Different countries same political game and crisis. Cote d'Ivoire is slowly but surely coasting to bloodbath. The electoral commission of Ivory Coast must have competently read our own ECK's script except the judicial appeal court there went a step further knowing which side of their bread was buttered and by who. It is a battle of the titans pitting two already SWORN-IN presidents, the incumbent Laurent Gbagbo (what a name, from Pungoma?) and ex-IMF chief Alassane Ouattara.
Double standards galore from the international community when it comes to Africa's never-ending political crises. Where is Annan and his troope of Imminent persons to save Cote d'Ivoire from self-destruction? These clowns appeared in Kenya in a flash while for almost two months the world watches as (DULY ELECTED) Gbagbo overturns Alassane Ouattara's victory. This will definitely be godsend cannon fodder for the deluded e-high priests who often wax lyrical and intellectual about doomsday and neo-colonialism. Well, let the REAL intellectuals cannibalize the latest standoff to spin yarns and revise alien theories on sovereignty and imperialism.
Ivory Coast's election standoff is is compounded further by AU's obtuse goof in appointing Kenya's PM Raila Odinga to mediate on the same. What a feat for AU to recognize Kenya's dubious electoral exploits and dutifully help export that fraud to Ivory Coast? AU's latest move amounts to either an apt exercise in continental mischief or a jaundiced set-a-thief-to-catch-a-thief mission (read use a victim to sooth the pains of another victim).
Predictably the incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo will see AU's move as belittling him by sending a non-head of state (read peer, BIG MAN) to talk him out of power. Make no mistake, the local mouthful idea of co-principals is only known in Kenya.
The parallel between Ivory Coast and Kenya ends at the fact that the DEFEATED Gbagbo was hastily sworn in after losing the elections to Ouattara. With the army and judiciary at his beck and call, the so-called international community must revise their strategy to deal with a SITTING head of state. Bottom line, this is Africa and even the toothless AU knows its noise will not amounts to nothing but hot air.
Just like patriotic Kenyans prefix all their pronouncements with SOVEREIGNTY, Gbagbo has demanded the ex-colonial power France and the 10,000 strong UN peacekeeping force protecting Ouattara's government to leave. He can as well add, GO EAST. His Excellency Gbagbo must be laughing his head off at ECOWAS' threat of so-called legitimate force. Only in Africa do we have unique problems and mint ORIGINAL solutions. We haven't seen anything yet from Gbagbo and his lieutenants. And they are in very good company.
The plot thicken given that Raila already muddied the waters early this month by demanding Gbagbo to vacate office. It appears the PM has more space to stomach and top-up the wrath he invited from Robert Mugabe sometimes back. But just like Kenya, Ivory Coast has its owners and Ouattara is better reminded that he is an alien clinging to the coat tails of the international community to subvert the will of the people.
Well, let wild and exotic conspiracy theories begin in earnest. Bring them on!
We warned about the futility of OPIUM TAKING sessions which we seem to have every 5 years.
ReplyDeleteWe are keenly awaiting the coming OPIUM TAKING sessions in Nigeria, Zimbambwe and elsewhere.
In any case, these sought of "crisis" is necessary which allows three things:
(a) scooping of profits over poor and dead Africans,
(b) political power over Africans, and
(c) management of conflicts, (NOT SOLVING) so as to direct the course of history.
Meanwhile, let us continue enjoying "Working Class Hero," by John Lennon:
http://is.gd/jzGDk
@Taabu,
ReplyDeleteYou know it, others know it and I still seem to know it despite my abysmal failure to complete a baccalaureate degree program, that
- the "Gold Coast" became Ghana as we know it today,
- while the "Slave Coast" (Togoland) became Togo,
- the unrecognised state of Rhodesia became Zimbabwe,
- the Republic of Upper Volta became Burkina Faso,
- the "German Killing Fields" of South West Africa become Namibia,
- the aprtheid Union of South Africa became the Republic of South Africa,
and
- the so called 'Zaire' became the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
So, why is Ivory Coast (let's ignore the French translation until after the country becomes a democratic nation) still referred to as the "Ivory Coast"?
