Cameroonians by name and made them a people after his own heart, the new Israel. He makes no errors, for God does not make errors. Even if God makes errors, that is no one’s business, for it is in the nature of God to be accountable to no one. So no one is even capable of knowing whether God (that is, Paul Biya) has made an error or not.

The only thing people need to do is to praise him, for God is to be praised. In fact, in the awesome presence of God, feeble and fallible human minds must stoop. I have heard that in the history of human beings, some humans have had the effrontery to question the ways of God. I am not sure they would have been so bold if they had encountered his awesome incarnation in Paul Biya. Accountability is something which God does not do and neither should people expect it of Paul Biya. The only commendable attitude humans must show God (that is, Paul Biya) is deference and humility. The reason for this is simple: the destiny of all human beings, or more precisely, the destiny of all Cameroonians, is in the hands of God (Paul Biya). He is the only one who has the well being of Cameroonians at heart. Without him there would have been no Cameroon and after him . . . well, there will be nothing after him. We cannot speak of an after when we talk of God. God does not die. That is why God is King for ever. Who can presume to oppose you, O Paul Biya, who can presume to oppose you, the Mighty One of Cameroon? You are Alpha and Omega. Without You we would all perish! For we are like grass, here today and gone tomorrow. But you, our Lord Paul Biya, lasts forever!

It is the case that some people may hold grudges against God: people have always held grudges against God but God has always prevailed. That is why those who are wise know that the best attitude towards God is one of worship – especially if they want their life to go well. Many university professors and journalists in Cameroon are well aware of this, which is why they have adopted the posture of adulation. Many of these people may claim that they are Christians or Muslims, or that they belong to other religions that hold that God is qualitatively different from Paul Biya. However, they have come to be convinced that all these religions are lies. Deep down, they believe that there is no God besides Paul Biya. If there were any other God besides Paul Biya, that God could have been providing people’s daily needs. But clearly only Paul Biya provides. He appoints ministers, governors, divisional officers, principals, etc. He is the Fon of fons, Chief of chiefs, and Lord of lords. Every knee is bowing and every tongue is now confessing that Paul Biya is Lord, especially after his appointment of Yang as Prime Minister of Cameroon. Everyone knows that the best way to be on the good side of God (that is, Paul Biya) is to sing his praise. We shall praise you, O Lord Paul Biya, we your people shall praise you!

It is clear that Paul Biya was born and raised in Cameroon. But that does not mean that he is not God. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem but Christians still believe that he is God. However, Paul Biya has replaced Jesus Christ. It has been revealed to many people in Cameroon, to priests and pastors, deacons and ushers, the older people, those who work for the government, and those who belong to the CPDM, that Paul Biya is God; not the son of God. Paul Biya cannot be the son of God because that will be demeaning to him; he cannot be number two to anyone. That may entail the lurking danger that he may be answerable to someone! No. Frank Biya, Paul Biya’s son, is the son of God (Paul Biya).

I know there would be many people in this country who would count it as blasphemy that Paul Biya is said to be God. That should be attributed to their hardness of heart and unwillingness to believe. To them, I would say: have faith. With enough faith it would not be hard to see this. If they find it hard to have faith, they should contact me for further explanation and prayer. But I do not think that it would get to that point because many people in the country already believe that Paul Biya is God. Those who do not yet believe would not find it hard to find converts in Cameroon. They should contact any of the fons and the chiefs for enlightenment. If this fails, they should read Cameroon Tribune  and watch CRTV daily, for this is the holy book and hymnal of those who believe that Paul Biya is God. If they still have no success they should contact directors of ENS, ENAM, EMIA and chancellors of all the universities in Cameroon, all of whom are disciples of our God, Paul Biya. To him be glory, honor and praise, now and for ever. Amen.

This piece was inspired by Achile Mbembe’s “The Thing and Its Double in Cameroonian Cartoons”

"My Daddy's A Dictator": The Wealth Of Obiang Nguema's Son

This outrageous report in Foreign Policy about Obiang Nguema and his son just go to show how dictatorial  African leaders squander the wealth of their people. Click on this slide show to find out what connection Obiang's son has with this African-American female musician. The main question that remains to be asked is where the money is coming from.

