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By:
SIMON NGUGI | |||||||||
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Aug,18-2018 20:49:54
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It is official; US President Donald J. Trump has vowed to bring peace to Africa! Indeed he said he will end Africa's "vicious and violent conflicts" while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO Summit characterizing all 54 Countries on the continent as a sum of their problems devoid of any successes or progress.
Africa as a continent has had its fair share of conflicts since time immemorial, some internally brewed and some imported from outside its borders but these conflicts should not be used as a recipe to boil all the 54 Countries in one pot or paint their individual situations with one broad brush as suggested by the president.
Some people have argued that President Trump lacks geopolitical knowledge or chooses to be ignorant when addressing matters outside of the United States, but while acknowledging that this may be true, I take a second approach at addressing the real and perceived conflicts in Africa.
Africa, has unique sets of problems given its history and diversity in a people who while sharing some commonality are still uniquely distinguished by various cultures and sub cultures. What the 54 Countries in Africa are not though, is a large sum of the continent's problems and the preconceived beliefs and convictions in the West that the above is true have at times clouded well intentioned people who seek to make a difference.
On the other hand, I must point out that what ails most African countries stems from within with failed attempts at democratic systems, rampant corruption at all levels of government as well as poorly planned and executed elections that fuel tribal and cultural tensions which eventually grow into unmanageable National civil strifes. However, when the dust settles In Africa, there are many success stories that portray a growing continent devoid of its history of failures. For instance, We can now see a growing trend towards judicial reforms and inclusivity which have started bearing fruits on the continent in terms of curbing abuse of power directed at the governed and sanctioned by the State. In Kenya for instance, the presidential election was recently annulled due to irregularities, a sign that the respect for the rule of law is positively impacting this East African nation. Africa as a continent and individual nations have a chance to craft and sustain their democratic systems that function without poaching Western systems and ideologies that do not conform to their unique situations. The partnership between the United States and individual African nations continues to thrive in areas such as trade, economic development and National security a sign that mutual respect and understanding is the best approach. Sincerely Simon Ngugi Lowell, Massachusetts | |||||||||
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Source:
AJABU AFRICAN NEWS
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