body-container-line-1

7 Years Down The Line: Any Lessons From Gaddafi’s Demise For Africa Leaders?

By Alhassan Lukman 
Opinion 7 Years Down The Line: Any Lessons From Gaddafis Demise For Africa Leaders?
JUL 16, 2018 LISTEN

‘’Gaddafi was certainly not killed for humanitarian reasons, He wanted to empower Africa. He had a plan to create a new African Union, based on a new African economic system. He wanted to introduce the Gold Dinar to back African currencies, so they could become free from the dollar. He wanted to protect Africa’s vast natural resources from the Western looting. The imperialist eliminated him.’’— Peter Koenig

Ironically, Africa has proven itself as a place to live in. From history to this contemporary era almost every single day in Africa has its lessons to show to the rest of the world. Well, history has done us favour by presenting before us the ups and downs which our African leaders and civilians have encountered in the fight to unravelling our region of its enormous challenges. The quotas as well as the legacies of some of these leaders are substantial and inspiring that we review them daily to preach to growing generations with expectations of them being inculcated generationally.

However, that of others too has infested us with much pain driving us to regretting ever having them as leaders. A little flashback in the history of Africa and its governance shows us the turmoil of slavery which lasted from the 16th to 19th century; this era to the African, there was no enjoyment of human right. Africans were harvested, shackled, and traded as though lifeless creatures and transported to Europe and other parts of the world to forcibly service in the interest of their slave masters.

Grievously, that same history has not hesitated in letting us to also know that our enslavement was accompanied by many other ills such as looting and exploiting of our natural resources and affliction of psychic trauma. Still in the comfort of history, it wasn’t until in the late 1950s that the long yell for liberation by Africans began having a good look at because it was when a country in the sub-Saharan fought to attain independence. In writing this piece I have searched through people’s only to realise that the name Kwame Nkrumah is the commonest that drives almost every author’s article about history of Africa.

Briefly on whom this man was Kwame Nkrumah was an inspirer, motivator, a Pan-Africanist who gave Africa a new face to freedom from slavery. Nkrumah though died in 1972, still have his legacy swimming through in the contemporary Africa which as a result in the year 1999, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) voted him as ‘’ Africa’s Man of the Millennium’’ for his popularity and contribution. Kwame Nkrumah was the first to attain independence for his country and the first president of his country Ghana the first in the West of the Sub-Saharan Africa. For his origination and struggle towards his target of a complete liberated Africa, Nkrumah was born on the 21st September, 1909 in Gold Coast now Ghana where he had his elementary education and in 1935 he sailed to London where he also studied in the Lincoln university of Pennsylvania. Nkrumah returned to Gold Coast in 1947 upon the invitation of Paa Grant, a member of the United Gold Coast Convention- UGCC a party that was organised to attain independence for Gold Coast from the British. Nkrumah honoured the invitation and was made the General Secretary of the party after. He broke up with the party and formed his own party in 1949 and named the party, Conventions People’s Party- CPP with which through hard work and strategies he won the polls over the British rulers to serve as the first prime minister of Ghana.

The reason for this jiffy history about Nkrumah is only to point out the beginning of the emanation of liberation of Africa, not only Ghana. This could be justified from the speech that was delivered by Kwame Nkrumah at the pronouncement of Ghana’s independence from slavery and imperialism at the Ghana Independence Square in Accra, the capital city, on 6th March, 1957. Nkrumah on that day stressed upon the relevance of the emancipation of the other African countries that were still in the bondages of slavery else the wave of Ghana’s independence could not be felt.

Six years after Ghana’s independence, in 1963, he proposed the Organisation of Africa Union- OAU to drive Africa to having a Union Government through which it could be easy ending slavery everywhere in Africa and for the proposed to gain firm ground Nkrumah used some of Ghana’s resources to sponsor some Africa countries that were still weak especially, financially and military. Nkrumah’s vision for a union government was catchy to have drawn the attention and interest of some Africa countries owing to the formation of the Casablanca group which was led by Ghana.