Gaddafi's Speech: An Interpretation

The ongoing violent protests in Libya prompted Gaddafi to make a speech today. We have seen this movie before in Tunisia and Egypt. But I will let that pass. What I want to do here is to interpret Gaddafi's speech as I understand it. Here we go:

My fellow Libyans:
Thank you for the support I receive from millions and millions of you. My problem is with the United States and, well, Europe. As you all know, they have always hated me. They have always wanted my head. I thought this whole thing was over but now they are at it again. In fact, they have come right here in Libya, demonstrating in the streets, asking for me to resign. One mistake they make is that they think I am a president; as we all know, I am not a president. I am only a leader, defending millions of you. They think that makes me a president. I am not a president. As you know, I am one of you. If I were a president I would have resigned. But I am not a president. Asking me to resign is like asking you all to resign. Asking you all to resign does not make sense because you do not hold any office in particular. I do not hold any office in particular. I am only a leader defending the Libyan people, that is, all of you. What should I then resign from? Nothing.

My fellow country people, those people from the West and their friends in Aljazeera and Al Quaeda usually call me crazy. They think what I say does not make sense - like saying that I do not hold any position in particular. But I am convinced it makes sense to us in Libya. As you all know, I am the defender of the people, chosen by God and the people to be leader of Arabs and Africans. Some people may think that is crazy but it makes sense to me and it makes sense to you. That is why I am going to kill all those Americans, Arabs, and Europeans who do not want me to be defender of the people. If you go out right now you will see the dead bodies of Americans and Europeans lying in the streets. I will kill them one by one and show them that I am the defender of the people. They say I am living in an alternate universe because I have my own reality but what they fail to realize is that the alternate universe in which I live is the place where all Libyans, nay, all Africans and Arabs, live.

My fellow Libyans, thank you for all the support you are giving me. I want to especially thank the people of Bengazi for standing up to the Americans and the Europeans and the Al Qaeda. Thank you. I will go out there now and execute all those Americans, Europeans, and Al Qaeda who have come right here in Tripoli to overthrow me. I will see you again soon too give you further report. I am defender of the people . . .

The Hero

The man who started the revolution. Watch this.
        Mohammad Bouazizi

Ben Ali's Wealth

Tunisian state TV shows the hidden wealth of former president, Ben Ali. Gold, diamond, cash, cold, hard cash, lots of it. I have never seen so much money in one place. I now see why these people would rather die than cede power. It makes me wonder what we would find if we looked at the homes of Obiang Nguema, Paul Biya, Gaddafi, Mugabe, etc. These people are thieves, big time!

Standard International Media Ignores African Revolution

Reading the North African revolution through imperial cartography as Middle Eastern rather than African revolution, standard international news media ignores how it is affecting Africa, argues this helpful piece from Aljazeera.

How Cameroon Gave Russia Its Most Revered Poet

  A. P. Gannibal                   Alexander Pushkin

How are the two men above, one from Cameroon and the other from Russia, related? Read the amazing story here. See more about the poetry of Puskin here.

Chasing Gold In The DRC

Why are some Americans from Texas and a French citizen stuck in the DRC? See this also.

Helpful Links

1. The New Scramble for Africa from The Economist.

2. Luanda, Angola's Dubai.

3. The new African thieving elite in South Africa.

4. Chairperson of the African Union, really!

5. Getting news out of a disconnected Libya.

Muammar Gaddafi: Why I Changed My Mind About Him

Among African leaders, I have often spoken kindly of Gaddafi, especially to my students. Although he had been detested for a long time by the West, I have always interpreted this hatred for him as born of the fact that he would not suck up to Western interests as many puppet African leaders do. Also, even though he has squandered the wealth of his people, he has managed to provide a better life for many of them. In fact, many people from other African countries go to seek a better life in Libya. When the uprising in Tunisia began, Gaddafi asked that the border of his country be flung wide open so that Tunisians may come and work in Libya. By the standards of many African countries, Libya is a paradise. Even more, when many Western countries were supporting apartheid in South Africa, he helped to train fighters who contributed in bringing the obnoxious system to an end. Further, Gaddafi has been a very strong advocate for African unity, even though many people know that his quest for unity is to further his own projects. Anyone who knows me knows that the project of African unity is very dear to me and I believe that it holds one of the keys to a better Africa. Thus, even though Gaddafi has sometimes been seen as a pan-Arabist racist, I have accommodated him in my imagination because I believed that, in spite of the double standards that he sometimes manifests, he, at least, has the interest of Africa at heart.

