We have been reflecting on a word which has been used around the world to destabilize countries: the word “democracy.” This word has been used to impose treacherous regimes and sanctions upon “weaker” countries. By “weaker,” we basically mean those that used to be called “third-world” countries. The “global” world we are getting marched towards does not apply to all; there still needs to be some uniqueness which applies to local issues, needs, cultures, and people.
Over a decade ago, we wrote the article “Africans and the Trap of Democracy,” when NATO forces were bombing Libya. Reading it, almost every single word is still relevant today and can be applied to situations in so many countries on the African continent and beyond. Back then, we were shocked that so many Africans were applauding the actions of NATO using the word “democracy” … we hope that they can see what the destabilization of Libya has done to the rest of Africa, and that in reality the word “democracy” is used to fool Africans into hating those who actually work for Africa’s survival and its real independence. Libya under Khadafi was a prosperous country; Singapore, in Asia, under Lee Kuan Yew became one of the most successful economies in the world. There are so many dictatorships in Africa disguised under the name democracies where there are elections every few years and which are praised by the West because they serve their interests in Africa. Let us NOT fall into this trap called “democracy” in Mali, Niger, or Burkina Faso. Instead let us support our brothers of the Alliance of the Sahel (AES), and acknowledge that the continent with the first constitution in the world born in the Empire of Mali, the Kourougan Fouga, cannot learn about ways to govern itself from foreigners. The answer is within!
Enjoy! Africans and the Trap of Democracy
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With the bombing of the presidential residence in Cote d’Ivoire by French forces for over a week, followed by the arrest of president Laurent Gbagbo, with the current intense bombing of Libya by NATO for the past 6 months, I cannot help but try to answer some of the same justifications used by Africans to approve the bombings by foreign troops on their neighbors’ countries, and ultimately on African soil. Any African who claimed and accepted that Cote d’Ivoire should be bombed by the French, shame on you! Any African who thought that the bombing of Libya was correct… shame on you! Any African who uses the same stupid phrase used by the West to abuse us: “… well Gbagbo had his day, he was in power for 10 years!… or Kadhafi was there 42 years!” Well my friend… Shame on you! Should democracy be imposed using bombs? Should democracy be imposed using warplanes, and Apache helicopters? Is it democracy to bomb the people you plan to help? Is it democracy to deliberately bomb civilian targets, hospitals, state televisions, homes, etc… to, like NATO said “protect civilians”? Was there not a peaceful solution? Was it so hard to re-count the votes in Cote d’Ivoire? Was it so hard to organize elections as Kadhafi asked? Why bomb? Why bomb? Why bomb?…
… I have not seen anywhere that the definition of democracy was “government imposed by external forces, for external forces, to crush the people of a country!” I am tired of this stupid debate the media-lies (CNN, BBC, France24, etc) always bring and which Africans always fall to: “this one is a democrat, and the other one is a dictator.” Please stop bothering people with the same rhetoric, and stop bothering people with your pseudo-democracies where nobody has the right to say anything. Frankly every other year when elections come around, don’t you ever wonder how come with all the bright politicians coming out of top schools, how come we always end up with only 2 (and somehow the worst of all)?
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African Heritage 