A spark of flame from Africa’s smouldering fire (3)

IVORY COAST, a francophone West African country, has been an object of intense interest in the past one week. Speculations, anxieties, anticipations and conjectures rose in intensity daily over whether or not the government of President Alassane Ouattara has been overthrown. Silence pervaded the media space for days as many social media commentators filled the void. What was particularly prominent within this tense period was that the younger generation on social media had defined new narratives. First, it became clear that the youth desire a change. The realisation that many African leaders, including Ouattara, are Western countries’ puppets in political leadership offices became a big subject of discussion. The accusations that Ouattara had played host to the visiting US Marine General that was accused of wanting to overthrow the military leader of a neighbouring Burkina Faso has sparked outrage across Africa and many commentators in various countries have been talking in the praise of Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina’s military leader, for defying the West and refusing to kneel down to them. In particular, the accusations on the planned use of Côte d’Ivoire as a military drone base has further added fuel to the flame of anger among young Africans who are saying that the West should leave Africa alone and let Traoré be. It was therefore like a relief for many online commentators to hear that Ouattara has been removed from office as Ivorian president, although mainstream media have been rather cautious about any broadcast on the subject, especially as internet services were reportedly down.
While awareness over Traoré’s rising profile has garnered a lot of support and sympathy for him from across sub-Saharan Africa, the news about possible overthrow of Ouattara has generated widespread excitement among the youth who had waited for days, expecting the confirmation of the rumours of the overthrow. They railed and fought against Ouattara’s compromise and permission for the US to use Ivorian soil as a base for attacking Burkina Faso. If the military had succeeded in the overthrow, West African subregion would have had one more nation under military supervision. The more interesting outcome, even without a successful overthrow, was the strident call for more military leadership in other countries as the civilian governments have been accused of being inefficient, corrupt and easy tools in the hands of the foreign exploiters, chiefly the Western countries and the former colonialists. The last week has taught a lesson that African youth are now waking up, asking questions and reading about elsewhere in the continent. Traoré has been commended, praised, held high up as a hero but Ouattara as a villain and an object of scorn and disgust. The attempt to remove Ouattara must have sent a strong unmistakable message to him about the futility of further contemplating a fourth term bid in the forthcoming October election. To many, Ouattara represents a disappointment who was not supposed to remain in office now but for his meddling with the constitution that paved the way for him to contest.
African youth have been asking questions about the connections between the political leaders dubbed “Western allies” and why they remain in office despite their poor showings as presidents and heads of their respective countries. So now, the nationalistic actions and policies of Ibrahim Traoré have become reference points in recent times. Traoré has reportedly ended the previous mining arrangements he met when he took over the leadership role as head of government. Although some commentators tried to reduce the incessant talk about Traoré on social media to fake news, many reports tend to invalidate such accusations. Now, many are realising that African countries are becoming increasingly aware of being shortchanged in the international market of mineral trade. Existing economic policies being challenged in Burkina Faso by Traoré are fast gaining support among his admirers, for good reasons.
Among such policies is the privatisation of public enterprises, which Traoré has already cancelled and replaced by the taking over of some hitherto dormant projects and turning them back into state owned enterprises. As more and more people challenge the Western economic prescriptions for Africa, it has started raising rather loudly the concerns hitherto discussed in hushed tones. Commentators are now boldly kicking against the West. Any wonder therefore that many youth who had celebrated military takeovers in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso were brandishing Russian flags in their open air gatherings. Now that Traoré has called the bluffs of the West over his decisions, he seems to have fanned the flame of passion among young Africans to challenge Western economic models. Younger ones are beginning to cast doubts on the West’s genuineness of interest in Africa. France, a former colonial master, is being roundly rejected across Africa as it recently exposed the West’s hypocrisy. Again, for emphasis, the fire has been kindled and the smouldering fire is going aflame!
The influence of the West on Africa has affected historical, political, social, educational, and economic structures. It has also contributed a lot to holding Africa back. This is now being recognised far and wide within the continent. In part, as a result of some recent activities, France has been targeted for humiliation and rejection by African countries. There appears to be a fresh fervour among African countries to end France’s political and economic influence in Africa. The three military rulers of the AES countries have roundly rejected France and have turned their back against France for a number of reasons. They wanted an end to the parasitic relationship in which France has been exploiting its former colonies, treating them as cash cows. If that realisation was being discussed privately before, it has now come to the open. France’s Thierry Breton, a politician, former EU commissioner and former economic minister, reportedly said “it’s the imbecility of Emmanuel Macron that opened the eyes of Africans. One thing is sure if France loses its colonies. Our children and grandchildren will go to Africa to search for their livelihoods. Immigration will change direction.”
Foreign powers have been competing for influence in Africa for a long while because of its vital strategic position, especially with reference to rich minerals. For this reason, the continent has become a hotbed for contests between hegemonic West and expansionist China, a more assertive Russia, and to a lesser extent, the traditional European powers and the United States. Now, Turkey’s footprint on the African continent is becoming increasingly more visible.
Macron may not have been the first and only Westerner to blunder and contribute to Africa’s reawakening. According to Prince Michael of Liechtenstein, in his write-up on “The West’s miscalculation in Africa,” he wrote that “the West needs to start respecting local values when engaging with African governments, otherwise, anti-Western backlash will intensify.” That is what is currently playing out since the visit of the US Marine General Langley to Côte d’Ivoire and his earlier misleading statement about Burkina Faso’s Traoré to the US Senate, betraying a hazy knowledge about Africa. It confirmed that a lot of policies on Africa by Western leaders originate mostly from very limited knowledge about Africa. As a result, they struggle to grasp how their policymaking comes across as condescending. Despite the closeness of Africa as Europe’s southern neighbour, the EU’s politics has failed to foster cooperation and growth in African countries. Moreover, Western media’s depiction of Africa is often in negative ways.
The reawakening in Africa, sparked by Traoré, seems timely and long overdue. The West’s lack of political engagement, often due to a lack of knowledge – frequently bordering on ignorance – and public opinion may not be better shaped by the West. Africa needs to lead the way in its own self interest since the various news reports from the West are replete with Africa’s shortcomings rather than opportunities and success. “Africa is undeniably a continent with a bright future. Most of its land, with the exception of deserts and the Sahel region, has fertile soil suitable for agriculture and forestry. It is abundant in natural resources and is experiencing a demographic boom. This growing population has social and economic significance for Africans and their future. A growing demography enhances the economy, and children also provide social security. (In fact, the primary threat to social security in the West is the lack of young people.)”
In shaping the African narratives, it is important to build around any spark of fire, any ray of light or any seemingly isolated positive news. Just as it began with Traoré as isolated news that later began to spread continent-wide, becoming a sub-Saharan Africa’s inspiration, the narratives of Africa need to be deliberately positively shaped and made and tirelessly disseminated. More and more young people will be motivated to come forward and become leaders that will chart new paths forward into Africa’s better future. Let more Traorés come forward and rescue Africa from the present stagnation and lacklustre leadership that operates all across the continent.