However, current events in Libya has made me change my mind about Gaddafi. These events have led me to believe that, like many African leaders, Gaddafi has a messianic complex which leads him to believe that without him, his country will not survive. Having ruled for over forty years, he has come to see Libya as his personal property. Instead of the visionary that he might have been if he had orchestrated an open society, he is now willing to kill many people in full view of video camaras, so that he can maintain power. Like many other African leaders, he is using state news outlet to lie to his people, showing pictures that might give the impression that all is well in Libya. He sees the advent of an open society as a threat that must be extinguished so that he might have a dynasty in Libya. These are not actions that are fitting for a patriot. My conclusion now is simple: Gaddafi must go.

Mea Culpa: Gov't-Owned Newspaper Apologizes To Egytians

In a stunning reversal, the government-owned newspaper of Egypt, Al Ahram, has apologized to the Egyptian people for having lied to them to protect the now deposed Hosni Mubarak. That government-owned news outlets all over the world lie to their people is not new; what is new is the apology that is now taking place. Although news outlets that are owned by governments are, of course, owned by the people, this has not been the case in many countries, especially in countries that are sustained through dictatorial politics. Journalists who work for these news outlets have taken to lying to the people to protect the government in power, thus working against the interests of the people who they were supposed to be informing. The transformation that is coming to Africa will not only require that armies become the armies of the people, but also that journalists who work for government owned news outlets realize that they are working for the people rather than the government in power. During the revolts in Egypt and Tunisia, for example, government owned news outlets were criminalizing the protesters. The same is the case in countries like Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Cameroon, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, etc. Journalists in these countries have become professional liars. This professional lying, of course, is not limited to Africa. African journalists are learning their trade from their professional counterparts in China, Europe, and the United States, where journalism has largely become the art of lying for one's favorite politician. Journalists, especially those who work for government-owned news outlets both in Africa and elsewhere, have to learn from the current mea culpa emanating from their Egyptian counterparts.

One Person's Take . . .

On what makes the current revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, etc. Another's as to how far the rest of Africa has caught this flu.

How To Take Down A Dictatorship . . . Nonviolently

A poorly framed piece from the NYT but containing some important links. Here's why it is poorly framed:
"As’ad AbuKhalil, a Lebanese political scientist and founder of the Angry Arab News Service blog, was outraged by a passing mention of Mr. Sharp in The New York Times on Monday. He complained that Western journalists were looking for a “Lawrence of Arabia” to explain Egyptians’ success, in a colonialist attempt to deny credit to Egyptians."

Nigeria Could See 12% Growth This Year If . . .

"NIGERIA’S economy has the capacity to grow by 12 per cent this year, if the Federal Government could conduct a free and fair election and address economic-retarding issues within the system," The Guardian reports. 

Question: Who Won the 2011 Super Bowl?

Answer: You might think it was the Green Bay Packers but you would be dead wrong. Find out why here.

Role Of Social Media in Africa

A fine piece of the role social media is playing and may play in Africa, including role in gender awareness.

"No Dictator Has Ever Defeated the People"

The title of this post is taken from this recent flyer circulating on the internet calling for the ouster of dictators in Africa. Paul Biya has a prominent place on this flyer because it is directed against his dictatorial regime in Cameroon. "Paul Biya Leave," says the flyer.

Paul Biya: "Another President Who Won't Go"

This piece from The Economist was written in 2008 but it seems as if it was written this week or even this morning. Perhaps Biya will see that times are changing and find a way to leave before Cameroon becomes like Egypt or Tunisia. He will save all of us the trouble if he does.

An Army For The People

Many African armies have shown that they serve the dictators whom they call Commander-in-Chief than the people they were supposed to be protecting. Thus, African armies have been known to slaughter their own peoples in cold blood to protect dictators. The actions of the Egyptian army has so far shown that they are for the people rather than for a corrupt dictator. I indicated in this blog that if the Egyptian uprising succeeds it would  partly be based on how the army reacted to the whole situation. Now that the revolt has succeeded in ousting Mubarak, we have seen that the success has been due largely to the army siding with the people. There should be a clear lesson here for all African armies, especially those of Cameroon, Guinea Conakry, Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, etc.: protect the people rather than the dictators. The role of the army is to protect the people of a country, not to murder them for he sake of corrupt dictators! Learn from the Egyptian army.

