“What a year that 2011 was!” by Nkwazi Mhango

December is a time when writers, editors, analysts and all who make news what it is, are busy researching on what to write to wind up the year. Likewise, all media houses and outlets are busy hunting for a sound summary of the year. This is what this article is all about today.

Truly, the year 2011 was a year that empowered hoi polloi against hoit toity in many countries, especially in Africa. Time Magazine named “The Protester” as its Person of the Year. Indeed, thanks to tireless efforts and fearless heart of the protester, we evidenced strong men cascading like a cardhouse. It all started in Tunisia where on 14 January 2011, when a desperate young man Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after being fed up with police harrasments. Just two weeks of the commencement of the year, Zine Abdeen Ben Ali was forced to flee to Saudi Arabia after demonstrators toppled his government under what was later known as Jasmine Revolution.

The Jasmine Revolution became a political meme. It did not end up in Tunisia. A month thereafter, it swept Egypt where a longtime strong man, Field Marshal Mohamad Hosni Mubarak became another casualty. On 25 January 2011 all major Egyptian cities caught on fire of revolution that culminated on 11 February when Mubarak stepped down after noting that the wind of changes was not on his favour.

While new development was registering on Maghreb, Africa south of Sahara was not spared. One of its democrat-turned-dictator president Laurent Gbagbo was at it with his arch foe, current president, Allasane Ouattra who defeated him in polls. The capture of Laurent Gbagbo on 6 April 2011 and handing him over to The Hague on 29 November to face the music was something that marked some changes in SSA, which has defied logic by not being gutted down by Jasmine Revolution. It remains as the place with many stinking dictators that are still safer thanks to lacking enlightened population.

Going back to the year and some of its breakthrough, on 2 May 2011 the world was awaked by the news that the head of al Qaida Osama bin Laden was killed by American seals. The saying “Jeronimo EKIA” or “Jeronimo the Enemy Killed in Action” as it was coined by the Seals, became a hit of its own.

Before long, the wind of change was still blowing in Maghreb. For on 15 February 2011, it started pounding Libya as demonstration commenced in Benghazi. Ever since fierce fighting ensued between the soldiers of the government of the long time ruler Muammar Gaddafi. Gaddafi coined the saying “zanga zanga”, namely surround them everywhere and kill them and the rebels in Benghazi. It took months to bring down the regime in Tripoli. On 20 October Gaddafi along with his son and chief of security were summarily killed as they were trying to escape after their convoy being attacked by NATO jets.

The year 2011 had another side of loss and gains in other circles. For it is in the same year on 25 September 2011 Kenya lost her beloved iconic daughter Nobel Laurete Wangari Maathai, who bravery fought cancer and later succumbed. That was a loss. The gains for Kenya in 2011 were immense.

The ruling about arresting Sudanese strong man, Omar Bashir, should he set foot on Kenya soil by a Kenyan judge, Nichola Ombija on Nov. 28, 2011, brought reliefs to Human Rights activists the world over, so as to uplift Kenya’s name internationally. Also the response of the judiciary to stick to its guns was a breakthrough.

2011 also saw Kenya entering Somalia to flush out al Shabaab. This occurred after thugs from Somalia entered Kenya and abducted three people, two Britons and a French woman who later died in the hands of her captors. This provoked Kenya so as to decide to take on al Shabaab under operation Linda Nchi or Protect the Country.

South of Kenya, it was all jubilations in Zambia, when on 23 September 2011 the opposition swept an incumbent president out of power. This was the second time for this nation to do so.

North of Kenya, in the Middle East, things were not so good. For the former president of Israel, Moshe Katsav was found guilt of rape and on 6 Dec 2011 he started to serve his seven year jail term in Maasiyahu prison. A week thereafter, former French president Jaques Rene Chirac (Bulldozier) was bulldozed before the court and found guilt thence, convicted for misappropriation of public funds save that, different from Katsav, he received a two years suspended sentence. Despite all, this was slap on the face.

The year wound up with the death of North Korean strong man Kim Jong Il on December 17^th, 2011 at the age of 69 like Gaddafi. A day after, on 18 December 2011 the world lost a great son Vaclav Havel the former president of Czechoslovakia (1989–19920 and Slovak (1993-2003).

