51吃瓜

In spite of strife and humanitarian challenges, Africa is rising in global stature and beginning to bring its Big Men to justice.

Africa was once deemed . Even today, Africans and those of African origin face racism, discrimination and danger not only in the and , but also in and . Thankfully, the most recent incidents of racism against Africans in Europe, China and India have led to widespread outrage in these timeworn societies. Even a for its leader鈥檚 remarks on J茅r么me Boateng, a German soccer player and son of an African father. Perhaps, as Bob Dylan once sang, 鈥�.鈥�

Two Big Developments on Africa Day

On May 25, 1963, the Organization of African Unity was formed and, over time, it evolved into the African Union (AU). Just as European leaders came together after World War II to end 鈥溾�� that plagued Europe for centuries, newly independent African states united 鈥�.鈥�

It is for this reason that May 25 has been christened 鈥淎frica Day鈥� and is commemorated every year. This month, Africa Day was marked by two significant events.

First, South Korean President Park Geun-hye became the first Korean leader to address the AU. She spoke of combining 鈥淎frica鈥檚 abundant and human resources鈥� with 鈥淪outh Korea鈥檚 technology and capital鈥� to create new synergies and boost Africa鈥檚 development.

Park paid the de rigueur tribute to Nelson Mandela and pointed out that Korea shared Africa鈥檚 colonial experience. She reminded her audience that barely half a century ago, 鈥�.鈥� She promised to be a partner for Africa and pursue a 鈥減lan for two-way exchanges of 10,000 youths鈥� that would create jobs. Under this plan, 6,000 Africans will get educated in South Korea whilst 4,000 Koreans will volunteer in Africa. Even though the numbers are not tremendously high, this people-to-people exchange promises to be significant.

Aside from the big boys鈥攖he US and China鈥攐ther countries are also taking more of an interest in Africa. A greater engagement with the wider world along with educational opportunities elsewhere is what this young and ambitious continent of over a billion needs. Park鈥檚 promise of setting up technology innovation centers marks a new step for a continent that has so far largely been a source of raw materials for the rest of the world.

Most significantly, Park paid tribute to Africa for experiencing the process of crafting an agreement on the 鈥溾�� and sought African help on nuclear North Korea. Now, the extent of Africa鈥檚 potential influence in this regard is debatable. Even US President with North Korea鈥檚 鈥渆rratic鈥� and 鈥渋rresponsible鈥� leader. , a country it feeds and fuels through energy supplies, is limited as well. So, the AU cannot achieve what the US and China have failed to. What is important here is that the leader of a richer part of the world living under the shadow of nuclear devastation is giving the AU long overdue credit for abjuring nuclear weapons and limiting possibilities of destruction like Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

Second, the AU took a historic step on Africa Day in India. Africans in India have long experienced discrimination. More than seven decades after independence, Indians retain deference for white folks whilst looking down on those with more melanin in their skin. Stories of discrimination are rife and Africans have catalogued the . Africans are regularly called 鈥渂lacky鈥� and often fear for their safety. Men are seen as . Women are seen as loose and sex workers.

In a nutshell, life for most Africans in India is nasty and brutish. Sometimes, it can be short as well. Recently, , India鈥檚 national capital. Sushma Swaraj, India鈥檚 unedifying foreign minister, incongruously claimed that . Attacks against Africans are well-chronicled and attracted much attention. Some Indians say this attack was a response to African men misbehaving with Indian women. That is most likely bunkum. Indians tend to pick on Africans because of the color of their skin.

. Africans are no exception. What irks them is the constant denial on the part of Indian leaders like Swaraj that they face a problem. On Africa Day, t out of solidarity with the dead Congolese student. This is a slap in the face of the Indian government, which has been courting Africa lately. In October 2015, it hosted and . Yet Indian authorities have failed to acknowledge, leave aside address, the daily discrimination Africans face in the country.

The boycott was not the only weapon African diplomats used to pierce the armor of apathy and negligence on the part of the Indian government. They went on to declare: 鈥淕iven the pervading climate of fear and insecurity in Delhi, the African Heads of Mission are left with little option than to consider recommending to their governments not to send new students to India, unless and until their safety can be guaranteed.鈥�

India wants big power status and a seat in the United Nations Security Council. For that it needs African support. On Africa Day, African diplomats have finally recognized their clout and have set a terrific precedent by holding a rising regional power to account.

Justice Finally as a 鈥淏ig Man鈥� Goes to Jail

Hiss猫ne Habr茅, once the 鈥溾�� of Chad, was sentenced in Senegal 鈥�.鈥� The Guardian called Habr茅鈥檚 conviction 鈥�.鈥� It sets a new precedent because it is the first time a former African dictator was tried and convicted of international crimes, in a different African state, under that country鈥檚 laws.

Once, Habr茅 ruled Chad with an iron fist from 1982 to 1990. The country, also known as the 鈥淒ead Heart of Africa,鈥� lies south of Libya and west of Sudan. In the good old days of the Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) deemed it as a critical battleground against the Soviets. Indeed, it was who assisted Habr茅鈥檚 ascent to the throne. Habr茅 beat back Muammar Gaddafi鈥檚 troops to repay the CIA鈥檚 faith in him. Generous American and French assistance helped. Ronald Reagan, who , infamously declared: 鈥�.鈥�

Like other dictators propped up during the Cold War, Habr茅 was a brutal thug. His henchmen , tortured thousands and raped hundreds. When Idriss D茅by overthrew Habr茅, the CIA helped Habr茅 resettle in Senegal where he lived in the lap of luxury.