Why can't it be named "the land of our ancestors" or "land of brave people"?
And where are the animal rights activists when they are needed to do their job on behalf of all elephants that can no longer protect themselves from ivory snatchers?
When will Ivory Coast get its true African name like many of its independent neighbours?
Anyway, least we forget, Raila is an export product of a Kenyan gift that keeps giving itself to various African countries at the wrong time and for all the wrong geopolitical reasons.
Praise and thanks be to the Guinean people, including Mr. Cellou D. Diallo and Alpha Conde for refusing the never ending gift made in Kenya during their last presidential elections.
When they decided to elect Mr. Alpha Conde, the son of the late Fundi Konde of Kenya.
I hope and expect that the Rwandan people will emulate the Guinean people, while at the same Paul Kagame will leave will not become another Laurent Gbagbo or Daneil arap Moi when the time comes.
The Banyarwanda and the rest of the world community are grateful for Paul Kagame has done for the country and region.
However, one cannot be in power for more than tow decades (1994-2005). Time has come when the true leader and a one time liberator of Rwanda should know when to let go and let country and it's people continue to eveolve as it has done since 1995.
Ahaaah! The impasse in Ivory Coast is Mzee Kibaki's gift to Africa.
If you refuse to lose, (quit office with dignity) you will become either the Prime Minister or the President. This is Kenya's electoral gift to Africa. - Barrack Muluka.
He he Taabu,
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! post LOL, let e - high priests wax lyrical & let INTELLECTUAL & know it all discourse take root & effect, as we learn to read & digest on blubber and rants. Lets also not forget e-vultures & hyenas are lurking, waiting to pounce and devour any neo-colonial posts/comments, as e-crocodiles will wait with their mouths agape ready to swallow lyrical vibes without the benefit of chewing.
RAOs appointment or is it annointment can only add to the political theatrics, am sure Ida is packing his suitcase with all the "ammo" that he will require to "topple" the Ivorian strong man who is comfortably seated on his seat & shouting SOVEREIGN solutions for Ivorians.
My pal Mwara"N"gethe, take it away man, I know very little in regard to Ivory Coast, free lessons would suffice for now. Meanwhile, I need a calabash replacement.
The Oracle has Spoken
Which is which? Tongue in cheek, cheek in the palm of the hand or the neck on one side (shingo upande)?
ReplyDeleteWell, it will all boil down to a simple arithmetic sequence, the huge vacuum will be filled by the rebel forces if the highly trained, very disciplined, well organised, and real powerful French forces and the "peace-loving" UN peacekeeping force on an African vacation are asked to leave the country.
Gbagbo can laugh all he wants while time is still on his side, however there will come a time when ECOWAS wwill have the last laugh in the same way it did when Charles Taylor lost his highly armed and well financed personal army.
The ECOWAS is a force to be reckoned with in the region, and rightly so.
Tandja Mamadau and others have subbed their political egoes at ECOWAS and lived to regret.
Let's wait and see what becomes of Gbabgo and his henchmen.
I will be brief and to the point. No digressions or the usual pardon the interruptions.
ReplyDeleteThe question is, was he really elected or not?
Did Ivorians elect me or not? That's the only question. I'm not looking for compromise. The truth is not compromise. I wan't truth. - Laurent Gbagbo.
@Mwarang'ethe,
Africans are their own worst enemies and vicious exploiters when it comes to "scooping of profits over poor and dead Africans."
Raila is going there to watch 'Mapouka'. After which he'll be given one more "gachungwa".
ReplyDeleteBut it isn't wise for "The second 1st lady" to revenge.
May I ask what is wrong with a people electing the same leader for 3rd, 4th or even 10th term? It should be their choice isn't that what Democracy is all about? I do not care how many terms, show me that the incumbent lost the elections and I will buy the defeated story. Otherwise for now the Outtaras of this world can get as many spin doctors 'with vested interests' as they wish. Gbagbo is the ELECTED president. If Outtara is unhappy with that, I a sure there are courts in Ivory Coast! Let us stop this nonsense of 'losers' running to international agencies and press simply because they do not want to follow the law!