Economically, the year 2011 evidenced turmoil in the Eurozone whereby three countries were on the verge of collapsing economically. These are Italy, Greece and Spain.

Tanzania wound the year with very heavy and brutal floods that claimed the lives of over 40 lives.

As for Uganda, it was relatively calm save that there were some sparks regarding gay rights and the death of Rwandan exiled Journalist Charles Ingabire, who was gunned down on November 30, 2011.

In sum, generally speaking, the year 2011 was intaglioed with many imbroglios and scenarios for my crystal ball. It was but a potpourri. It was not easy to define so to speak.

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

Slavery: A 21st Century Evil

I haven’t been paying too much attention to the Occupy Wall Street fiasco. Like the Tea Party Movement, it’s become a media fueled circus (panem et circenses), a reality tv inspired showcase of privileged White americans who are pissed at being forced to downsize their decadent lifestyle, as well as their unrealistic expectations. Americans, both White and Black, are finally waking up and coming to the realization that they are not the world, much less the centre of the universe. Sure, the so-called (white) left wing pundits attempt to give the OWS some legitimacy as a part of a worldwide phenomenon, by aligning it to the protests in Europe (Greece in particular) and the Jasmine Revolutions in Africa (read here), but don’t believe the hype! The truth is, it’s nothing more than a passing fad for most… like the protests of the 60’s.

Continuing unabated however is the issue of slavery. In fact it is much more entrenched worldwide and flourishes with little or no opposition in western (european and amerian) societies. Ironically, it is hidden right out in the open. However there is no type of “Freedom Movement”…. like the Occupy Wall Street or Tea Party Movement… among the socially or culturally conscious to end it’s practice. These social and cultural elites, just like their cousins, the political and financial (capitalist) elites, are concerned more about attaining and/or keeping the material trappings of privilege, which are created on or stolen from the backs of modern day slaves. Indeed, there is nothing new under the sun.

There is an eight-part series on Aljazeera by journalist Rageh Omaar on the 21st century slave trade. It sure brings life and recent events into perspective, for those who are not “too blind to see”, or distracted by latest circus, X-Factor-like spectacular.

You will be able to watch all the episodes here and read more about it in detail here.

Jasmine Revolution: An African Revolution Not For Black Africans

One of the illusions that Europeans and Arabs alike have successfully perpetrated for over a century, is that the northern part of Africa is not apart of the African continent. I have had discussions and arguments with so-called “highly educated people”… those with more than one grouping of letters behind their names, who are not aware that Egypt for example is in Africa. This includes Black People! This propaganda is so deep-rooted that Egypt is seen to be in the Middle East, while the countries to it’s west, namely Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and The Western Sahara, are termed The Maghreb.

When one studies the history of the region and the Arab/Muslim conquest and migration into the northern, as well as parts of east Africa, the fact is that Arab aggression, oppression, exploitation and depopulation of black Africans and their resources occurred long before the Christian Europeans arrived. Even today, chattel slavery of black Africans by brown and white Arabs is still practised in countries such as Niger, Sudan and Mauritania.

It’s no wonder then that the so-called “Jasmine Revolutions” sweeping across the Muslim states of north Africa, which in reality are African revolutions to free the people from decades of state oppression and exploitation, does not include those Africans with black skin. It brings to mind the French and American Revolutions for freedom from the state oppression at the time, both of which did not include freeing those with black skin. History once again repeating itself.

The fact is that in Libya, black migrant workers, as well as black Libyans, are victims of thefts, beatings, imprisonment and lynchings by their “light-skinned” African brothers. Read this disturbing article in the New York Times, one of many I’ve read on this subject in the past couple months.

Black people in North America are quick to sympathize (be used) and take to the streets, to protest against the oppression of (brown) Palestinians by the (white)Israelis, or demonstrate against (white) American aggression in (brown) Iraq and Afghanistan. However I hear no condemnations from our “brown” brothers and sisters, nor do I see our “brown” comrades in arms here… nor anywhere in the world for that matter… take to the streets against the oppression and murder of black Africans, by their own kind. I have always stated that I would rather be the victim of American rather than Arab or Persian imperialism. In an Arab/Muslim dominated world, I would most certainly be considered and treated as an “abeed”… a slave… simply because of my black skin, regardless if I was a Muslim.

