THE FAULT LINES OF AFRICA; following the Berlin conference, the Europeans balkanized the continent of Africa and created nation-states in such a way to foster and perpetuate their interests. During the period of ‘direct’ colonization, that is before independence, various mischievous ploys were employed using one region or ethnic nationality to suppress the other thereby breeding enmity amongst the constituents ethnic nationalities and Not towards the foreign invaders. After the so called ‘political’ independence that occurred in the 1960s, these trends and enmities nurtured by the colonists became an entrenched “demarcation” lines. This demarcation lines follow mostly ethnic and religious lines depending on the country in question. All the wars that have being fought in Africa since independence have always being because one part of the country is perpetually “lording” themselves over the others as if it is divinely ordained. Today, these lines are indeed threatening the continual survival of almost all the countries in Africa. The truth is that it is only a matter of time before the map of the nation-states of Africa will be dramatically different from what it is today. The lines of demarcation have become “fault lines”. In many African countries, it is akin to bringing Britain, France and Germany together to form ONE country. What the Europeans could Not afford to themselves, they practically gave to Africa. They preach unity in diversity but they could not practice it! Europe through many wars, conflicts, treaties, negotiations, etc was able to define national boundaries and the constituent ethnic nationalities of its countries. Even with that, there are many unresolved issues pertaining to nationhood in Europe. There are various separatists groups in France, Spain, Ireland, Britain, Russia, etc. Recently, Yugoslavia and Soviet Union dissolved into several countries. If after thousands of years in Europe with all the alignment and re-alignment by the various ethnic nationalities in Europe and they are yet to enjoy a permanent resolution of who and who will co-habit in one country, what then about Africa whose people were never consulted before the scramble that partitioned Africa ensured? Africans were never afforded the opportunity to “internally” negotiate and decide who and who will live as one country and under what condition? It is only a matter of time before the boundaries of African countries as we know them today will start changing and adapting to the realities inherent in every country. South Sudan is now the first, Katanga province in Congo DRC would have being the first followed by Biafra in the 1960s. However, Europe saw these attempts by Africans to force a re-alignment as an affront to their superiority and dominance of African and Africans thereby ‘extinguishing’ these home grown ‘internal’ African efforts to re-align. Thus postponing the D-Day. In the case of South Sudan, it was a protracted war and Sudan was no longer in the ‘good’ books of the WEST. Hence, they were allowed and “aided” to go ! The policy of ‘divide & rule’ instituted by Europe in Africa, that is favoring one ethnic or regional group over the other to create internal dissension is what lead to the Rwandan genocide and many such atrocities in Africa. The Tutsis, a minority ethnic group were consciously positioned to dominate the national army over the majority Hutus. African countries should immediately start an open and frank internal discussions within their constituent ethnic groups, tribes and regions to formulate a home grown parameter for mutual co-existence so as to neutralize that policy of divide and rule used to colonize Africa which is still being perpetuated till today by the inheritors of the power at independence whose wish it is to continue the trend and pass it on to their great grand children. The internal frictions occurring in African countries will gradually reach a ‘yield’ point whereby those that does not allow for a “spacious” internal re-alignment in time to serve all citizens equally and fairly will crumble faster than a pack of cards. Soviet Union with all its military might is a recent example. It is the duty of Africans to correct and nurture those values that will be in constructive engagement with natural harmony as far as co-habitation with all ethnic nationalities are concerned in any African country Not the duty of Europeans to do that for Africa. Erroneously, some people think that increased economic empowerments and benefits will ‘bury’ these fault lines but the truth is that the economic boom of Europe have Not silenced the separatist agitations in Europe so why do you think that it will silence that of Africa? Freedom is a mental state and Not a comfort zone! It is a natural law for harmony to exist within any ‘closed’ system. The universe itself is a closed system even though it can’t be circumscribed. So nature ultimately and tirelessly works towards harmony. But man through the application of his freewill whether for good or bad is either a co-worker with nature or an antagonist. Whatever means man employs to thwart or be out of tune with this harmony is only a temporary state. Ultimately, natural harmony will set in and all that man thinks that he has gained earlier against harmony will become “worthless”. A thousand years is but a blip in the sight of nature. A great cataclysm will sweep throughout Africa along the ‘fault’ lines. Some of these fault lines were even in existence before the coming of the Europeans, they merely fanned them into prominence and brilliance for their own selfish end and finally handed the ‘keg of gun-powder’ to their inheritors that still rule in their stead till today. The WEST only has one antidote to all these problems, namely conducting of the so called “democratic elections”. Kenya, Angola, Mali, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Congo DRC, Nigeria etc have all conducted and being conducting elections but the whole world knows that the so called peace in these countries now are only “graveyard” peace, an ominous peace. Nature knows only conformity. Man either conforms voluntarily or nature will forcibly conform man !!!
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 09:10:10 +0000
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