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Government and Policy

Déjà Vu Diplomacy: African Leaders’ Grand Tour Of Global Group Photos

BY Steve Biko Wafula · February 18, 2024 11:02 am

This article was inspired by the maestro of writing Mr. Charles Obbo where on X (formally Twitter) he posed the question; Spot any difference?  https://x.com/cobbo3/status/1758907511082557446?s=20 And it got me thinking. It is true, that leadership defines every facet of our lives and it is the one thing that we Africans have failed to grasp and do.

Trying to find the difference is the world’s least entertaining game, yet African heads of state seem to be playing it on repeat. From Addis Ababa to Beijing, and Washington to Saint Petersburg, our esteemed leaders appear to have mastered the art of the photo op, with the same solemn faces of ‘commitment’ and ‘unity’. Only the background curtains and summit logos seem to change – how novel!

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Breaking news: changing suits does not change situations. While the venues rotate annually, the challenges back home stubbornly refuse to join the world tour. At the AU Summit, they stood united; in India, they embraced ‘partnership’; China offered a grand stage for promises; in Russia, they found a new ‘comrade’; Turkey rolled out the red carpet, and the US? The US provided the same carpet, albeit a different shade.

The script is eerily similar: global powers flaunt their checkbooks, African leaders flash their smiles, and the continent’s citizens? Well, they’re left checking the fine print. Our leaders, it seems, are collectors of air miles and handshakes, experts in the subtle art of ‘commitment without action’. They glide from summit to summit, their eagerness to ‘engage’ only matched by their reluctance to implement.

Oh, the thrill of it all! The handshakes that could power wind farms, the group photos that should be in the ‘action’ section of a photo album (if only there were any action to follow), and the promises that make election campaigns seem like brutally honest confessions. In this high-stakes game of musical chairs, the music stops, the leaders sit, and the people? They stand. They stand in lines for food, for jobs, for basic services.

So, as the conference halls echo with the latest declarations, and the banquet tables groan under the weight of yet another ceremonial dinner, one must wonder when the tours end and the real work begins. When will the posed pictures translate into tangible progress?

But fear not, citizens of Africa! The next summit is just around the corner. New photo, same positions – maybe this time, they’ll surprise us all and move… just not too quickly, or they might sprain an ankle.

Until then, let’s all play our part: like, share, and tag your leader in their latest global escapade. After all, it’s the thought that counts, right? Or so we’re led to believe, summit after summit, photo after photo.

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Steve Biko is the CEO OF Soko Directory and the founder of Hidalgo Group of Companies. Steve is currently developing his career in law, finance, entrepreneurship and digital consultancy; and has been implementing consultancy assignments for client organizations comprising of trainings besides capacity building in entrepreneurial matters. He can be reached on: +254 20 510 1124 or Email: info@sokodirectory.com

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