THE ADVANCE OF ISIS: IMPLICATIONS OF A NEW REDLINE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

"Rush O Muslims to your state. Yes, it is your state. Rush, because Syria is not for the Syrians, and Iraq is not for the Iraqis,"……. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

On the first day of the Muslim fast which marks the commencement of the month of Ramadan corresponding to 1^st July 2014 or 1^st Ramadan 1435AH, the leader of the neo-caliphate enactment Islamic group also known as ISIS declared an Islamic State in the territories under the control of his group which straddles from Aleppo in Northern Syria to Diyala province in Iraq; effectively nullifying any existing border between Iraq and Syria whilst concomitantly invalidating any government control over these areas in both countries.

ISIS OPERATIONAL PRESENCE ACROSS IRAQ AND SYRIA

These actions were not neoteric, in fact, it had long been beginning to come and what was only left of that precipitate was the effect of that declaration and the harsh realities it meant for the peoples of the affected territories, neighbouring countries, the international diplomatic cosmos of World powers and other Nations of the Planet Earth.

The current civil and political instability in the Eastern Levant was precipitated by the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003, which toppled a stable Iraqi regime presided by Saddam Hussien, and the evasive consequence of the Arab spring which has perennially condemned Syria to a bitter warfare of attrition. Of all the Countries affected by the Arab Spring, the Syrian case remains most volatile and bloody; claiming fatalities of nearly 200,000 lives, displacing over 2000,000 civilians, and leaving heavy patches of ruins in all cities across the Syrian Urban and rural landscape.

What began as a protest for regime change snowballed into that of sectarian strife pitting the majority Syrian Sunni population against the minority Alawite led Syrian government. With Western powers wary of intervention, the Syrian scenario pitted a proxy warfare with sectarian regional powers sponsoring their military interests. The Syrian government found a ready ally in Iran (a regional Shiite power) and a readymade fighting man power in Hezbollah (a Lebanese based Shiite militant group). In response to the sectarian  dimension of the Syrian conflict, Sunni led militias such as Jabat al Nusra, ISIS (Islamic State in Syria and the Levant) and several others sprang up to fight the ‘infidel’ Alwaite or pro-Shia supported government. In no time, the Syrian conflict metamorphosed from a civil one to a religious one.

Across the Syrian Eastern border in Iraq, the government had been grappling for control of the country since the withdrawal of US and other allied forces. The ensuing unrest in Iraq assumed a sectarian cum religious dimension as the Kurds opted for autonomy whilst the  Sunnis and Shiites grappled for political power. The once repressed Shiites under Sunni Saddam Hussien gained political power being the majority (65% of Iraqis are Shia Muslims) amidst Sunni cries of marginalization. In between the Iraqi political discontent was a wave of pockets of insurgency by Islamic militias against what was seen as an American perpetrated government in Iraq. This insurgency was later mostly exclusively perpetrated by Sunni based militias against Shiite and government interests.

With regional and religious rivalry in the brew, Shiite militias and governments led by Shiites received military and support from Iran whilst Saudi Arabia and other gulf states actively funded Sunni Militias.

AN IMPLOSION OF THE ESTABLISHED ORDER.

With the Syrian situation attaining a stalemate, ISIS (a Sunni led Islamist Militia) seized Raqqa (a provincial capital in Northern Syria) and declared it a model for a proposed burgeoning Islamic State and claiming that they had the entire Middle East at sight for a Caliphate. Taking advantage of the security and political impunity in Iraq, ISIS fighters crossed over and disgraced an established multibillion dollar US funded Iraqi army; seizing Mosul, Tikrit, Anabar and Nineveh provinces in a lightening advance and threatening to match on Baghdad. For reasons best known to ISIS, it has slowed the pace of its advance whilst seeking to consolidate control on the swathes of territory under its control across Syria and Iraq.

IMPLICATIONS

The military exploits of ISIS has had a reverberating effect across the Middle East and even amongst Sunni led governments. The ISIS fighters are just a few kilometres away from the borders of Saudi Arabia and Jordan and providing a new impetus to crumble an already endangered Shiite led Syrian and Iraq government. For once, the quest of ISIS is now seen as a valid threat to an established order in the Middle East.

