“Best wishes to you and family,” said a colleague of mine, in the spirit of good will, and tidings during this recessionary times that many of us are grateful to still hold a job , and remains cheerful about. “Same to you I responded,” then added in my typical politically provocative manner I am capable of , “we certainly have much to be happy about, and could be worst off , like our cousins in Cote d‘ Ivore,remembering that he had spent some two years in that country attempting to foster peace while working for a premier International organization. “Oh yes indeed,” he said , and we were off to the races . We both did a back, and forth trying to understand how a country could find itself in this state , after a closely monitored election that saw democracy thwarted again , as one leader even after five years of unconstitutional power, and international cuddling , still refused to hand over power.
What do we have here in terms of problems you ask ? On the surface, it appears as if this will be just another African nation about to succumb to violent inter-religious , ethnic savagery, as regional leaders under the African Union , and ECOWAS watchful eyes ,as well as global power brokers ,simply twiddle their thumbs ,so that similar Rwandan , Congolese ,and Sudanese style , inter tribal abuses escalates ,with the usual Bantu body counts following in it’s sway.
Should the international community get involve as was done in Iraq , Panama , or Haiti ,to get rid of politically unpalatable dictators? Is it troublesome Francophone Colonial masters, that again were fueling the disturbances, as was done in Rwanda , so as to justify their presence, and stranglehold on the allegedly independent country? Can any moral leaders emerge from within the entire 54 nations in Africa , that can encourage the defeated President Lanrent Gbagbo's to leave office , in favor of former PM Allasane Quattara? How about the country’s military leaders, are they justified to stay out of the political fray, perhaps tired of accepting repeated blame ,for the sad state of the country ,after too many foreign backed coups? You be the judge , as the scramble for Africa continues unabated , with abduction, killings, and torture becoming more routine from the land of the largest exporter of cocoa.
There appears to be an urgent need for new solidarity movement embracing folks across the diverse continents battling similar struggles of neglect , exploitation, sometimes with the help of destructive neo colonial elites .It was some 107 years ago that W.E.B. Du Bios , admonished us in his book , the Soul of Black Folks ,to recognize that "the problem of the twentieth-century is the problem of the color line — the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea."
Not much it appears ,has changed in the 21st century , as now the situation is even more critical, as the issues as clouded by religious, and political ideology, class , cultural superiority challenges , as suspect allies, and foe alike , try to work their magic.
What does Israel, Lebanon, the Gaza, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India,Cote d Ivore, Sudan , Chad, Nigeria, Iraq,Congo,North Korea,Thailand, Afghanistan ,Burma,Iran, inter tribal /gangland USA, China,Guantanamo Bay Cuba,South Korea, Tibet, Russia ,Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe,Chechnya,Mexico,Columbia, and old Europe ,all have in common? They are experiencing either full scale wars, and ethnic conflicts, or simmering problems destined to destroy us all , if given a chance.
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