ReplyDeleteRaila is a just a Western puppet. He's sold his soul to gain power in Kenya
ReplyDelete@ anon 11:19. Democracy is a sham. But when it comes to African style democracy it deteriorates further into a tragi-comedy of the absurd. Without strict term limits you end up with Big Man syndrome. That's how we had the tick Moi for 14 years as a full fledged dictator & 10 years in the fake multi party era.
ReplyDeleteFrom our frying pan, the tick, we went into the fire with our vampire bat courtesy of Mr "I will seek one term only" Kibaki, in his second stolen term. They're all bloodsuckers the lot of them. I doubt you'll ever find a benevolent dictator of the Lee Kwan Yew type in Africa as Singapore was lucky enough to have.
The only democrats we have in Africa are in the opposition or civil society while they are the underdogs. Once they assume the reins of power they morph into demagogues who have to be forcibly removed.
Kibaki was duly elected.
ReplyDeleteKikwete was duly elected in Tz.
Gbagbo was duly elected in Ivory Coast.
Museveni will be duly elected (for sure) in Feb/March 2011 in Uganda.
And the beat goes on and on in the jungle called Africa.
(I am creating a hit rap song and just need a little accompanying music to go with these lyrics)
Kumekucha Chris.
P.S. One of your better posts Taboo.
11:19 P.M.... "show me that the incumbent lost the elections and I will buy the defeated story."
ReplyDeleteWOW! IS THIS PERSON FOR REAL? IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE THIS DAFT? WOW!!!
Kibaki.... Mugabe... Gbagbo... & their fellow, OLD THIEVES!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's such a shame that old men, elders, grandfathers can be such thieves. Isn't there a curse for such behaviour?
Forcing yourself on people who don't want you is equivalent to rape. That's why it is said stealing an election, Is raping the country, raping the democracy.
What is wrong with these people? What is wrong with these African leaders. They think the country belongs to them & everyone else is paying rent. God help this continent! Can you imagine your grandfather, an elderly man with white hair stealing like this! what a shame!
Bobby Killer, that's the kind of brain that I would like to reason with. For answers listen to Gaddafi on his website algathafi.org his lecture to Africa intellectuals. Yes indeed we have our own style of democracy - what is wrong with that? We had chiefs, kings etc. We still have the same mentality - nothing wrong with that.
ReplyDeleteAs for Anon@1.11am here is an insight for you. In 2007, one party went around selling Kenya to all and sundry. Qataris and Emiratis were promised Mombasa port and chunks of land to grow food in Lamu, Americans oil exploration etc. We are confident of a win they said. Every one of those countries/businesses contributed funds in support. Now if the party that promised them lucrative deals loses the election, how do we get our money back? Airtime in those countries owned media houses condemning a rigged election blah, blah blah is often more than meets the eye - open your third eye comrade. if you loose an election, become teh leader of opposition and remove the guy legally - no life should be lost because of some puppet with a bloated ego.
@Chris,
ReplyDeleteYou want another rap, YES ...........
@ anon 1:36, Gadaffi tends to lecture alot so unless you provide a link I may not get the specific speech you had in mind.
ReplyDeleteThat said, & inspite of posting with a westerner's photo I don't mean west is best. There are numerous models we can learn from in both matters of development & governance. Indeed our brothers in RSA were recently accepted into the fold of the BRIC countries, all of which offer different realities to western standard.
Raila knows the pain of stolen elections and the pain of losing supporters and foes. I guese the opposite of "set a thief to catch a thief," this is "set a victim to strengthen a victim."Africa Union you are sending us a message on your position on Kenya election
ReplyDeleteKUMEKUCHA YOUR IGNORANCE IS INCREASING BY THE DAY, SCARY!FROM YOUR GOOD FRIEND WHO CAN NOT TELL YOU IN PERSON BECAUSE IT WILL CHANGE OUR FRIENDSHIP
ReplyDelete1:36 A.M, The tragedy of all your reasoning is that there is a POSSIBILITY that you actually believe what you have written.