An Arabic proverb (warning): “Me against my brother; my brother and me against my cousin; Me, my brother, and my cousin against the stranger”.

“Is Mubarak’s trial shame or fame for Africa?” by Nkwazi Mhango

Among the people who were moved, pained and disturbed by the tribulations and trials of former Egyptian strong man, Hosni Mubarak recently, is former Nigerian two-time president Olusegun Obassanjo. Obassanjo aired his view in Mombasa. Kenya where he was attending former presidents’ meeting, when he was asked how he views transitions happening in Egypt especially the trial of Mubarak. He had this to say, “Let them do whatever they want to do with Mubarak but putting him in a cage like chicken is not proper.” What a nugget of wisdom!

I greatly adore and respect Obassanjo for the noble and exemplary role he played for Nigeria and Africa in general. Again why didn’t Obassanjo say this when former Nigerian butcher, Sani Abacha was hurriedly and unceremoniously buried like a dog hanged for stealing meat? Simple logic is that Obassanjo did not say anything thanks to the fact that he was fighting and yearing for justice after being sentenced to death by Abacha illegally. This is the same situation those that lost their loved ones under Mubarak’s order are in.

Appearing before Cairo Court “frail” Mubarak was put in cage as he laid in bed as a drip hanged on him. His kids, too, were present though the media did not show them. The media did not show them simply because, for it, the biggest prize was Mubarak. For his supporters it was the most humiliating time in his and their lives ever. For those seeking justice it was a gratifying time ever. Essentially, what this actually was depends on the side one is in.

At his age, and for the time he spent in power, Mubarak was indeed slapped in the face. At 83, had Mubarak been a democrat or something near or even a seer like Nelson Mandela and Julius Nyerere, he’d have at least over twenty years in retirement. But nay! For Mubarak and other dictators, president is made of steel not flesh. He is made of light like Lucifer, but not dirty soil like Adam. He does not err. Whatever he says is a law in and by itself. Power is for him to love, have and hold forever. Power is among the bains of his life. Even his kids and wife are presidents in their own light. He does not retire or step down even when he messes and thinking about this is treason that guarantees supply for the noose of the hangman.

I don’t know if the word retirement resonates in the ears of strong men like Omar Bashir, Yoweri Museveni, Robert Mugabe, Denis Sassou Ngweso, Abdulaye Wade, Muamar Gadaffi, Paul Biya, Paul Kagame, Meres Zenawi, Isaias Afewerki and many more in the making in Africa. What happened to Mubarak is what is surely deserved, save that it took long time to happen. As a former president, maybe, just maybe, Obassanjo considered Mubarak as a special and sacred person thanks to being a former head of state. Had Obassanjo looked at another side of the coin, he’d realize that what happened to Mubarak is not shameful as it is wrongly perceived. What happened is the way justice works equally for all regardless of class, position, connection, clan and whatnot.

If you ask Sudanese refugees that were beaten and some killed under Mubarak’s orders, just for voicing their concerns, what Mubarak is going through is nothing but justice. If you ask Egyptians who lost their freedom for over two decades, what Mubarak is going through is but purification and promise of a justicious new Egypt. If you ask other Africans suffering from iron fists of their venal strong men, what Mubarak is going through is but a stalk warning for others in power. If you ask a poor man and woman on the street whose money was embezzled by Mubarak or the likes with their consigliore, what Mubarak is going through is nothing but something less in magnitude than what it would be shall they be given upper hand to decide his plight and fate. If you ask thinkers, what Mubarak is going through is nothing but the calamity he authored himself. For the judiciary in Egypt is reading from his scripts.

Importantly, if we make bone out of it, absolute power corrupts absolutely. When one looks at how Africa is languishing in begging and poverty unnecessarily, the same person finds no mercy for people like Mubarak. How can one forgive and defend the same creatures that have for long pushed Africa into the purgatory? Africa is rich in natural resources though poor in human resources. Again, African rulers are always ruining it. When one looks at African’s grim picture, can nary even shed cordial tears for any dictator on the cross. If Mubarak put his people in the cage like chickens, what is wrong with putting him in the same cage? Why better than thou when justice is delivered? Though grieving, even defending Mubarak is the right of the likes of Obassanjo and any other who want to defend him, so
too, it is the right for Egyptians to deliver justice the way they deem fit. Importantly, human rights must be protected. This is what matters most. Mubarak is a mortal human being that wrongly perceived himself as a saint due to commanding unchecked powers and jiggy life.

