Ivory Coast's Ouattara And Guinea's Condé: Two West African Presidents Who Are Becoming Regional Security Threat

A few years go Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara and Guinea's President Alpha Condé were in the political opposition of their respective countries crying wolf and deceptively promulgating how fair, democratic, transparent and accountable they were as progressive politicians who not only wanted to better their respective countries but also to set a firmed example that Africa, especially West Africa, is capable of producing sober, democratic leaders that can lead by example and adhere to the constitution.

Many people, including some of us, undoubtedly believed these two men. It turns out both men appeared to have misled their country men and women as well as some of us – global citizens - who had admired them in the past.

After two terms in office, both men who are constitutionally ineligible to run for president in their respective countries, are now scheming to change the Constitutions of their respective countries so that they can seek a third term each.

By employing these imprudent tactics, both men are not only being uncaring, politically insensitive, socially ridiculous, democratically naïve, and irresponsible; they are effectively becoming a regional security threat to West Africa. Their expressively twisted actions, troubling desires, and craving for power are a serious time - bomb for potential civil unrest in their respective nations.

As a continent and as Africans, we can't move forward when we have untamed politicians plotting and acting in ways that set the continent's progress far behind from time to time.

It is time that both President Ouattara and President Condé retire, endeavor to build their respective presidential libraries, or get involved in mentoring young people in their respective countries and across Africa while also serving as statesmen in West Africa.

The action of these two politically insatiable men, if unchecked, would be another abomination to Africa's political maturity and democratic progress. Every African must, therefore, speak up and speak out against the threat these two political weaklings seek to pose to Africa's and West Africa's security.

We can't blame the West when few of their people think and believe that Africans are incapable of governing themselves. It is action from people like President Ouattara and President Condé that makes some in the West to draw generalized but painful conclusions about all Africans in such a way.

President Alassane Ouattara and President Alpha Condé must do the right thing to retire after their respective second terms in office come to an end. Any other sinister design to remain in power for as long as they live is not only a threat to peace and security in Africa and West Africa; it would be recipe for the distortion of democracy and economy prosperity in their respective countries and in West Africa in general.

Here is why all and every African must oppose the unconstitutional political pastimes of President Ouattara and President Condé now!

West Africa is already experiencing global terror attacks, and Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara and Guinea’s President Alpha Condé are bent on creating and/or facilitating political instabilities by seeking to change their respective countries constitutions so that they remain in power until death.

There are various terror groups in the Sahel Region of West and Central Africa - around Mali and Niger. Boko Haram is in Northern Nigeria, and now the BBC recently reported that ISIS (the Middle-East-based global Islamic State terror sect) has emerged in West Africa, where its coldhearted elements, ruthless and twisted-mind religious fanatics killed several Christians

ISIL-linked group claims 'execution of 11 Christians' in Nigeria as a revenge to the U.S. military raids in the Middle East which killed its leader Abu Bakar al-Baghdad.

With these unpredictable, risky and highly complicated security threats, these two very educated men, who have practically spent two terms in office and should be stepping down as per their countries constitutions, are blinded by personal voracity for power such that they don’t care if the West African sub region becomes volatile and vulnerable to undue fragility, political conflicts, cross-bordered and terrorist-infested insecurity.

From the unjustifiable decisions and desire of both men to lead their respective nations to potential political unrests, one would think maybe they know something we all don’t know, especially given the fragility of the sub region where ISIS is now reportedly trying to make home.

ISIS thrives on insecurity and political vacuum to gain foothold in any environment, and this is what the action of both men might create if they insist on their personal appetite to hold on to power. The question then is: Are both men trying to empower ISIS presence in the sub region?

One will hope not, and certainly not so. But their personal misjudgment could facilitate such thing.

This is a serious matter that must spark curiosity in the Africa Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as well as Africa’s international partners. We all must act to prevent chaos rather than struggle to resolve conflicts. Prevention is better than cure. This is why the AU, ECOWAS, and their colonial master France must stop them in their tracks now!

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