Editorial
Another Governance Vacuum, Now in Mali
God’s Own Army
Recently, rebels from Mali launched an excursion into Algeria – taking 650 hostages. While the trigger happy Algerians ensured a tragic end for at least 37 foreign workers and all hostage-takers, the Mali situation also exacerbates apparent vacuums in the social fabrics of Niger, Libya, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, both Sudans, Chad and Nigeria which all have very low levels of living standards for an overwhelming majority.
We can only urge that a solution be exigently sought. Africa does not need any more catastrophic humanitarian conditions just as countries like Ghana and Nigeria are struggling to stand up and be counted amongst global economic stars. Another crisis only adds to the altruistic but dangerous cynicism many ill-informed potential investors already bear towards Africa.
To this, The Economist rhetorically asks: If Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast shared rebels like the flu for years, and that the Rwanda genocide of 1994 sparked the Congolese civil war, wouldn’t the presence of islamists and jihadists in Mali not cause even more wanton misery to the region? This conjures up gloomy images picture for ordinary Malians in refugee camps; losing their livelihoods while facing those aforementioned low standards of living.
And there’s another dynamic: The Economist reliably informs us that many Malians, even those in remote areas, find collegiality with those extreme moslems – even dreaming of a global jihad. Many are Moslems, anyway, and therefore, if Malian jihadists and al Qaeda are bedfellows with northern Nigerian Islamic extremists, for instance, then dark days for African investment and for those associated with foreign aspects – like the late Malian hostage takes – are ahead.
But most of all, too many unfulfilled social contracts ultimately led to the 1990’s bombs in Kenya and Tanzania. Recently, Ugandans witnessed their own version of explosive terrorism. While all bombs were, somehow, aimed at the Americans, scores of innocent East Africans were collateral damage. Today, anyone associated with America, especially, can also be a target and used to send a message. Portentously, ungoverned hot spots in Africa are worse than vicious cycles: A people is so wretched; disconcerted, vulnerable and ripe enough to find solace in strident philosophy, made easier to swallow by religion. John Locke would have covered his head in shame, in pain, in helplessness.
The Editorial Board,
The Habari Network
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