PERMUTATIONS

All through the wake of the Arab spring, the US and her allies have refrained from directly intervening militarily apart from Libya where air support was used to defeat the Gaddafi government. Rather, western intervention has been through cautious military advisory tactics and equipment (whether lethal or non lethal) to militant group they deem sympathetic.

Whilst tension and mistrust amongst Iran (a regional Shia power) and the rest of a Sunni dominant Arab Middle East remain high, both parties do not want to see a crumbling of established order in their respective domains.

A crumble of established order will add a renewed impetus for Kurdish independence a cause which will distort the boundaries of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran—all of which are not ready to lose territory.

Continued heightened tensions will ensure the partition of Syria and Iraq along Sectarian lines, deflating existing borders and threaten the corporate borders of Jordan and Saudi Arabia all of which who have tribal affiliations across the borders.

A continued push by ISIS will threaten Jordan and Saudi Arabia and later on Iran and Turkey. Remotely, Israel and Lebanon will come into the fray and it will be hard for the US not to fight.

At this juncture, the bi-polar powers cannot afford to stand arms akimbo. And maybe this explains why Russia has provided Iraq with jets to bomb ISIS positions with a fore running support of Syrian attempt.

Permutations for an ISIS destablized Middle East
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2655977/ISIS-militants-march-Baghdad-trademark-bullet-head-gets-way-control-north.html

In all, the latest trend in the Middle East precipitated by the action of ISIS may precipitate another gun power for a global conflict. Let’s hope Armageddon is not yet here!

"We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized...... "That would change my calculus. That would change my equation."... Barack Obama (20th August 2012)

World Peace: A responsibility of every Nation!

Since the inception of recorded history of mankind, it has been inundated with tales of conquests and heroic actions of individuals who rose to fame through leading their peoples through warfare. Even in religious parlance, figures like the biblical Joshua and King David are popular conquest heroes whilst contemporary history boasts of empire builders in Nebuchadnezzar 1, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Shaka Zulu, Alexander the Great, Emperor Justinan 1, Genghis Khan amongst several others. However, there are several other Empire builders who ended up on the losing side of history in Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Attila the Hun, Hannibal, amongst several others.

Whether conquerors, heroes, victors, plunderers, terrorists or villains; one thing is common to these historical figures and their empires—they were founded by shedding of millions of human blood.

until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter."…………Chinua Achebe

 "History is written by the victors"……Winston Churchill

Human Skulls-- Relics of mass murders of humanuty around the world
Image: LKEM / Flickr)

Whilst the murderous antecedents of human history over the past centuries has been long forgotten or forgiven/relegated to the shredders of human memories; there is a sharp awakening to humans murderous tendencies especially from the 20^th century to the present 21^st century, as rough estimates has it that the number of murderous annihilations of specific tribes, race and religions over the last 200 hundred years (this includes the first and second world wars) almost equals the number of humans who have died (through natural or human causes) over the other centuries.

To buttress this, reckoning from the obnoxious slave trade (trans Atlantic and colonial expenditures of the 16^th,17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries); humanity experienced murders on the industrial scale during the first and second world wars where war causalities were reckoned in millions as hundreds of thousands were felled in minutes -no thanks to the technology of machine guns, ‘conventional’ bombs and nuclear bombs.

From the 1915 Armenian genocide, the Jewish Holocaust, to targeted deportations and killings of several ethnic nationalities under varied guise during first and second world wars, leaders of the world powers said never again in 1945 through formation of the United Nations and allied charters.

Nevertheless, since 1945, the sanity of humanity has again been called to question as a resultant of awakened genocidal tendencies in massacres and ethno-religious cleansing in recent conflicts around the world. Sadly, this murderous tendencies has had a contagious effect in 3 of the World’s continents.

Europe has it in balkanization of Yugoslavia which had its high point in the Srebrenica massacre of 1992. Currently, there are heightened tensions in Eastern Europe especially amongst former Soviet bloc nations over the ethnic consciousness of Russian speaking peoples in these nations which has caused the Russian-Georgian conflict of 2008 and is currently heightening tensions in Ukraine.

Africa has it Sudan where prolonged conflicts (sometimes dubbed Africa’s longest civil conflict) lead to the splitting of Africa’s largest nation and the emergence of a new nation in South Sudan in 2011. This never ended the conflict in that region as battles still rage in South Sudan and mother Sudan itself (both targeting ethnic nationalities).