True, African potentates have very short or no memory. Who thought they’d easily forget what happened to their colleagues namely Samuel Doe, Jean- Bedel Bokassa ,Mobutu Seseseko, Charles Taylor and Laurent Gbagbo to mention but a few? A goat always has no memory. When you shout at it to stop destroying the crops in farm, it thinks this happened a long while ago. When you shout again, it thinks this happened yesterday. When you throw a stone at it, it realizes this is happening now! Again, the stone does not leave the goat well. When a human, especially one vested with power behaves like a goat, what happened to Mubarak is predictable and inevitable so to speak.

How many are going to go Mubarak’s way especially in South Saharan Africa? Many, many more! It is just the matter of time even if it takes a decade or so. Looking at what is happening to Mubarak, is it really shame or fame for Africa?

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.

Blackout of humanitarian crisis in Cote d’Ivoire

In the wake of the enormous media coverage of the uprisings and so-defined “revolutions” in North Africa and the Middle East, I am hard pressed to find any media coverage of the escalating atrocities and impending civil war in Cote d’Ivoire. The “blackout” of this media coverage I am referring to is not within the mainstream media… which is understandable… it’s within the AfroSphere itself. One can read more on Chris Brown… even on Charlie Sheen… on blogs, news sites and webzines within the Black/African blogosphere, than on Cote d’Ivoire. 

The sad thing about this is that in this age of the power of social media within the creation of communities of interest, the recent histories of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Kenya are being repeated today in Cote d’Ivoire (here)… and we don’t care. It’s an indictment on all of us, from President Obama… “a son of Africa”… to those of African descent within the continent, the Diaspora and the AfroSphere. We do nothing, then we get pissed and question the motives and sincerity of the Bono’s, George Clooney’s and Mia Farrow’s of the (white) world when they take up the causes of African people. 

In saying all this however, I must acknowledge and give props to Patrick-Bernard at Cry Me An Onion for his post “The Ivory Coast Saga” in December 2010. He is one of a handful within the AfroSphere with a global perspective and understanding on the importance and significance of these issues on those of African descent regardless of where we reside. 

Henceforth, the first step to do something… anything… about this is awareness. Below are some resources on Cote d’Ivoire that bring knowledge and perspective to what is happening there now:

1. Aljazeera: An Ivorian Miracle?
2. Crossed Crocodiles: Ivory Coast – What Happened? What Next? (excellent background and references on current situation)
3. The African Executive: The Ivory Coast: Unlocking the Impasse
4. Pambazuka News: Cote d’Ivoire: Forces behind the crisis and what’s at stake

Post something on your blog or webzine to bring attention to this crisis. Hundreds have been and thousands will be massacred. Atrocities such as mass murders and rapes, other crimes against humanity including genocide is forthcoming. Obama and the European allies argued that they had to intervene in Lybia to prevent a humanitarian crisis… what about Cote d’Ivoire?

Enlighten those during discussions about the so-called “Jasmine Revolutions” as well as debates surrounding military intervention in Lybia, about the fight for democracy and the current humanitarian crisis in Cote d’Ivoire. This should be our primary concern.  

The mainstream media may ignore the plight of the people in Cote d’Ivoire… that’s expected… our blackout of this event… is self-imposed. The guilt will be ours.

Is South Saharan Africa reading Egypt’s script? by Nkwazi Mhango

Dramatic-cum-nicely-choreographed fall from grace of former Egyptian strong man, Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, was unprecedented though what happened in Tunisia tells it all.

Defiant and arrogant as the tyrant has always been, nobody thought he would easily be toppled. Day-dreaming as it was seen in 18 days, at last Mubarak succumbed to people’s power.

When the oppressor was booted out, my thought went ahead of this jovial moment. The first and crucial question was, if comparably affluent Egyptians can vent their pent-up anger by booting out the tyrant, what of the wretched of the earth in south of Egypt?

If you remind yourself of the pictures of Cairo, you’ll agree with me that Egyptians are relatively better compared to their cousins in south facing even grimmer situation. For example, currently, Tanzanians are facing acute shortage of power unnecessarily. Rationing is the norm next to reality. Corruption is an order of the day as accountability faces detumescence.