The motive of the group was ‘Africa unity now’. Monrovia group led by Nigeria too emerged in the same course but with a different motive to Africa union government since they saw that it was too early for that and it should be done systematically with time. At this point we can say that the diverse mind set of these two groups halted the course to having union government for Africa then. It can also be calculated that the target of Nkrumah’s OAU though had not met its target of union government but had helped freed many Africa countries from slavery and from there too we can conclude that the OAU when successful could have been a 100% relief for Africa. This man’s concentration was now divided between the affairs Ghana and the OAU which had its head office at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

Pausing here on the life of this gallant and his target aimed to achieve, I link his ambition to another great Africa leader, Mummer Gaddafi, who demised sorrowfully before the eyes of the world upon calling out for help from the attack of the ‘2 Wolves’. The article limits itself to discussing about only these two Africa leaders for a reason of their common achievements, their vision, their contributions, their blessed privileges, and above all the strength of the wave of their Pan-Africanism. To me counting down from the era of colonialism to date, I immensely feel the waves of these two personalities but that doesn’t mean I have overlooked the splendid efforts of the great Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, the Fearless Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe etc.

These political leaders’ quota to Africa’s liberation is unforgettable and these leaders should be lifted in high esteem though many of them have perished but not with their names. We shall surely admit that Mummer Gaddafi was the second Nkrumah if we shun biasness and base on what authentic history has served us about Africa political leaders. Mummer Gaddafi was the president of Libya who vowed his parents would not get a house until every Libyan had a home. His tremendous achievement for his country and for Africa amazed the world at large winning him the ‘’The King of Kings’’ appraisals first from an organised Africa traditional chiefs and from many writers though critics too had their part of the cake of the man on his style of governance. Gaddafi became Head of the Libyan State in 1969 through a bloodless coup on King Idris who was found guilty on charges of corruption after he fled to Greece but later died in Egypt in exile.

A while from when Gaddafi took over power to the year of the Libya civil war in 2011 in which he was murdered Gaddafi was seen and tagged as an Anti-Western. By the western, Gaddafi was painted as a figure who hated them with utmost love. But if we had understood the man well his advocacy was clear about the Western and it was that foreigners should not interfere in the matter of Africa uninvited and we are good to manage our own affairs just as Nkrumah said when he declared Ghana’s independence. Gaddafi did everything in his power to prove to the world that we Africans were beyond our description as poverty in the midst of wealth.

Taking over from King Idris, since Gaddafi wanted to meet the promises he made of bettering the Libyan people’s life, it resulted in Gaddafi nationalizing Libya’s oil in 1972 thus flushing out America oil companies to be able to stabilize the country’s oil trade and for the country to take full control of its oil industry. At this point, and as already stated, Gaddafi was seen by the Western as a menace for his eagerly strength in safeguarding the wealth of his country. Aside this he was also seen to be advocating for other Africa countries rigidness not to let loose for the influence of the Western on their resources exploitation and trade.

However, that was true and right. It could even be realised that the wave of Gaddafi’s Pan-Africanism pushed him to increasingly rejecting the Arab nationalism for Pan-Africanism. Going further, he supported several liberation movements in Africa and joined in the course of the OAU which he later on transformed in 2001 to today’s Africa Union (AU). Now, from OAU to AU what is next? Here is where I question the strength of our Africa leadership, our course, and our zeal of conscience for Africa’s progress. There are questions bounded to be asked on the direction of our train to unity for development; are we really interested in our unity as a continent? Do we really want to shed off our problems and actualized ourselves.

Sorrowfully when we analyse, averagely, we are still a traditional society according to the theory of Rowstow because majority of our populace are still in the ‘grasses’ contrasting modernity and basic necessities for live sustenance too are a problem. Comparing Africa with its counterparts we will realise that so as we are still in the genesis, some are at the stage of Take-off whiles USA has attained the stage of Mass Consumption signifying their livelihood far better than we Africans though we are resourcefully rich. This as a result has triggered many to giving the continent any ill-names that actually describe its direction and just to mention few of those names; it is called the Dark Continent, the youngest sick child of the world, a contradictory continent where poverty dwells in wealth, etc.

Luckily, it is fortunate that hard truth can be told just that it is difficult to. The truth of the matter about our Africa continent is that our presidents, sorry to say, in general, are power drunk. Don’t we think that if Africa had wanted to unite it couldn’t do so effectively even in a decade? But the main obstacle to having African countries unite is the Western influences that divert our presidents’ interests in submitting to servicing under one authority. When Africa countries unite to form the ‘United States of Africa’ there would definitely be its president who will lead the rest. In a flashback, If we observe, many countries especially in the Casablanca group were looking to Kwame Nkrumah to be the president of the United States of Africa since he was the chairman had the OAU became possible.