Across the Sahara to South, brutal civil conflicts in Liberia, Cote d’ivore and Sierra leone during the 1990’s and 2000’s claimed thousands of lives with associated brutality of limb amputations of survivors. To the east, Africa’s most populous country Nigeria, has had a civil conflict in the 1960’s which had ethnic undertones and yet scores from that war are yet to be settled as it a common trend for riots and recently ‘scotch the earth’ annihilation by Boko Haram insurgents to sporadically claim the lives of hundreds of Nigerians daily -all of which has ethno-religious undertones.

Away from the Rwandan genocide of 1994, which already had a precedence in targeted killing of Hutus and Tutsis in Burundi in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s; the drooling effect of these menace has eternally plundered peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the Banyamulenges are almost extinct. Somalia reels from an eternal conflict now engulfing its larger economic neighbour Kenya and also causing a serious concern for the wider East Africa sub region. The Central Africa Republic is also witnessing an annihilation of it Muslim population. No thanks to years of civil wars and religious revenge attacks.

In Asia, targeted marginalization of the Rohingya Muslims amongst other tribal wars is an issue in Burma (Myanmar) and is a reminisence of the brutal Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.

Kurdish repressions as experienced in Syria, Turkey, Iraq and Iran as well as the unresolved Palestinian-Israeli conflict, calls to question the sanity of humanity. The Arab spring has provided another butcher field in Syria and questionable anti-terrorism interventions by the United States and her allies has forever destroyed the bliss once known in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Of all the continents, only South America has tended to move on from its murderous pasts but pockets of conflicts still remains in the drug fuelled clashes/wars of Columbia and Mexico.

After reeling the murderous tendencies and man’s inhumanity to mankind over the 20^th and 21^st centuries, one must note that these murderous tendencies if not nipped can spell doom to humanity (especially as seen in the origin of the first World War).

Amidst the conflicts, terror attacks and civil unrests that grips our world today, it is not enough for words of condemnation to be said no matter the veracity. Considering the burden of refugee welfare which usually lies of on non-conflict countries, there is a call for every nation to ensure world peace and reassert our common humanity.

Articles 43 through 48 of the U.N. Charter already provide for a permanent command structure for a standing volunteer rapid response force, which has never been created- a liberal interpretation of those articles would  permit creation of a standing world army.

On a year when the world the centenary of the outbreak of the first World War, there is no better time to set aside selfish international interests amongst world powers and other Nations who inadvertently by their actions fuel conflicts around the world and see to a stop of mass murders. We are all humans with one Heart, Spirit and Soul. We should be sane and protect the sanctity of human life to save humanity from outright annihilation by our own actions.

The Syrian Conflict: Any Hopes From Geneva II?

"Don't expect anything from Geneva II. Neither Geneva II, not Geneva III nor Geneva X will solve the Syrian crisis. The solution has begun and will continue through the military triumph of the state."…….. Ali Haidar (Syria's National Reconciliation Minister)

From the frenzy immersions of the wave of the Arab Spring that swept across the Middle East in 2011, one nation where the simmering dregs of the revolution will not dry quickly is Syria.

From pockets of mild solidarity Arab Spring protest in 2011, the Syrian situation fast spiralled into a full blown irreconcilable civil war with the belligerents serving as proxy armies for regional powers from the Islamic Shia and Sunni divide in Iran and Saudi Arabia.

                                                                                  

Starting from political agitations, the Syrian conflict also smouldered along its major sectarian religious divide; thus making any peace settlement difficult as both parties to the conflict label the enemy as the infidels. Barring direct intervention from foreign powers across the West East divide, the Syrian situation continues to plunge to a hopeless abyss carnaging over 150,000 casualties and dispersing over 4 million of its citizens as refugees while leaving the once tranquil settlements of Homs, Aleppo, Deraa, Maloula as battlefield ruins.

Devasted Aleppo, the Industrial hub of Syria

After defying all appeasement avenues despite agreements and moves to dismantle Syria’s Chemical weapons arsenal, the US, UN and Russia agreed to bring the warring sides to Geneva to talk peace.