ReplyDeleteI work with possibility because I shudder at the thought of you actually thinking that Raila lost the election based on that very warped reason you have just given or any other reason. Plus you're attempting to insinuate Outtara did not win but Gbagbo did... Have you just arrived from another planet? That would be the only logical reason to your hypothesis.
I believe that when Kibaki stole the election from Raila, He & all those who helped and supported him, including a majority of his tribesmen hoped that after a couple of months Kenyans would forget. Besides Moi did it so many times & Kenyans somehow managed to "forget" time & time again.
ReplyDeleteWell, this is what hurts them the most: Kenyans have not forgotten.
Until today, Kenyans still talk about watching Kivuitu being escorted by armed GSU to a Government owned T.V station to announce topped up results in favour of Kibaki. Yeah It hurts them that 3, almost 4 years down the line we still talk about it...
Kibaki & Co. stole from Raila/luos, because they feared that all the ills they had committed to him & his tribesmen would come to back to haunt them and therefore by all means they had to protect themselves. What they didn't see coming was that not 1 but 6 out of 8 provinces were fed up.
But instead of going back to that Dec 2007 election which Raila rightfully won, let's do the one thing that hurts these people the most... Remind them. Every second of their lives, remind them. Remind them that even though they tried and are still trying to build lies that the then opposition did not win, we know that they did and it was stolen from them.
That even if they say Kibaki won and ODM should have gone to court, Kenyans know better... The courts were & are still owned by Kibaki & Co.
Like I said, they attempted to copy, paste the Moi style of rigging including "going to court" but they failed miserably! Yes remind them that they failed miserably because we Kenyans have not forgotten that Kibaki did not win. A lie can be said over & over, centuries can come & go. A lie will never be the truth.
Africans, stand for the truth! And at this time, let us stand with Ivory Coast and have the legitimate president, Outtara take his place.
This manifest nonsense of stealing elections must come to an end!
I THINK WE ARE ABOUT FED UP WITH CHRIS NONSENSE. YOU ARE GETTING DUMBER AND DUMBER, OR SHOULD I SAY SHOWING YOUR TRUE COLORS. YOU SAW RECENTLY MARTHA KARUA ARGUING THAT THE SUPREME COURT SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST TWO FOREIGNERS FOR THE PETITION ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO BE FAIRLY HEARD IN COURT. YET SHE WAS THE ONE PUSHING ODM TO GO TO COURT. KNOWING VERY WELL THE CHIEF JUSTICE IS THE ONE WHO PRECIDED THE SWEARING OF KIBAKI AT NIGHT.
ReplyDeleteAnon 5:34 AM
ReplyDeleteFYI, I am not Kumekucha. However why don't you highlight some of the "ignorance" that seems to be "scary" and "increasing by day"?
Then debunk it with intelligent analysis coupled with well informed perception that is relevant to the subject matter.
And BTW, what is the use of having a "good friend" if s/he can't be worth her/his salt and doesn't have the slightest courage to call a spade a spade for the sake of a good old friendship when it counts most?
Good friends know how to get in touch in private and offer constructive criticism when and where its necessary.
Are you a really "good friend" of Kumekucha? Or are the part of the ever increasing population of reptilian friends in our midst?
LOL! My gosh! People like you remind me of some clansmen/women from my grandparent's old village in the one of the regions of Jamuhuri.
These are people who go around claiming that they "know so and so very well" yet they have no clue whatsoever as to what colleges, and universities the individuals in question attended, their career paths, or even their latest place work.
These are the same people (clansmen/women) who will waste time and money travelling back to the old villages during the year-end holidays inorder to try and sniff out or extract tidbits of information about other diasporans they thought they once knew so well.
Thank goodness that the old village people, google, facebook, and other resources never seem to afford them with what they really seek for while snooping on others in order to provide morsels of mischief (twisted information) for the rumour mills and egoistic assurance.
Truth be told, some people are as fake and destrcutive ('socially evil') as they come, and there is nothing one can do about them apart from keeping a very safe distance and limiting any contact by all accounts.