Contemporarily, the world in general however was also looking up to Gaddafi per his influence and extended hand of aids and his commitment to pan-Africanism. This case of the low interest and mistrust within and the pride of been ruled over is why our unity keeps dangling. We allow our diversities to keep haunting us because we concentrate much on our differences rather than our similarities. It is as though we are turning the warning of Nkrumah when he said we should unite before it’s too late to prophesy that is bound to happen. Our challenges as a continent escalate because we are divided and our division allows for our manipulation. Gaddafi’s quota, if we are not going by the make-believe of the western media, proved its competence worthy to lead Africa.

The leadership of the Western called him by many names some of which are the Dictator, terrorist, Mad Dog, anti-westerner, etc. As ways to having we Africans mistrust him, the Western media propagated him as cruel and barbaric leader. Laudably, upon the western brain washing a chunk of Libyans to rally against Gaddafi by forming militia groups, about 80% of Libyans still had the trust of him. Gaddafi was truly a Pan-Africanist because of his tremendous effort towards relieving the continent of its good livelihood stress. Just to mention a few of his quota, under Colonial Gaddafi’s rule:

IN LIBYA

  • Infant mortality rate went from 125/1000 live birth to about 15.04/1000 recorded as the best in Africa
  • Hospital beds increased by 3 times signifying good health care delivery and medicines too were free.
  • Libya had the highest education index in Africa and education too was free even to study abroad
  • Major taxes and levies were prohibited facilitating investment in business
  • New residential areas rose in empty Saharan region
  • The largest irrigation project ever undertaken in the world was built in Libya which could supply water to about 600 square miles of farmland to boost agriculture production.
  • A mother who conceived was given, in equivalence, $5,000 USD and also he was much liked by women because of his hard push to women emancipation.
  • We heard a Libyan was paid even if she/he is not employed and that was absolutely true. A portion of Libya’s oil sale was credited directly to the bank accounts of all Libyan citizens.

AFRICA

  • Gaddafi provided funding to the Africa National Congress and anti-apartheid movement which triggered Nelson in 1990 to pay Gaddafi a visit to say thanks for Libya’s assistance.
  • Former president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, was helped greatly by Gaddafi in his fight against the White minority for liberation of Zimbabwe.
  • Gaddafi championed and sponsored the Africa satellite which in total cost $400,000,000 USD but he contributed $300,000,000 USD leaving the remaining for the 53 Africa countries.
  • The Africa Central Bank which he didn’t live to see was his final project and he wanted to free the continent of its indebted to IMF. Loans could be secured from within and its interest could be used to power the continent again.
  • Gaddafi helped governments in Mali, Niger, Liberia, and as already mentioned, in Zimbabwe and South Africa and many others within the continent

Gaddafi’s death is the biggest blow to have hit Africa in recent years. This was a man of his word but however his colleague Africa leaders and the Arab world failed him woefully when he was left to be hemmed by the world’s two wolves that have for since branded themselves in sheep cloak. Base on the research, I have realised that if God has given Africa three chances to unity and development then we have to learn every lessons to embrace the last chance before Christ would come- Amen.

In fact, had I the ultimate chance to stand before my Africa presidents there would be but one advice from me to them. ‘’My dearest presidents of our bleeding continent, our prolonged disunity is what makes us the sick child of the world and if we but knew, we would shun our self-centeredness which allures us into power drunkenness obstructing our ball from rolling’’. It’s high time I unravelled the parable of the two wolves that fought an innocent man for his blessings. The United States of America and the United Kingdom in the western are the obstacles that have vowed bringing Africa to the lowest level.

It is widely known today that when these countries want access to your country’s resources they either paint your leader monstrous in your sight or the leader is accused falsely. Who could have actually believed that ISIS which is popularly known as an Islamic terrorist group is the handwork of USA to paint the Muslim countries negative so to get into their territory forcefully to fetch oil by a cover of fighting terrorism? Some Muslim countries and Islam as a whole have suffered greatly at the plot of this America ISIS as Muslims are stigmatized whiles some Non-Muslim countries lose trust in trading with Muslim countries labelling them as terrorist.

From the tongue of the king murderer, Hillary Clinton of USA, ISIS which plots terrorist attacks killing hundreds and thousands of innocent human beings was created by them thus America leadership in some decades ago to use it to bring down governments. When we turn to Africa, the Western traps always track our Africa leaders down whenever we are set to go and I wonder after Gaddafi’s demise if lessons are learnt by our presidents to be corrected. Gaddafi’s death could have been prevented if Africa presidents had agreed to his earlier proposal to form the South Atlantic Treaty Organization- SATO.