John Kerry (US), Lakhdar Brahimi and Sergei Lavrov (Russia) at the opening of the Geneva II Conference in January 2014

In the words of Ban ki Moon, he says it would be "unforgivable not to seize this opportunity" that has left more than 100,000 people dead and driven 9.5 million from their homes. And so for the first time during the Syrian conflict, Russia and the US had a common understanding to bring the warring parties to the negotiation table in what is to be known as Geneva II peace talks which was especially made urgent after the chemical attack in Ghouta on 21^st August 2013.

As party to the Conflict, the Syrian government of Bashir Al Assad has to negotiate with the Syrian Opposition to achieve a tangible peace settlement for Syria. For the case of the Syrian opposition, there exists a wide gulf between the political and armed opposition although both parties are united in their desire to achieve a post Assad Syria. Compounding the position of the Syrian opposition is the divergent intentions of the armed opposition who are at best serving the interest by proxy of regional powers while the political opposition do not in effect have control over the armed opposition.

Coming to Geneva to negotiate may be a plausible attempt at achieving peace, and considering the devastatory depth of the Syrian conflict, necessary concessions must be made by the warring parties.

The government of Assad has to stay put at least for the short term future.

There cant be a successful military end to the conflict

Acknowledging this fact, a rebuilding phase can then be inaugurated via a transition government. Things may then begin to fall into place and twill be easy to rein down the extremists.

For all the care of the cause of the warring parties, the concern should shift from fluidic gains on the battle field to the welfare of Syria and her citizens. For all the world cares for, the Syrian conflict is becoming a pain in the neck for her much smaller neighbours in Lebanon and Jordan where the Syrian refugee crises is drowning the population of the host countries. With two rounds of the Geneva II talks ended, the hopes and fate of the Syrian people lies on a yet to be decided third round--- and will all parties learn from the past deadlocks? The only good thing is that the talks are in place. Hoping it does spring an eternal hope to end the stodgy nature of the Syrian conflict.

‘The Geneva process is destined to remain stagnant unless its patrons adapt to the realities on the ground and reframe what constitutes core political issues and points of negotiation. The current realities suggest that the solution of the battlefield is preferred to that of the negotiating table. Until this changes, the Geneva negotiations will remain political theatre’……Samer N Abboud (Assistant Professor of International Studies at Arcadia University,  Pennsylvania.)

INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: EXPOSING A FAULT LINE THAT RUNS DEEP !

Searching for patrols on Nigeria highways? The Nigerian Army is now a common sight! And they most times do so under diverse nomenclatures, such as JTF (Joint Task Force), STF (Special Task Force) and other Operational moniker labels most times with Mobile Police Units. While this may seem plausible in our contemporary world where Armies are now being trained to fight a new style of warfare in urban settings, a critical look into the Nigerian security situation shows that of adverse degradation setting into irredeemable heights by conventional security means!

An Army check point along Rabah road,Kaduna
Source: http://news.naij.com/5986.html

READ MORE: http:/

By tradition, the Police Force and its allied intelligence service is tasked with maintaining internal security, whilst the Army sets its sight at wading off external aggression of all sorts. Between these two forces are several governmental agencies whose activities helps keep the society sane; such as the Customs and border agencies. Whilst these forces are independent standalone agencies, their activities are to work in tandem, ensuring concomitant actions against any threat to the Country’s stability from internal and external sources.

The Nigerian scenario sets a different tune with many gaping loopholes of which is now being exploited by several security assailants such as armed robbers, kidnappers, marauders and ethno-religious militants. Most recently the issue of ethno-religious militancy (sporadic incidents confined to Northern Nigeria) has degenerated into a sustained guerrilla  insurgency both in the North as Boko Haram and in the South as factional agitated armed groups (though both scenarios have different ideological motives). Whatever the nomenclature assigned to these security assailants, the fact remains that gaping holes in the security apparatus have been exploited to plunder by these bandits.

PATHS TO DECLINE

During the first republic (1960-1966), the Country operated a semi autonomous regional style of government. Each region wielded considerable control over governance administration and instruments of governance and they had their own police forces. Neglecting the inadequacies of that period to the excuse of the fact the Nation was just fresh from independence; the security modus operandi was much better than what obtains today.

