Dear colleagues and friends,
For a while, I have watched the events unfolding in North Africa, especially Libya without writing anything. . .rather, I have only expressed my thoughts in passing discussions (verbal), especially on radio. In truth, I really want to focus my thoughts and energy more on Sub-Saharan Africa. Ndigbos of Nigeria have a saying that "only a man that accepts the family 'obi ' ( house) as his own and respects the ancestors of the house is considered a member of the family". However, one cannot wish away the fact that the events unfolding in North Africa has bearing on the SSA . Based on this, let me strike light on some of my thoughts :
1. Setting : North Africa is generally made up of persons of Arab descent with variegated blend of Mediterranean and African gene pool. By virtue of the region abutting on a transcontinental land corridor, this region has probably seen the most dynamic gene pool of homo sapiens. These people are predominantly Muslims. Therefore one can begin to understand the identity crisis of the North African; he has his eyes perpetually gazing across the Sinai, with his heart in Mecca.
In Libya, the society has always operated on a milieu of racism resulting from 'demelaninisation ' of its society over the past millennium. I think Chinweizu alluded to this recently. The average North African has little respect for other Africans. This is worse in Libya, and has nothing to do with Gaddafi as a person. He simply exhibited a social malaise in a typical Bedouin style. Recall that Gaddafi initially disdained the African identity, but when he felt rejected by other Arabs, especially when his vision of a United Arab Mahgreb failed, he quickly remembered that the African Union was a platform too . This naturally coloured his approach to the Chadian war between Hisene Habre and Goukoni Waddeye in the eighties. It also came into play in his early support for Palestinian groups like Al- Fatah. This mindset has been driven historically on ethno -cultural interfaces. Why are we surprised that there are reports of ethnic cleansing of people of black African heritage after the fall of Gaddafi? Is the rebel leadership any different from Gaddafi or other Libyans?
2. Fallacies : It is easy to be carried in the stream of the wake of the events that can be called 'revolutions' running through the world of the Arab African that is also threatening that of his cousins in the Middle East. It is not so easy to fully understand the "social media effect " in this whole event, nor the fire-stoking role of Western inintelligence agencies. I think generally, people tend to over romanticize revolutions. Maybe its a Fannonian or Che Complex in us. Has anyone stopped to ask if there has been any successful 'revolution' in the Arab world in the past? ( meaning North Africa and Middle East) . Were most of these men declared persona non grata by their people (or is it by the West?) not part of one other 'revolution' or the other. . .especially Gaddafi and Mubarak? Please don't even mention Iran!
I will even surmise that in as much as I abhorred Gaddafi's brand of leadership, egocentricity, and divisive politics in Africa , he probably gave North Africa and the Arab umma the closest thing to a revolution to date. Why? He was able to overthrow an old elitist order and enthroned a socialist ideology - even groomed it into a unique imperfect governance model of Islamic socialism. Let me venture to write that Gaddafi as a 'communist ' is a misnomer, as far as I am concerned. Incidentally, this image was perpetuated by him and the Americans. The Americans needed to 'tag' him during the cold war, and Gaddafi himself needed the brand for his credential as a selfstyled revolutionary in the mould of Castro, as well as the protective embrace it offered him from Moscow. The Libyans under Gaddafi simply practiced "Gaddafism" which is an offshoot of socialism and not communism, until he took off into a feudal fringe - the same reason for his removal of the old Libyan monarchy over 40 years ago! As far as I am concerned, Islam and communism simply can not mix!
Another major fallacy is that Western style 'democracy ' will grow and flourish in northern part of Africa after the fire of the people-led movement has died out. I am not growing into a pessimist in middle age, but has anyone ever wondered why variants of democracy thrive in India and Bangladesh, but has been a challenge in Pakistan, considering the historical origins of these countries?
3. Neo-colonialism : The long and short of it is that nobody will argue that Gaddafi did not over stay his welcome. That is the difference between a Rawlings and a Gaddafi. But then one can see blatant disregard of an African institution like the AU. Some are wont to argue that AU is full of men with Gaddafi-like antecedents. But then, how can Africa institute its own system for conflict resolution and arbitration if the West uses state cronysm with members to undermine such processes? The West from its recent experience, better understands the importance of growing such systems.
Africans need to work on a principle I chose to call 'related sovereignty '. It only makes sense for regional stability if the regional systems are empowered (and supported by the UN ) to resolve problems, rather than a NATO. If this is not done, Africa will only be seeing more and more facets of this kind of Neo-colonialism.
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