If this proposal was successful then the planned protest could have subsided with SATO´s intervention and that wouldn’t allow the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-NATO access as the medium to executing Gaddafi at the blind side of the Africa media. Obama gave prevaricated information to the world about the cry of Libyans for foreign intervention prior to the civil war. It was very clear that Obama had seen that Gaddafi was a bit close to fallen the dollar since he was creating the Gold Dinar as means of Africa trade which could devalue the dollar. Here, Obama collaborated with Sarkozy since both share the same security system-NATO to fight Gaddafi which their success over Gaddafi would mean killing many birds with one stone. Evidence of the civil war in Libya being planned by the West was that the West was already armed waiting at the shores of Libya for the ball to roll.

The booties after the war aside the destructions NATO caused through bombing buildings and killing 1000s of innocent Libyans, the oil hub had been gotten access to, the 150 tons of gold too has disappeared and the dollar is safe from shrink. At that time, it was realised that only few Africa countries voices were weaving in the air but not strong enough to be heard by the international media. But all the accusations on Gaddafi firing missiles against civilians as violation of human right by Obama was proven wrong by Russia intelligence who were using satellite to monitor the situation in Libya. Obama never thought twice but lied greatly against Gaddafi just to make sure that he brings his regime to an end for no reason. Arguably, many Africa countries having Lauren Gbagbo as example did not interfere for fear of facing the International Criminal Court- ICC as Africa leaders have been facing on allegations of mismanagement and human right violation.

It baffles me to think of how the laws of the ICC work maybe I need much knowledge on it. I, an undergraduate at the University for Development Studies, solemnly swear to be an advocate against any kind of abuse of human right but if the rule of laws of ICC is equally applicable to all then we need to question why Former President Bush of USA who has killed 1000s in Iraq, 1000s in Gujarat, 1000s in Lebanon and 1000s in Palestine, escape unhurt from the laws of the ICC.

My fellow Africans can´t we see it? If Bush’s mass murdering of innocents did not fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC to be punished then what offence could be so intriguing to have our leaders in the ICC’s? The atrocities committed by Bush alone are truly heinous enough to have won him the title of The Number One Terrorist in the World of our time but yet the laws of the ICC and the international human right firms couldn’t question his actions and let the law its due course. As though this is a one man’s allegation many famous world personalities too have had the same feeling as mine about W. Bush on how he treated humanity unfairly especially the Middle East. Below is a list of some famous world personalities and their say about George W. Bush which actually presents his true nature:

Justice Hosbet Suresh, a former Indian high court judge: “George Bush believes in killing because it keeps his life and boosts his marketing of arms”

Betty Williams, a noble prize winner: ‘’ I would love to kill George Bush’’

Hugo Chevez, former president of Venezuela: “The biggest terrorist in the world is George Bush”

Evo Morales, former president of Bolivia: “George Bush is a terrorist”

Dr. Zakir Naik, a great Indian Islamic scholar: “George Bush is the No.1 terrorist in the world”

George Galloway, UK Member of Parliament: The biggest terrorist in the world is George Bush.The blood that is on the hands of George Bush and Tony Blay (UK President) is much more than the bombers that carried out the bombing in London.

Jvoti Basu, former Chief Minister of West Bengal: The biggest terrorist in the world is George Bush. Etc.

If Africa presidents but knew how our differences are tearing us more apart, making us worthless as ‘shit holes’ and weakening our heritage rendering us submissive to Western influences they would agree to and serve under a proven exemplary leader had the chance come again. It is not late now but when it turns so, just as we as countries joined the OAU, we will completely pull out to become Divided States for America-D.S.A, Lol. The perspective of Nkrumah’s warning can be felt now because Africa has being paid in its own coin. We Africans should realize that our prayer to have a fellow black-skinned colleague on the ‘mighty’ stool has rather dragged us to nearly afresh, AU in disarray.

Obama whom we rallied behind for sake of globalisation has betrayed Africa by persuading the uprising and execution of Gaddafi. A figure (Gaddafi) whom with the riches bestowed on his country, was working to disentangle the continent of its numerous challenges. After Gaddafi’s demise, its shock has driven me to learning more about the Western and their targets for survival and I have learnt that it sees Africa as a treasury room with no lock. The too much trust we have for the Western is absurd. Africa should learn from the outcome of the trust the Middle East entrusted the USA. Two decades ago till date the unrest the Middle East is battling is the hand craft of America just for it to be the bait to their oil land.