Then came the Military governments and civil war! One of the resultants of the civil war aftermath was that automated weaponry fell into wrong hands and armed robberies became rampant such as was not experienced during the pre-civil war era. Aside this, the advent of the Military into the Nigerian Political cosmos changed the modus operandi of governance. The four regions was divided into variegated ‘states’ and  most (if not all) instruments of governance was vested on a strengthen Central (Federal) Government. One of such was Policing which was now put under Federal control.

With peculiar divides along religious and cultural lines, security assailants (aside armed robbers) tend to exploit cracks along the National fabric to foment trouble, and such was made manifest in several ethno religious riots in cities above the Niger River. The Kano riots, Kaduna riots, Jos riots being major examples aside the Maitatsine revolt of the 1980’s.

Another disturbing trend peering through the gaping hole of the Nigerian internal security apparatus is the lack of respect for the men of the police force. Over time, the Nigeria Police force has been beset by unwholesome corrupt practices which have made it loose credence in the sight of the populace. As such, not even the mention or threat of the Police commands any form of respect or instill fear among ordinary civilians not to talk of Security assailants---robbers, thieves, looters, rioters…name them!

BRIDGING THE SECURITY LOOPS

Over the years, experience and evidence has shown that the Federal administered Police force is incapable of effectively policing the country due to the following:

*       Inadequate personel: Comprising of about 370,000 men, the Nigeria Police Force is expected to guarantee the security of over 160,000,000 citizens. This ratios 1Police man to about 400 Citizens!. Worst still, a considerable number of Police men are assigned as Security details to Politicians and their aides. This cumulatively leaves about 200,000 Policemen to the entire civilian citizenry. Thus effectively leave 1 policeman to 800 civilians! Nigeria is under policed. To police a nation as large as Nigeria, the Police force has to be at least a million man strong!

*       Lack of Local Government Control: In the spirit of Unitary Federalism, Past Military Governments removed the Police from local to Federal control. As such, members of the Nigeria Police force can be drafted to serve in part of the country. Experience has shown that there is a need for indigent county Policing as respective Nigerian State Governors are acknowledged as ‘Chief Security Officers’ of their domain. They are however handicapped in carrying out this function as all security apparatus are Federally administered. One then wonders why these governors are handed monthly security allowances called ‘security votes’ when they do not actually control the police force in their respective states.

*       Coordinated Collaboration of Security agencies: Another awkward trend within Nigeria’s security apparatus is the lack of collaboration among the security forces. Rather, it is no strange news to hear of some ranks of the Army fighting the Police, Police fighting the Customs, Navy fighting the Police and so on. This usually occurs when law enforcers become law breakers and in a bid to cover up misdeeds, members of the force to which the offender belongs calls for mobilization from comrades to fight the law enforcing authority. This trend clearly shows a lack of collaborative intelligence among the forces because if it does exist, such would never happen.

In modern crime and warfare combat, all forces work as one body and must share intelligence to achieve any tangible success. But when the Army sees the police as an incompetent rival then gaping holes abound within the security apparatus

*       LACK of National data base: Despite huge budgetary allocations to security issues, it’s saddening that the Nigerian Government is not as a matter of urgency accelerating the collation and establishment a National Data base of all citizens. At a time when all that pertains to humanity is now digitized, Nigeria’s records has to go digital. This will go a long way in tracking security assailants especially with the advent of DNA, facial, speech and finger print technology. Sadly, there is no sign that the Police Force is prepared for this task. A day to day interaction with the majority foot soldiers of the police force shows that of a derelict knowledge and grasp of modern day technological trends. Some do not even know how to operate computers let alone surf the internet. If this is the prevalent trend, how can the Police effectively fight modern day crime when it has shifted from life action to cyber action?

*       Poor Policing equipment: Derelict police vehicles are a common sight on Nigerian roads and High way road blocks. Most police posts especially those outside major cities are just sham buildings. Little wonder they provide soft targets for upcoming security assailants. The policing strategy is not up to date with modern day realities. Lacking CCTV’s and high caliber intelligence equipments, the Police results to gun totting and bullying to assert their authority over the civilian populace.

