South Africa and Nigeria on Libya

I have long been known, and sometimes even criticized for taking issue with South Africa for allowing Mugabe to get away with repression, tyranny and murder for years. I strongly believe that if South Africa really takes its own role as a regional power and  a BRIC seriously, it has to show the courage to make tough decisions and call the shots as they are, not as they would wish them to be. And playing to become more influential in world politics doesn't come free of charge. You have to prove that you are capable of defending the new values of the international community, like Human Rights and individual freedoms, against the traditional thinking of Third World countries and there long dying defense of national sovereignty and non intervention in internal affairs. Always a poor excuse for the use of violence against its own citizens. 

In this sense, South Africa's vote in the UN Security Council in favor of a no-fly zone is Libya is good news. and Zuma's presence in Libya in the AU mediation efforts is also good news. It is less good news, however, that Zuma left abruptly before the mission completed its task, and that he has kept largely quiet since then. 

It is also not so good news, that Gambia has had to be the first country in the continent to recognize the rebel government, as was pointed out in the press a couple of days ago. 

Having said this, I am also rather disappointed with Nigeria, a country that has sometimes shown a capacity to lead the region, as Ivory Coast, a few weeks ago proves. But a mitigating factor in this case might be it's Presidential elections which does provide an excuse for keeping its attention elsewhere. Let us wait and see how Nigeria plays its cards in the coming days. Up to now, it has stood up to South Africa for a leading role in the continent. 

On Ivory Coast

It seems to me a pity that Ivory Coast had to wait so long, so very long, until the UN ( or was it France yet again?), decided to take events seriously. 

And all this with more than a little help from two other West African states, Nigeria and Burkina Fasso. 

I still remember when, in the 80s, I was first posted to Cameroon, and Laurent Gbagbo was a democracy activist and fighting for freedom in his own country. Yet, as we have been recently reminded of, after 11 years in power he has refused to concede defeat in national elections and has, once again, brought his country to the brink of civil war. 

All this while the African Union is doing virtually nothing, quite the same as in North Africa. But the AU is now chaired by Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea. Together with Mugabe, Bongo, Eyadema, Mouseveni and Kagame, he is one of many African leaders who have, either died in power, or seem willing to do so.

Can we really expect a signal of concern for the welfare of the people of Ivory Coast from the likes of them? I think not. And this is regretful and sad for those of us who would like to believe Africans have a future better than their past.