Such is life and beware.
No wonder he old men are fast losing respect in Africa. From oldies like Moi, Kenyatta, Mugabe Kibaki, Zuma, Gbagbo,..etc.shame on all these old scumbag thieves who should know better! Time for the African youth to go to the bush and kick out the old scums of the dark continent.Shindwe kabisa!
ReplyDelete@Bobby6Killer,
ReplyDelete"The only democrats in Africa are in the opposition and civil society while they are underdogs. Once they assume the reins of power they morph into demagogues who have to be forcibly removed."
My sentiments exactly! A man like Gbagbo was an underdog while he was in prison due to political reasons, and one would have thought that he would emerge from prison and rise to the political heights of Nelson Mandela, but he instead morphed into the basurd ranks of demagogues on the continent.
Anon 8:09 Am
ReplyDeleteHolds your mules for a second. It has very little to do with old men and the old generation of scumbags and goons.
Otherwise how do you explain the deeply waves of corruption and criminalityg that's beeing generated by the young political scumbags and professional goons who are already making waves in parliament, business circles, and around the country for all the despickable reasons?
There is no need to issue their names, let alone repeat the scandals and crimes they are purported to be involved in at this juncture.
Time will come when these blood thirsty Africans will be dead--ALL.
ReplyDeleteYes introduce a one-term presidency lasting for 5.5 years in the whole of Africa.
ReplyDeleteanom@11:52,
ReplyDeleteWhat is so tragic about Africa right now is the total news blackout that has made many Africans think that Paul Kagame of Rwanda saved Rwanda from 1994 genocide!
(1) Prior to the genocide, Kagame was well trained general in Ugandan army. He was also the leader of Rwandan Patriotic Front! (2) In August, 1993 a political settlement was reached between Paul Kagame and Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana to form a coalition government, like the one in Kenya right now. (3) Paul Kagame chose to invade Rwanda instead, leading to the 1994 Rwandan genocide and loss of lives of 800,000 defenseless civilians in a matter of 100 days! (4) In less 18 months after the Rwandan genocide, Kagame marched into Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) where 7,000,000 (7 million) unarmed Congolese have lost their lives (4) both events took place when Kofi Annan was a very powerful man at the UN and up to now he has never suggested that Kagame be tried at The Hague.
I hate the fact that 1,500 innocent Kenyans lost their lives and 350,000 fled for their lives during the 2007/2008 election turmoil; I pray that those responsible should not be left to roam the streets of Kenya as free men. I am also happy that Annan and Ocampo are there for Kenyans. However, why have they been voiceless for the 7 million Congolese whose deaths nobody want to talk about? What is the real story behind their presence in Kenya?
African Men Dont Believe In Loosing They Also Wont Die Alone. Kudos To Ivorians For Refusing To Die For Their "president"
ReplyDeleteTerm limits must be introduced and enforced on the African continent.
ReplyDeleteA first 5-yr term followed by a second 5-yr if one is re-elected by the majority.
Ten years in office should be the maximum and no more "presidents for life" (village tyrants).
Paula Kagame - 1994 ("24 March 2000).
Yoweri Museveni - 26 January 1986 (24 years, 336 days).
Isaias Afwerki - 24 May 1993 (make it 29 May 1991).
Meles Zenawi - 28 May 1991-1995 (president).
Meles Zenawi - 23 August 1995 (prime minister).
They must go! They must leave office! They must let go and allow their repsective nations to evolve beyond their current political shadows.
The threat that nations in Eastern Africa face is not abject poverty, corruption, undemocratic parliaments, civil wars, negative ethnicty, or prevental diseases but political leaders who made themselves believe that "owning" their nations as personal property is their birthright and ordained mandate.
What would have happened to Kenya or to Daniel arap Moi had he not been wise enough to relinquish his iron grip on power in 2002?
ReplyDeleteWhere would some of the current ministers, parliamentarians and senior civil servants and military's top brass be to day (December, 2010) had Daniel arap Moi decided to leave office in 2007?