Africans in India have long experienced discrimination. More than seven decades after independence, Indians retain deference for white folks whilst looking down on those with more melanin in their skin.

Sadly for Habr茅, the world changed after the Cold War. The US under Barack Obama is charting a very different course. Cold War dictators can no longer be whitewashed as champions of freedom and are seen as the tyrants they truly were. General Augusto Pinochet of Chile was arrested in London on a warrant from a Spanish judge for crimes committed against his people. Universal jurisdiction, the idea of the culmination of the universality of human rights and international justice, has boldly stepped off the theory pages and has been gathering operational steam. In fact, it was Pinochet鈥檚 arrest that inspired the to contact Human Rights Watch (HRW) to bring Habr茅 to justice, earning him the moniker, 鈥渢he African Pinochet.鈥�

Habr茅鈥檚 trial and conviction occurred because the United Nations鈥� (ICJ) ordered Senegal 鈥渢o prosecute and try him鈥� or extradite him to Belgium. Revivified by Pinochet鈥檚 tribulations, three Belgian citizens of Chadian origin . Belgian authorities investigated and then indicted Habr茅 in 2005. It was only after torturous negotiations and convoluted legal proceedings that Habr茅 was eventually tried.

Habr茅鈥檚 conviction will strike fear into the hearts of other African dictators. : 鈥淪afe havens are no longer safe for those suspected of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or other crimes under international law.鈥� This is not entirely true. Idriss D茅by, the man who overthrew Habr茅 in 1990, continues to rule Chad. Africa continues to have other Big Men such as Uganda鈥檚 Yoweri Museveni and Zimbabwe鈥檚 Robert Mugabe. Yet they have now been put on notice that they may not get away with impunity for all their atrocities. Once they lose power, Big Men can now end up in jail.

The Rwanda Burundi Story Continues

Rwanda and Burundi have acquired infamy for . Since then, both countries have reached some sort of stability under authoritarian rulers. Rwanda is ruled by Paul Kagame, Museveni鈥檚 former intelligence chief. In the words of Nii Akuetteh, Kagame 鈥渋s one of America’s friendly tyrants鈥� and, , is a man schooled in conflict who is no Nelson Mandela. Burundi鈥檚 big boss is Pierre Nkurunziza. Like other Big Men, he wants to stay on in power and , which some say contravenes the constitution. Many are not too pleased with this idea and .

Kagame is Tutsi and Nkurunziza is Hutu. Tribal rivalries that had been shoved under the carpet are now making a comeback. Nkurunziza has been trying to take away the powers of Burundi鈥檚 Tutsi minority, which is pushing back. In both countries, Hutus form a majority. In the continuing violence, of victims of Burundian security forces. to protect Tutsi interests. After all, the professorial Kagame runs a government where almost all key personnel share his ethnic roots. Kagame has a reputation for being authoritarian. In two well written stories, and describe how Kagame鈥檚 opponents mysteriously drop dead.

The rivalry between Nkurunziza and Kagame has led to strife in Burundi. In March, Nkurunziza accused Kagame of to Burundi. Unsurprisingly, many are fleeing. As per Tanzania鈥檚 Daily News, , over half of whom are children, have fled Burundi. Nearly 140,000 have fled to Tanzania alone. Thousands have fled to Rwanda too. Kagame is hitting back. This month, and the situation is reaching a tipping point.

Humanitarian Challenges

Even as refugees continue to stream out of Burundi, Africa faces even bigger humanitarian challenges. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 鈥溾�� in the Lake Chad Basin that comprises Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad. Speaking at the in Istanbul, Stephen O鈥橞rien, the under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) at the United Nations (UN), declared West Africa’s .

A senior Red Cross official estimates the gap between the suffering and the humanitarian response to be bigger than in Syria, Iraq or Yemen. In 2015, the UN raised barely 40% of the $535 million that it sought for the region. Boko Haram鈥檚 carnage has disrupted trade and agriculture. Drought, joblessness and extreme poverty have done the rest.

Last year, the UN pointed out that where children as young as 6 years old were becoming suicide bombers. At the time, O鈥橞rien called it 鈥渢he scene of the fastest-growing displacement crisis in Africa.鈥� Things have got worse since. Clearly, increasing awareness and providing relief are the two big challenges facing policymakers in the region and richer parts of the world.

Even as numbers of refugees rise, Kenya has announced that Dadaab, the , will close in November. Dadaab was set up in 1991 and houses more than 300,000 Somali refugees. Some people have been living there for over 20 years. Kenya鈥檚 reason for closing Dadaab is security. It claims that terrorists plan attacks against Kenya in Dadaab. Therefore, it will spend $10 million to repatriate refugees humanely.

Unrecognized by much of the world, . This resource-strapped country hosts half a million refugees. Now, Kenya seems to have reached the limits of its hospitality. It has shut down the Department of Refugee Affairs. The same populism that Donald Trump is unleashing in the US is infecting Kenyan politics. People want to take care of their own instead of funding refugees from other tribes and other religions.

What happens to these people who have fled dangerous areas and are often at great risk of hunger, disease and violence remains the big unanswered question.

The views expressed in this article are the author鈥檚 own and do not necessarily reflect 51吃瓜鈥檚 editorial policy.

Photo Credit:

We bring you perspectives from around the world. Help us to inform and educate. Your聽donation聽is tax-deductible. Join over 400 people to become a donor or you could choose to be a聽sponsor.