What Official African News Outlets Are Saying About The Revolt In Egypt

Very little. If Africans were to rely on their official news channels to hear about what is going on in Egypt, they would have been well advised to look elsewhere. A surf through the official (government) Web sites of most African news channels found very few of them that mentioned the Egyptian revolt. In Algeria, the president instead congratulated Iran for the anniversary of their own revolution. The official Web site of Sudanese news network spoke of their president's support of the aspirations of the Egyptian peoples. The story is also mentioned in Kenya, and South Africa.  There is no mention of the matter in Morocco, The Gambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Cameroon, Chad, Senegal, Mali, Angola, Central African Republic, the two Congos, Ethiopia, and Niger. Yet, these news web sites ostensibly claim that they were erected to serve the people, while withholding information from them. Have these news channels become the voices of the presidents of these countries or a means of information for the people?

Paul Biya Returns From Private Visit in Europe

It is being reported by the Cameroon Radio and Television, the ideological arm of the Cameroon government, the Paul Biya and his wife recently returned from a six-day private visit to Europe. It is a very brief report that set me thinking, "what does it mean for a president and his wife to make a private visit?" Did they go shopping in France or Switzerland? When one is the president of a country, does he/she go about taking private visits? And this particular private visit is to Europe, which, as a matter of fact, is not place. There are many places where they could be in Europe but they decide not to say, or the reporter thought it was not important for Cameroonians to know. Not to miss our point, however, can someone please tell me what it means for a president to make a private visit? Or did Paul Biya go to France to take advise from his professors concerning the impending wind of change that is blowing toward his direction? The people of Cameroon need more information.

For The Pleasure of Men . . .

Women are encouraged to put the genie back in the bottle. Quite an interesting story from Cameroon. I did not know of this growing up in Cameroon. We used to think that the best way to remain a virgin is to . . . well, remain a virgin. I wonder how men's virginity is tested! Or does the responsibility to remain chaste fall only on the women?

TWO DOWN . . .

Many more dictators to go. Mubarak is gone . . . a new day is dawning in Africa! Where will the next stop be?

What Other Embarrassing Allies Do We Need to Know?

Now that Mubarak is falling, FP has come up with names of other dictators who are imposed on their people by the US, including Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and Yoweri Museveni of Uganga. Isn't there more we need to know? It is strange how we prize democracy here in the US but hoist dictatorships on others. Nicholas Kristof poignantly asks:  "Why does our national policy seem to be that democracy is good for Americans and Israelis, yet dangerous for Egyptians?"

Plus: Mubarak's insane wealth.

Minding the Revolutions

One critical factor that a successful revolt needs, as we have learned from Egypt, is wide publicity. That is why dictators have always censored reporters when these reports attempt to report their misdeeds. The case became very glaring in Egypt as reporters from various news networks, especially Aljazeera, were brutalized in the early part of the ongoing revolt. However, two ongoing protests in two other African countries have virtually not been noticed by the international news media, especially CNN which would like us to believe that they are focusing on Egypt (AC360) because they would want us to know the truth about the situation there. These two protests are those in Sudan (unrelated to the Southern Sudan independence elections) and Gabon. The one in Gabon has especially received less attention even as protesters are arrested and tortured by state security forces. Ali Bongo, who recently took over power after the death of his father who had ruled the country as his personal property for forty years, is now counting that no one will pay attention to what is going on in Gabon. Afterall, Gabon is not as strategically important as Egypt or Tunisia. Even more, according to imperial map-making, Gabon is in Africa while Egypt is in the Middle East. 

Links I Like

1. Rap for Egypt video.

2. Ignorance dooms autocracy.

3. Oil money disappears in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.

4. In South Africa, faith healing is a product and must be registered.

In Kenya, A Wedding For History Books

See video of a controversial wedding in Kenya. I remember it was Blaise Pascal who said that the heart has its reason which reason cannot know. Perhaps he was correct.

Are Rhinos More Important Than South Africans?

The killing of Rhino poachers in South Africa has been increasing in recent months. The government of South Africa apparently sanctions the order for park rangers to kill poachers. Such killing of human beings in order to protect animals seems to be an activity that is promoted by some animal rights extremists but it is alarming to see that the government of South Africa, a country that has a bill of rights, is killing people believed to be Rhino poachers. This government sanctioned barbarism begs several questions: is there no better way to police this activity without killing people? Is it in fact the case that the life of a Rhino is better than a South African life so that a South African life is dispensable if that means protecting a Rhino? For a country that fought for a very long time to give dignity to human life, this action is simply reprehensible and should be condemned by all people of goodwill.

When The Wind Blows . . .