Who is it that once said, "Ascending to various degress of political leadership is a matter of coincidences and opportunities"?
Ancient history has shown that there is no real formula for the general process of ascending to power.
Most of the current crop or "bad seed" of politicians got elected just because of the 2002 nation wide hate for Daniel arap Moi, and an overwhelming deslike for Mwai Kibaki in 2007.
The composition of the current parliament would have been very different had the national mood been otherwise.
Unfortunately, PNU and ODM have continued with the same political traditions, tactics and dirty tricks learned from the one and only "professor of politics" Daniel arap Moi, in more ways than they would like to acknowlegde in public.
The more things change?
The more cosmtic changes are introduced to fool the unsuspecting (passive) public.
LOL!
“No one should think that what is
ReplyDeletehappening today is a mere change of
guard; it is a fundamental change in the
politics of our country...We want
our people to be able to afford shoes.
The honourable excellency who is going to
the United Nations in executive jets, but has
a population at home of 90 percent walking
barefoot, is nothing but a pathetic spectacle.
Yet this excellency may be busy trying to
compete with [then US President Ronald Reagan] and [then USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev] to show them that he, too, is an
excellency. ”
~Yoweri Museveni, Jan 1986~
By 1995, the same man who had nothing but disdain for African leader's in office over 10 years struck out term limits from the UG constitution. Last year UG purchased a Gulfstream V presidential jet for UGS 88.2 billion. Ministers who were driven in Nissan Laurels (KE's Passat window dressing equivalent) today sport 4WD SUV's.
Museveni, Kagame, & Zenawi have done great work for Uncle Sam over the years. The first 2 in the DRC & the latter in Somalia (UG has troops in Mogadishu as well on AU mission). Ethiopia has invaded Mogadishu at least twice in a post Black Hawk down world.
Our very own General Kiguoya on the hill valiantly assisted the WOT with his illegal rendition of terror suspects in the run up to the '07 elections. RAO's Muslim MOU threatened to disrupt the good work. So long as our regional leaders (puppets?) work in tandem with the sacred US national interest, don't expect to hear anything negative about them on the CNN's of this world. Kazi iendelee...
My stand has always been that leadership is very important and it affects people's lives, but despite this we shouldn't engross ourselves so much with leadership per se and forget what is really behind us wanting good leadership.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I'm seeing this happening in some posts here, where some have gone ahead to criticize Kagame, while others have praised democracy, forgetting the bigger picture of why we want good leadership and democracy.
In short we want good leadership because we want our lives to improve, to have good lives where we cannot only afford the basic things but also we can have enough for luxurious things.
In Kenya we can decide to have leadership on rotational basis among the tribes, such that every four years we have a new leader from a different tribe, but if this doesn't change our lives then it becomes a waste of time. Better I have an insane leader and my life is improving than having a professor yet my life is deteriorating because of greedy policies.
How many Arab countries don't have democracy yet their living standards are higher than us? So before you start praising democracy start saying what you expect to be it's benefits, I'm sure you might find yourself in a situation where you find that democracy by itself cannot play any role in improving our lives.
Before we say a leader MUST step down we need also to see what will be the effects of him stepping down and what we want from a new leader. Failure to address the reason why we need a new leader and what will be our contribution for what we see as success leadership, is incomplete and that's why we will change a leader from another without seeing any change in our lives. We have seen this several times at constituency level in Kenya.
It's unfortunate that some are mentioning Kagame in this blog yet probably don't understand the Rwanda environment. I'll not wish Rwanda to end up as Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan just because someone wanted a change of leadership. At the moment Rwanda doesn't have a leader who can keep the country together apart from Kagame, talk of a powerful father who has several children who are less powerful than him, but equally powerful to each other, it's likely that they'll fight for power if the father isn't around, which can easily spread to the people around who are still in a volatile situation.
I'll remain with my stand that we should always start with what we want in order to improve our lives, then go another step of seeing the solutions to what we want, then leadership that will fit into our equation and finally go to vote for that leader who will help us in achieving the solution we desire.
