The re-emergence of Coup d’états on the African soil in recent times tells only one thing; a failed democracy on the continent.
Again, I have said time without number that the formation and existence of the various regional blocs such as the Economic Commission of West Africa States (ECOWAS), Southern Africa Development Corporation (SADC) and the Eastern Africa Commission (EAC) is as useless as a worthless salt.
What is the use of a body which does not have a teeth to bite? A regional body which is more reactive than being proactive?
What is the use of heads of regional blocs such the ECOWAS, SADC and EAC which cannot look into the eyes of its members and tell them the truth if they veer off the path of Democratic rule?
Many people in places like Mali, Chad and Sudan are suffering from one mishap or the other because of the greed of one selfish leader who in one way or the other was pampered by his or her peers in face of all their miss deeds.
The question on the lips of many political watchers is will the porous situations being witnessed in parts of the African continent today exist, if any of the leadership of the regional blocs had mastered courage and rebuked the contemptuous actions by these presidents or ex-presidents, countries such as Mali, Chad, Sudan and the new kid on the bloc Guinea will not be where they are today.
The disturbing developments in Guinea which comes after recent similar undesirable military interventions in Mali, Chad and Sudan must remind the western countries like Britain, Germany, the United States , among others that the democracy they foisted on Africa has failed.
The irony of Africa’s woes is these “see no evil, hear no evil, talk no evil” international bodies like the United Nations (UN). Its Secretary General is so blind that he sees nothing wrong with the human rights abuses, the total disregards of rule of law being displayed openly by those “African old boys” who uses force or crude means to crunch unto power no matter the consequences.
But let the few brave guys stand up to be counted by way of writing off the wrong done by the greedy, and selfish old men, then the slumbering UN Secretary General and his allies would be the first to come outside to condemn those doing good instead.
For instance, the coup in Guinea is bloodless when compared to the so-called democracies being practiced in Ghana where the 2020 general elections witnessed much brutality than a coup d’état.
At the end of Ghana’s 2020 elections, eight citizens had lost their lives while many people sustained various degrees of injuries.
Again in that same elections over 20,000 citizens from Santrokofe-Akpafu-Lolobi have been denied representation in Parliament, because the government of the day in its scheme of things prevented them from voting. Yet the world is quite on it.
Let some brave, fearless youngsters take arms against the “oppressors” and the whole world will wake-up from its slumber and issue long epistle of condemnation.
The hypocrisy of the West and UN has become legendary. And it will surely not be a surprise if the coup eras of the 1960s to 80s return sooner than later.
The only antidote to this emerging coup d’états is for the West and its allies to call to order these old guys whose unwarranted thirst for ‘third-termism’, corruption, joblessness, poverty, manipulation of constitutions, profligacy of the ruling elite and naked impunity are not curbed.
Instead of waiting late in the day to threaten sanctions on failed democracies, regional and sub-regional blocs such as AU, ECOWAS, SADC and EAC should be boldly proactive in calling out their peers on the wrong track and demand good governance that meets the expectations of the masses, particularly the African youth.
I could not agree more with the Member of Parliament for the North Tongu constituency, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s Facebook post calling on African leaders to start condemning their colleagues who are amending their constitutions to enable them stand for third terms, isolating offending politicians and refusing to attend their coronation ceremonies instead of the unprincipled support for Côte d’Ivoire, Burundi, Uganda, Guinea, Comoros, Djibouti, Togo, Chad, Congo and Cameroon in flagrant violation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
If the AU and ECOWAS had not conveniently hidden behind non-interference in internal politics and exhibited courage by stopping President Conde’s third term agenda a couple of years back, this weekend’s explosion would not have happened.
African regional intergovernmental organizations should do well to learn from the European Union (EU) which has been loud and clear with their criticism of two member countries: Hungary and Poland over rule of law concerns.
As we pray for Guinea to return to stability and hope for the safe release of Alpha Condé may we all be reminded and be rededicated to the unfinished African reconstruction project.
Someone should tell these power drunk oldmen who wants to die on their thrones that if there is any among them with the intention of twisting the constitution to give himself an unfair advantage of any sort, he will suffer a similar problem if not worse tragedy.
What happened in Guinea this week should be a wakeup call to African presidents.
A word to the wise is in ….
By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH.