The Solace of Haven
Africa is a huge continent. There are plenty of countries, diversity, ethnicities, tribes, internecine struggles dictatorships and human miseries in abundance. Africa in transition from primary tribalism to accommodation of clans struggling to live in close proximity through little other choice given the often-colonial-imposed borders making little sense to the inhabitants but imposed and now set in stone.Countries must have their national leaders. Many of whom came on the scene during historic times of national liberation from foreign colonial powers, and remained, loathe to exit the stage they have become extremely comfortable upon. Many were hailed by guilt-ridden Western powers as leaders of strength and purpose, saluting democratic values. And they did so by staging their versions of the democratic process through corrupt and flawed elections.
Once in power, always in power. It is a disease that afflicts many, and extends toward Latin America as well as the Middle East. For no one is as capable of ruling as the tyrannical dictator that is ensconced, familiar with power and prestige and the need to retain their autocracy in the name of legacy and dynasty, for they are their peoples' patron. And waiting anxiously in the wings are those who are prepared to continue their legacy.
Civil wars, electoral disagreements, bitter animosities erupt here and there, and neighbours provide mild censure but more commonly moral and military support to those with whom they have long been familiar cohorts. When military coups occur, they open their doors to one another, offering haven, for the future may have in mind something similar for them.
Should Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, the King of Kings, the Lion of Africa, decide to surrender his imperial throne, he might seek to depart to Venezuala, where a blood brother in the socialist ideal awaits him, or Rwanda, Uganda, Mauritania, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Swaziland, all of whom have chosen to overlook the ICC's charge of crimes against humanity levelled against their King of Kings.
That might occur once Gadhafi's military tires of laying siege to Misurata, where snipers on rooftops target children in alleyways close to their homes, where women and civilian men are guilty of consorting with the enemy and thus consigned to death. Where women, whose husbands are fighting with the rebels, have their doors kicked in and are gang-raped in sight of their children.
Where foreign nationals, indigent workers cower in fear under the incessant assaults, hoping they may be able to forestall death and by some miracle somehow manage to be rescued and return to their countries of origin. While other foreign nationals are engaged as mercenaries, fighting on behalf of the government, looting, murdering, justifying their pay.
Where UN envoys demand an end to attacks by Gadhafi loyalists. Where hospitals are desperately attempting, with inadequate personnel and medicines, to remove the shrapnel from the bodies of men, women and children under cluster bomb attacks. As for the rebels, they must continue for they know freedom is only attainable if they do.
To fail to advance is to commit themselves to certain death, for Col. Gadhafi is determined to slaughter them all.
Labels: Africa, Chaos, Conflict, Societal Failures
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, April 19, 2011
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