Will Africa Implode?

Part II

Then we come down to the West of Africa. Ghana was the first black African nation to gain independence from British Colonial rule in March 6, 1957. The country has gone through several coup d’états like her powerful neighbor Nigeria. We have all heard of the civil war in Liberia which led to horrific consequences of genocide. Sierra Leone has also had its share of woes and a beautiful city like Freetown is a shadow of its past glory. How about Cote d’ Ivoire? Under the dictatorship of Boigny, the once Paris of Africa has also been reduced to its former shell.

I am just naming the bigger States and their current conditions. Out of all the countries I have named in West Africa, I can say that only Ghana has succeeded in handing over power peacefully a couple of times and is operating in a peaceful democratic atmosphere.
Togo would have dissolved into chaos had not the Africa Union and the United Nations stepped in to correct the perpetration of the late Eyadema’s dictatorship. At his death, he had the negative honor of being one of the longest dictatorships in Africa. His son was ‘selected’ to rule in his stead but thanks to the powers that be, this was resisted. Yes, Eyadema junior is in power today through a ‘rigged’ election as they say.

As at now in West Africa, Cameroon’s leader is fighting to become one of Africa’s dinosaurs as I call them; rulers who are refusing to allow others probably better than themselves to also use their intellect to help propel their countries out of poverty!
Omar Bongo of Gabon recently died and he had the singular honor of being the longest dictator in Africa if not the world! “Africa’s longest-entrenched autocrat” the CNN labeled him at his death in June 2009, this year. He ruled for 41 long years!
Listen to what it was reported of him and his leadership.

“Mr. Bongo, a disciple of the first generation of African leaders, came to power in 1967, when Lyndon B. Johnson was still president. He presided over an oil boom that fuelled an extravagant lifestyle for him and his family — dozens of luxurious properties in and around Paris, a $500 million presidential palace, fancy cars. But the tide of money did little to lift his country of 1.5 million people out of chronic poverty.” CNN

This my friend is the order of the day for many many African rulers. Sanni Abacha the late vicious dictator of Nigeria under whom thousands were assassinated or imprisoned was crowned “the Dictator of the month in July 2002” People database reported. He stole and amassed a record 3 billion dollars even surpassing the notorious master of the thieving leaders in Africa, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire.
Almost all these leaders ruled with the proverbial “iron hand’ crushing any opposition that stood in the way of their bloody rampage! Stealing the hard earned wealth that could have catapulted Africa into a might and great continent.

When we come to the East, Kenya suffered a tainted democratically elected leadership when riots and mayhem broke out after the election into power of Mwai Kibaki, the current leader. Before him had been Arap Moi and Jomo Kenyatta the first president. The latter’s death revealed that he and his family owned almost every good thing in Kenya at the time of his death. What else is new? Kenya had been under one party rule under Kenyatta and Moi until 1992 when riots forced Moi to allow multi-party activities.

Let’s not forget Uganda. Who can forget the likes of Iddi Amin and Milton Obote? In their wake is Yoveri Musevini who took over power in 1986. He is currently ruling with some semblance of democracy termed ‘stolen’ since all his activities have been termed “sly” by others in order to perpetuate his solid hold on the country. The northern part has been brutalized by rebels known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and the Karamajong and sent millions into exile while internally displaced citizens in Uganda number more than any other country in the world.

Now we come to Zimbabwe on the West Southern coast of Africa. We all know it as the former Rhodesia where the late Ian Smith ruled with impunity against the rightful owners of the land. We all supported Mugabe and his freedom fighters to lead the fight against apartheid in Rhodesia. Mugabe even lived in my country Ghana and married a Ghanaian wife Sally, may God rest her gentle soul. I was in primary school during the violence that clouded the skies of Rhodesia and I never ever imagined that that country would come out from under apartheid rule but God is a righteous judge and allowed it to happen. You can imagine the joy and euphoria that spread not only through out the whole of Africa but around the world as well. Little did anyone ever imagine that that joy and hope would turn into dust and ashes in our mouths.

I will end here and continue with the current status of Zimbabwe next time.
Cheers!