Failure to understand our own problems and the solutions to it will always make us choose a wrong leader thinking he'll provide us the solution, for sometimes, if not always, you find the leader doesn't have a clue of problems, leave alone solutions, his followers have, so how do you expect such a leader to provide a solution? We should fit the proper leader to our desired solutions.
If we don't choose a leader who fit to our desired solution, then our choice of leadership is tantamount to gambling with leadership through election, and we all know that in gambling chances are that most of the time you'll be loosing more than you gain.
ReplyDelete@ Phil I don't buy that. Even in a tough situation like Rwanda's a good leader has to put in mechanisms that will enable him to groom his successor through mentoring. What if, God forbid, he slips in the shower & meets his maker? This cult of personality thing has got to die off.
ReplyDeleteTake TZ as an example. It was always known JK was a rising star & would hold the highest office in the land. It was just a question of when. Our KE political parties need to have vibrant & active youth wings where talent is spotted & nurtured for future office both high & low. Look at how Ed Miliband rose in his party. These are not Uhuru 2002 type projects rammed down peoples throats at the 11th hour. Ofcourse the assumption is the parties already have the policies they intend use to improve the elocrates life fully thought out & implementable once in power whomever the head honcho may be.
"How many Arab countries don't have (western type of) democracy yet their living standards are higher than us?"
ReplyDeleteUnlike the Arab nations, most African countries depend on proverbial hand-outs ("aid") from the western hemisphere in order to sustain their well being.
FYI, the Arab nations you have just mentioned have one thing in common, which is, a deep understanding of who they are as people and nations.
That's why they still use their own languages, alphabet, religion and culture, unlike their brain washed and self loathing counterparts on the African continent.
If African countries can find the ways and means to engineer and at the same time cultivate DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS, they will not have to fear about how many leadership changes that take place in their own geopolitical backyards.
Does Japan ring a bell with regard to the frequent resignations? Of course we are not as developed as Japan, but we will get there some day.
Who really doesn't understand the "Rwandan environment 101"? Unless they don't want to in 2010.
Africa's biggest problem is the passive acceptance of the "bigman syndrome" without ever questioning the "whys".
Anyway, fear is the only thing that the Rwandan people have to fear.
BTW, over ten million Africans have died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since in the last ten years alone because of the big man syndrome.
@Philip,
ReplyDeleteYour thesis on competent leadership is very laudable if only anchored on the wrong premise of FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. For starters you inadvertently elevate Kagame to a cult status. All are immortal and Kagame came and will soon go. So will that inevitable eventuality spell the end of Rwanda? NO.
And what makes you think it is not smart Paul proping those equally powerful sons to create an environment of making himself indespensable?
The bottom line is: you loose all the good moral standing when you start entertaining the thought that without you your country is finished. Good leaders do their part and move on hoping better leaders will succeed them and even help groom the later.
History must be left to play its part in judging a leader and people. Only selfish leaders try to influence history when still in power.
I have liked what Paul Kagame has done and continues to do for the Rwandan nation.
ReplyDeleteI admire the dude in all respects and I will never forget how far he has brought Rwanda from the brink and helped the Rwandans emerge from the clutches of evil.
All I continue to state is that a good leader and wise general knows when to let his beloved armies, people and nation march on with or without him.
Paul Kagame can't afford to spend more years babysitting the Rwandan nation. There comes a time when he will have to wean it, allow it to crawl, learn to walk, fall, run, jumb and learn from past mistakes and unforeseen national obstacles.
A time will come when he will have to let go or even force the nation out of his fatherly nest, if he really desires the nation to fly and soar higher in Eastern Africa.
Least we forget how Marshal and later Prime Minister Josip Broz Tito tried and fought so hard to babysit the former Yugoslavia and what became of the one time socialist federal republic:
Bosnia and Herzgovina,
Croatia,
Macedonia,
Montenegro,
Serbia,
Slovenia,
and
Kosovo.
The last thing I would hate to see is history paint Paul Kagame with same brush that painted Josip Broz Tito in light of the fall and disintegration of former Yugoslavia.