The Despots in Africa Are Afraid of The Young and Are Now Eating Them

Africa is a continent that is both blessed and cursed at the same time. Reading the short story of Ken Saro Wiwa, “Africa Kills Her Sun,” one gets to see how the author mirrored Africa then, now and for generations to come.

As predicted in his own story, Ken Saro Wiwa and 9 others were later executed by the then military regime in an effort to silence his activism activities.

The continent is blessed with numerous natural resources that other continents don’t have but cursed with pathetic political leaders, who are despots and always thinking about themselves and their families.

Africa has a history of leaders who are always afraid of their own people. Africa has a standing history of political leaders who ascend to power as ‘black messiahs’ only to turn out to be blood-thirsty monsters who feed on their own people.

Talk of Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo, talk of Idi Amin Dada of Uganda, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe among others all have been known for one thing: killing their own people to remain in power.

The fact is times are changing but African leaders appear to be aloof of this simple fact. The events that have been happening in Uganda should act as a wakeup call, not only for Ugandans but for Africa as a whole.

The despotic leader of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been on power for 32 years through which Ugandans have known nothing but mystery. The man has turned Uganda to be his own personal property and the fact that the military is at his disposal, the Ugandans have had nothing but to content with the tyrant as they silently mourn from within.

Museveni has always terrorized those who rose to stand against him. Kizza Besigye has always been in and out of prison for standing against Museveni. Museveni is now determined to kill the youth. This follows the popularity of young and vibrant musician come to politician Bobi Wine. The military has been terrorizing him and his family, torturing him and now cannot allow him to seek medication.

The young MP was abducted at the airport on Thursday as he tried to fly out of the country for specialized treatment in the United Kingdom after being tortured by the military. It is like Museveni wants him dead.

South Sudan became the youngest nation in the world. Every South Sudanese sung and danced to the new dawn that had come their way after the break-away from Khartoum. Little did they know that their independence would be a curse and that they will never know peace. Half of them now live in exile as refugees and those who remained behind are being killed on a daily basis. All those who have different views from those of those in power are rotting in jail.

To many people, Rwanda is the most peaceful and democratic country. That is far from the truth. The fact is President Paul Kagame is perceived by many Rwandese as the savior of the nation after he helped to end the genocide that rocked the country killing over 800,000 people. Paul Kagame has taken this trust to mean he is the president of life and does not want any opposition. Anyone who has ever tried to run against him in a presidential election is now in prison.

Africans need to realize that their leaders are afraid of them. It is happening all over, even in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and many others.

It is time for freedom.