So too, Ugandans have known but just a one man show for over two decades. What is their take of what happened in Egypt and Tunisia?

Generally speaking, life is harsher in SSA than it is in Egypt, even the Maghreb in general. It is even more meaningless comparably. You, who are reading this, try to compare your life with those of Egyptian you will know what I mean. Go ahead. Compare your per capital with that of Egyptians. Furthermore, compare your infrastructures to that you saw in Egypt.

Another thing that busied my mind is geopolitics of the region. Ethiopia as well as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are suffering from chronic mega corruption. Arab countries are suffering from dictatorship and monarchism.

Thanks to globalization whatever happens in any country of the world is echoed and aped all over the world. That’s why what transpired in Tunisia, gave birth to revolution in Egypt which soon will escalate to Algeria, Yemen and elsewhere. We’re waiting to see the end of what is going on in Yemen. This dyadic revolution is a new beacon everyone is looking at. Will this domino effect go on or dwindle? Egyptian revolution has rekindled it surely.

Many careless and myopic rulers would sooth their hearts thinking that Tunisia-cum-Egypt Jasmine Revolution has nothing to do with them. But again, this time, as US president indicated, is time for eradicating dictators and crooks. The timing of this new world order is accurate and people’s power is unstoppable.

I am asking myself. If the guys that were smart enough to hijack their population for three decades are shown the road, what of the rookies? Another killer fact, Egyptians, for thirty years, were regarded as the most docile people on earth thank to not taking on their tyrant. When Sudanese started demonstrations in the heart of Cairo, Egyptians were left baffled. They wondered how could one get the guts of agitating against the government and fall short of being totally insane?

But when hunger and miseries are at work, anything can unpredictably happen. Hungry person has no taboos Swahili sage has it. Who would put his or her name on shame, risking thinking that Mohammed Bouazizi would be the power behind toppling tyrants?

My shew stone tells me that a hungry man or woman in Cairo has no border with the same in Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam or Kigali. This means, what happened in Egypt and Tunisia is but the beginning-cum-replica of what is to happen.

Another crucial aspect of the whole history making is the fact that military is coming out of age. The decent and reasonable way that the Egyptian military acted in this process must be emulated by other napkin-like armies in the continent. Bombs, tanks and military muscles will nary defeat people’s power. This is a nugget of knowledge to those that are still day dreaming thinking that they can use the army to intimidate and rob the hoi polloi.

Mubarak had the mightiest army under his disposal compared to SSA. But by not sitting on their brain, they deserted him at the very time he needed them most. They understood the mighty of people’s power. They accepted the reality that president can come and go, but not the citizenry.

Now that Mubarak and his gang are out of the big picture, what should we expect? Will the military live up to their promises? Is it the beginning of the end of dictators or the end of the beginning of fear and day-dreaming?

Though Egyptian uprisings are regarded as well-coordinated and civilized ones, the credit goes to the military that chose to use brains in lieu of allegiance and loyalty. This is a good lesson for stupidly used armies.

Another important aspect is the police in Egypt betrayed the people so as to end in a shameful and awkward situation. Those that are in waiting, will this be repeated?

Having witnessed what happened in Egypt and Tunisia, let’s think deeply. Who is next? This is the question I asked two weeks ago.

“Salma/Salmah” means peace as the Egyptians put it. This was the take of the army and the people. Is SSA ready for peaceful transition or revolution? Those who for long have pinned their hope on army should forget. This question makes more sense for the police force than anybody else thanks to what happened in Egypt, before the army put sense in the big picture.

This epistle won’t make sense if it lapses without commending US’s stance to echo and support the voices of the mass. US president Barack Obama was jeered at for supporting the voices of the people before Mubarak hit the road. But the climax of this impasse has vindicated him as a visionary and trustworthy leader.

The upshot is the coming of Democratic Party under Obama has completely changed that ugly image of supporting tyrants. If Obama wanted, Mubarak would have still been in power. But again, time time before time times you. This is what Obama and his administration listened to.

Mubarak is history. What of other tyrants and thieves in SSA?

Nkwazi Mhango is a Tanzanian living in Canada. He writes regularly for “The African Executive” and also has a blog entitled “Free Thinking Unabii”. He is a regular contributor to AfroSpear.