This can be confirmed from Wesley Clark a former US presidential candidate and a 4-Star General when he was interviewed on Democracy Now on March 2, 2007; he said ‘’the truth is about the Middle East is that had there been no oil there, it would have being like Africa’’. He also went on to state about a meeting that was held about ten days after 9/11 in the US Pentagon intended to bring down governments of the following countries for no guilt of offense according to a member of the meeting. (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Iran).

Interestingly, this is a bigger proof to America been the mastermind of the execution of Mummer Gaddafi since Libya was shortlisted as part of the countries to suffer their greedy wrath. Fellow Africans let us admit that our negligence has once again contaminated the waters and if we do not learn to distil to drink, the worst awaits and it shall spill-off. Africa leaders are shitholes? I can’t commend the President of USA, Donald Trump for his description of our leaders as shitholes neither can I fight that intriguing word with full strength until it is proven wrong.

As an African I am engulfed by pain at my description but Presidents Trump’s stance may be for our division, high corruption rate, disease characterised, hunger, high illiteracy rate, conflicts, and more. How can we unravel this description? Our ‘’shitholeness’’ can only be disproved when the Africa presidencies collectively shun the concept of the Divide and Rule for a unit Governance. African politics misunderstand the word opposition for enemy and if we analyse, that is the area the Western always use to confront us. From my observation, if Africa oppositions of sitting governments could stop sabotaging policies and programs even when they are geared towards our unity and development then our betterment would have been secured. Kwame Nkrumah did his best by originating OAU and Gaddafi gave it a new look by transforming it to AU.

Reflecting, it was opposition which kicked Nkrumah out in governance in 1966 into exile on accusation of suppressing political opponents but upon his quota to his country and to Africa in general still lighten our world. In Libya too it was opposition that joined hands with the militias and the Western to end Gaddafi with his revolution. Let’s finally look at the intervention of the AU towards stopping the crisis in Libya as it was hot but yet Gaddafi had not died then with much contemplation, predict the end of the next Africa hero to emerge if we persist on the same trend of disunity.

Prior to Gaddafi’s demise, the United Nations-UN that is the highest security platform Africa always rely for security assistance called for an immediate cease fire according to its’ paragraph 1 of the Security Council resolution 1973 of March 17, 2011. However, paragraph 2 followed stressing the need to find solution to the crisis which was in line with the hopes of the AU of facilitating dialogue to find a peaceful and sustainable solution in Libya. By the time this resolution was passed by UN, the P3 (USA, Britain, and France) had already made their mind that there won’t be any cease fire until Gaddafi is forcefully out from the seat of governance thus complete regime change.

The question here is, how can we trust the service of NATO and the UN as well if the former which claims to be ever ready to deliver its services to Africa had it being in security difficulties and the latter whose decision was debunked by the world P3? Why should the AU’s decision which tallied with the UN’s of finding resolution and negotiation to the Libya’s civil war be suppressed by the decision of the P3? Any lesson here too? Does this await any Africa leader who tries safeguarding the resources of the continent? Let’s look at the influence that is on NATO’s operations. France in the year 1966 decided withdrawing its troops from NATO, why? Since the then president who gave the order, Charles De Gaule felt that NATO was too controlled by the USA and UK.

But this decision was reversed during Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidency which gave Obama the opportunity to connive with him to murder an innocent Gallant for his hard earned successes. The continent was weak struggling to revive but has become feeble the more because the one who use to milk it is no more. Let us take our matter into our hands for if they wanted to help us they would have done so by letting us be. In short, our interest is our bullet to firing our gun. My heart trembles upon hearing President Donald Trump vow at the NATO Summit on Thursday in Brussels to bring an end to ‘’vicious and violent’’ conflicts in Africa. That was right just that he has painted the whole continent in violence. We pray to dwell in our continent in peace devoid of strains but the question is, how safe are we this time round? Is it going to lick this time or bite as it (NATO) bit hard recently?

‘’Africa right now has got problems that few people will even understand,’’…’’ If you saw some of the things that I see through intelligence what is going on in Africa, it is sad, it is so vicious and violent, we want peace, we want peace for Africa,’’- Donald Trump on Thursday 12th July, 2018 NATO SUMMIT IN Brussels. Out of all that he said at the summit the part that inspires me is when he said that ‘’ through strength you get peace. Please my African leaders President Trump has told as the secret to their emancipation in the wise saying so let us embrace it in peace.

From the head to the toe of this article is but one powerful message which advises that Our Unity as Africans is the only way out to our true Power.

May God Help Our Dear Continent! Amen.

Alhassan Lukman
BA in Development Education Studies
University for Development Studies- UDS Tamale.

[email protected]

body-container-line