Will Africa Implode?

Introduction:

I started wrinting the article below in 2009, so many of the events have changed but I want to produce it as it was just to allow you the reader to experience some of the events that have led Africa to the state that it is in now.
Bear with me and read it as I wrote it. Some of the events especially in Darfur and Egypt have changed. Mubarak is no longer the Head of State for Egypt since we all saw the revolution that took place to overthrow his government.
Darfur has also gained independence on July 9 2011 this year even though there is still speculation whether Omar al Bashir, the President of Sudan, who congratulated Southern Sudan will allow the 'baby' nation to survive. Why this scepticim? This is because on becoming independent, Sudan lost about one third of its territory and about three quarters of its oil reserves. Do you think al-Bashir will leave them alone? Let us see what happens. As for me, I am sceptical but I keep praying that my brothers and sisters in the South will find peace at last.
So here goes, enjoy the discuss and let me have your comments.


WILL AFRICA IMPLODE?
December 8th, 2009

Preamble:

As I write now from my home on the Plains of Mid-West in the United States, my heart is breaking for my continent Africa. News coming from Africa somehow is always different from news about Africa which Western nations report.
Yes, Western nations report about Africa, the conflicts, the corruption and the commotion. What they fail to report is the major reasons why Africa is what it is today.

As I write now, the genocide in Darfur is still raging since it first started in 2003 after rebel groups from the Western part began attacking government targets accusing them of discrimination in favour of Arabs.

Chad is accusing the government of Sudan of backing Arab rebels against their villages and Sudan is counter accusing Chad of supporting rebels attacking the Sudanese government using Chad as their launching pad. The Central African Republic (CAR) is also accusing the Sudanese government of supporting CAR rebels who have taken over some villages inside the country.

If one looks closely, it is a fact that the conflict in Darfur has spilled over its borders into Chad and CAR. Who is to blame? That is the million dollar question resonant of the question of whether the egg came before the chicken or vice versa.

On the horn of Africa in the East is the conflict in Somalia that began after the corrupt government of Siad Barre was overthrown in a coup in 1991. Since then, “the country has been in a state of near-anarchy, with no effective national government, rival warlords and clans disputing control, and regions declaring their independence or autonomy.” BBC.
Major-General Muhammed Siad Barre had overthrown the government of Shermarke in October 1969 and assassinated him in the process. He suspended the country’s constitution and declared Somalia as a socialist dictatorship which eventually led to his own downfall. In 1992, he fled the country with his family into exile in Kenya leaving the country in shambles and tatters.
Since then the United Nations and other nations have failed in their attempts to help stabilize the country.
Today, Somali is embroiled in Islamic conflicts and piracy. The majority of the people are starving and the most affected are women and children and the elderly who always face the greatest brunt of any conflict anywhere in the world
Egypt has its own share of violence and as I write today, Egypt has become a “police state where torture has become systematic” reports AFP. Since the assassination of Anwar Sadat, Egypt is reportedly being operating under a state of emergence which has become the norm despite protests by human rights groups.

"Everyone who falls in the grasp of the police, particularly the poor, is in imminent danger of torture and bodily harm inflicted through various means, including beatings, kicks, floggings, burning with cigarettes, sexual harm... electroshocks to the feet, head, sexual organs and breasts, and hanging from iron bars or the door of the cell," the report continued.
As I see it, this state of events has ripened the potential of Egypt to descend into chaos after Mubarak leaves office. Will Egypt also become the next Somalia?

Ethiopia cannot be left out with the current government’s systematic ‘stealing” of votes during elections. One of my own colleagues and ActionAid’s partner when I worked for ActionAid were thrown into prison with over 100 others for treason just because they were standing in for the majority voiceless Ethiopians who had become impotent to speak up against their government’s corruption.

We will continue with events in West Africa, beginning from my country Ghana next time.

Peace!!!