There is a saying in Cameroon that it is only when the wind blows that the behind of a chicken is exposed. Now that the governing government in Egypt is falling we are being apprised of its misdeeds, especially its cronyism. This NYT report about the economic mismanagement in Egypt applies mutatis mutandis to the situation in Cameroon and, I suppose, to many other African countries that purport to be practice democratic capitalism. The irony of it all is that Mubarak's party is called National Democratic Party (NDP). Perhaps it should be called the National Communist Party because it is clearly led by a politburo. 

The African Union: Working For Africa's Dictators

The African Union (AU) should immediately be disbanded for the following reasons:
1. It seeks the interests of Africa's dictators rather than the people of the continent. Witness the lame statements it made about the situation in Tunisia and the deafening silence it has maintained in the face of the Egyptian crisis.
2. It has consistently failed to address issues that are important to African peoples. Witness its incompetence in the DRC, Cote d'Ivoire, Madagascar, and Kenya.
3. It does not even have money to run its operations, relying instead on foreign aid from Asia and the West.
The AU has therefore become one more institution in Africa that needs foreign aid in order to survive. A body like that which cannot finance its activities should go out of existence. It is of no use to Africans. An organization of that nature should emerge from the ground up rather than from the top down as is currently the case. The current nature of the organization cannot do much to help Africans. It is a club for Africa's dictators. It should be disbanded.

Paul Biya Attempts to Stave Off Protests In Cameroon

Fearing that increase in prices of basic commodities may lead to protests in Cameroon as is the case in North Africa, Paul Biya has signed a decree creating a fake commission charged with "procurement and distribution of basic commodities within the local markets and at the best available price," CRTV reports. Biya does not trust the market to work on its own on this important matter of buying and selling foodstuff to people, so he has to set up a government business to do this. It will be remarkable to see if people believe that this cheap political stunt will amount to anything. Instead of opening up the business climate so that entrepreneurs may engage in the activity of buying and selling foodstuff, Biya is instituting a thinly disguised communist regime in Cameroon.

Behind Every Dictator . . .

There is a woman? Not my thought (so don't hold me responsible!). Just thought it was an interesting reflection by a woman. What do you think?

I Will Not Run Again!

In the wake of the protests in Egypt and other countries in Western Asia, Hosni Mubarak and the president of Yemen have pledged not to run again. It remains to be seen whether the protesters of these countries would see this pledge as good enough. However, this is a pledge that many African leaders, some of whom have been in power for over twenty years, will do well to emulate. Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria has already pledged to run only for one term. This may be a political ploy, like Museveni did, but he would be held to it when the time comes. Other leaders who should immediately pledge not to run again should include Obiang Nguema, Blaise Compaore, Paul Biya, Museveni, Mugabe, etc. Such a pledge, or better still, a constitutional limitation of term of office, would have gone a long way to save Ivory Coast, that is, if such limitation was respected. Paul Biya amended the constitution so that he may run again!

Look At Who African Leaders Have Chosen As Chairperson of the AU!

African leaders have chosen as chairperson of the African Union the notorious dictator of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema, who killed his uncle to become president and has been president for 31 years now. African leaders are completely deaf to what is going on in the north of the continent. This is a glaring demonstration that African leaders just don't get it.

Where The Old Are Hardly Wise

Among the Igbo of Nigeria, when an old person dies, the revered Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe notes, it is as if a library has been burnt down. This claim is meant to portray old people (I use this expression intentionally) as stores of knowledge and wisdom. Without meaning any disrepect to the elderly, I want to insist, like some others have done, that the history of many African societies belie this belief. Many older people who run the affairs of Africa are hardly wise and knowledgeable. The current state of affairs in many African countries is one that has been spurred by what the old know. So far, it has been shown that many of the old lack the wisdom with which to govern their own. That is why one of the most pressing issues that need to be addressed in Africa today is the issue of governance.
This failure of the old to demonstrate wisdom especially in matters of governance has led the young to begin challenging the intentions of the old. That is what is happening especially in north Africa today where the young have spurred protests aimed at getting rid of old people's ways. The young are now beginning to say that old people's ways have been detrimental to the life of their people and must be challenged. Old people are used to the dictatorships which have ruined Africa for such a long time while the young are beginning to find dictatorships to be strange. That is why the young are leading the protests that will get the people out of the current rut. Perhaps it will soon be aknowledged that the wisdom for our time is in the young rather than the old. Perhaps in the future we will be able to say that when a young person dies, it is like a library has been burnt down.