The hurricane arrives!

Modern organisations, such as those who worry daily about things like animal rights and those other things that don’t concern us Africans as much, grew out of the efforts of this second layer of colonisers.  They have kept on redefining the barriers of humanity in a positive way.  They have kept on cautioning us all, that though we may think we have a God-given ‘dominion’ and right over every other living thing, but we must be careful how we use those rights.  Left to the initial adventurers who captured whole continents on behalf of the English monarchs and other royalty across Europe, we as black people will still be slaves today, treated as wild animals and killed off at will.  I therefore conclude that indeed, while the colonial rulers ‘civilised’ most of Africa, at some point in time, some of their colleagues also kicked against the brutality with which they treated Africans.  In this way, Africans, unsuspectingly, taught Europeans to be more human and civil.

It is a tragedy though, that in spite of being ‘civilised’ or ‘humanised’ by the Europeans, we black Africans have failed to continue with that process, especially with species we deem are lower than us.  The only way we can exalt our humanity is to pass on the goodwill that has been shown us by those who were mentally superior (if not necessarily as individuals, but at least as a collective).   If white people behave the way we STILL behave as black Africans today, we as a people will surely still be in slavery.  For example, many black people do not see anything wrong in wringing off the necks of live chicken in very merciless manners during traditional religious sacrifices.  There is a reason why the Islamic religion talks about anything eaten being ‘Halal’.  It is about refining and increasing our humanity as much as it is about serving God.

The British were a cut above the rest, perhaps because they achieved greater ‘success’ in the period of colonialism.  They made more ‘progress’ in capturing islands, countries and continents all over the world, because they lived in one of the most disadvantaged areas of Europe, and so were more desperate at that time, than most other Europeans.  The fact that the British made more progress also meant that they felt more magnanimous at some point, allowing a roll-back of their efforts at the slightest prodding.  It is on record that the British felt under more pressure to end slavery and actually enforced the abolition at great cost.  ‘Independence’ was granted to African countries around 1960, in such a manner as could have meant that the British were ‘tired’ of ‘oppressing’ African people.  But perhaps the ‘oppression’ continued in other guises.

In contrast to the British, the French didn’t and perhaps, still do not believe in self-rule for Africans, especially black Africans. The modern-day confirmation could be found in President Sarkozy calling blacks ‘scums’ during the 2006 riots in that country, or even the fact that France had its first black newscaster in that same year, which coincided in 23 years since Sir Trevor Macdonald (a black man) had been a newscaster, and a fantastic one at that, on British TV. Charles De Gaulle was credited to have said Africa does not need democracy but good water, food and health.  Although I agree vastly with De Gaulle about Africa and democracy, you could say there was condescension to Africa by France, Belgium and other fringe players in the colonisation game, which the British somehow did not exhibit, at least not as a national policy.

It is within this context that what is going on in Cote D’Ivoire must be viewed. And it is an apt metaphor for Nigeria.  This is what can be pieced together on the events going on in that country;

The north is almost like the north of Nigeria, populated by Muslims and made up of people who migrated from the Sahara.  It is noteworthy that the north of West African countries, Nigeria inclusive, must have been a region where people easily mingled, somewhat an accommodating region, before the advent of the colonial masters.  After the exit of President Houphouet-Boigny, Henri Konan Bedie, who hails from the South-West and who succeeded Houphouet (who ruled for 33 years), instituted a policy called L’Ivorite.  This was a discriminatory policy that sought to bar people considered not 100% Ivorien to contest the post of Presidency.  In fact, that policy was directed at Allasane Ouattara, who had served as Houphouet-Boigny’s deputy and was considered a citizen of Burkina Faso.  Ouattara’s parents were indeed Burkinabes, and he had enjoyed a Burkinabe scholarship at the university level.

Bedie’s Ivorite policy would later cause that country to go into an internecine civil war, at great cost to human lives. It is laughable that today, Bedie is playing the role of a stateman in a problem that he originated in the first place.

The just concluded elections were conducted in a very rancorous atmosphere.  The rebels refused to disarm before the election.  France kept mum on this issue but provided funding for the electoral commission.  Just as in the case of our Maurice Iwu, France, like USA in our case, influenced the appointment of the Chief electoral commissioner.  But what they failed to reckon with is a policy embedded in that country’s constitution, that in the event of a dispute in an election, the country’s highest court can make the final decision, at least in order to forestall a power vacuum.

As things stand today, the French government claims incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo has total influence over the Courts, while Gbagbo also claims the French government has total influence over the electoral commission, whose head has since ran to Paris.   Gbagbo has technically not committed any crimes according to the statues of Cote D’Ivoire, no matter the amount of noise made by the foreign media and ‘international community’, whose meddlesomeness in Africa should be condemned, especially after Wikileaks’ revelations of their subversion of justice here.  Gbagbo’s position is also hardened because he is a Professor of History (it always pays to know your history). And Ouattara’s fame is questionable, as was evident in the total flop of the general strike he called. Next week.