Police-Station-in-Igangan-Osun-State-Nigeria
Source:http://www.indepthnigeria.com/headlines/nigeria-police-stations-a-dpo-shocking-confession-on-what-goes-on-behind-the-scene/

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/12/breaking-news-20-feared-dead-as-gunmen-sacks-police-station-prison-in-adamawa/

*       Porous influx of light and heavy firearms: It’s no news that Nigeria has very porous borders. However, most disheartening is the influx of firearms of different sorts some of which evade the border patrols. Aside the threat of guns, security assailants can now handle fire light mortar shells—a non-conventional domestic weapon fit for warfare. Wherever these are sourced from (either from illegal importation or from armory theft), the trend doesn’t portend a sound combat fortune for the Police force!

A typical BOKO HARAM militancy photoshot. Note the RPGs

A typical Niger Delta Militancy Photoshot.. Note the sophisticated assault weaponry 

For all apparent reasons, the Federal Government should hands off policing for local authorities whilst it does maintain a National police or ‘super paramilitary force’ (National Guard) for special tasks defying conventional policing tactics. Maybe the current National Civil Defence Force could be upgraded to this. This will relieve the military of civil peace keeping duities.

The current security realities do not pose a good trend for the Nigerian Society. The apparent impotence of the Police force to nip the security challenges in the bud shows an endemic failure in of the Country’s security stratagem.

Most shambolic is the deployment of the Armed forces to douse security tensions. It must be noted that the Army was never trained to mingle and keep peace with civilians. Their duty is to make peace by killing. Although the trend of modern day warfare due to guerilla insurgent tactics requires the army acquainting themselves with Urban warfare, for the Army to now be customarily called upon to maintain day to day security and man check points show a great decadence in the National Policing apparatus. As such, these inadequacies are readily deployed against the Police as seen in bank and domestic robberies, ethno-religious riots, Kidnappings, Marauding, Militancy and Insurgency.

Operation Flush!
Source: http://www.ynaija.com/win-n260m-promo-jtf-releases-lists-of-most-wanted-boko-haram-leaders-offers-n290-million-reward-for-information/

This magnifies the situation in the North East especially Borno State where all governmental efforts to nip the insurgency are proving abortive despite a state of emergency; denoting more security errors than the apparent and obvious. 

Until wholelistic measures are taken to reposition the collaborative efforts of the National internal and external security apparatus, robbers, rioters, miscreants and insurgents will continue to have a swell time plundering the peace and tranquility of the Nigerian society.

MAN O MANDELA: HIS LEGACIES!

“I was made, by the law, a criminal, not because of what I had done, but because of what I stood for, because of what I thought, because of my conscience...

...During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people...

...I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” 

Born Rolihlahla Mandela in Mveso, Transkei, South Africa 18^th July 1918 and fondly called Madiba and Tata; he is popularly known as Nelson Mandela.

This personality has increasingly held the world in frenzious awe since the latter half of the 20^th century up until his recent demise. In deed and in death, his memory is enmeshed in notorious fame whose embers will blaze a continual trail for generations unending to refer and learn.

Away from the troubled past incited by the governance misdemeanours of most of Africa’s independence leaders - who wittingly threw the tantrums into the post independence political cosmos of their countries. Thus, plunging Africa  to that continent laden with coup d’etats, civil wars, debt, ethnic upheavals, infrastructural decay and underdevelopment. Nelson Mandela’s legacies from the anti-apartheid struggle to the post apartheid era South Africa, leaves a sterling example in what is meant of exemplary quality leadership.

Driven and motivated by the passion of what he believed ought to be, he sought freedom and equity for all races in South Africa and never for once balked at his desire even when he was President of South Africa from the dominant race that has once been sore oppressed.

In life and in death, Mandela is ever eulogized as a beacon of morality in leadership, and his influence is always evoked at the slightest opportunity when needed - as seen recently in South Africa’s world cup bid success.

Amidst the adulatory eulogies showered the memory of Mandela, it is important to note and learn from the deeds of Mandela. Viz;

v  His ardent and fervent determination in the face of crushing opposition to his ideology and movement. Instead, his resolve increased and remained stronger than ever. Though sentenced to life imprisonment and destined to die, he said:

“Prison itself is a tremendous education in the need for patience and perseverance. It is above all a test of one’s commitment.” 

 

While in prison, he wrote his famous biography- Long walk to freedom (while not yet free) and above all, he bagged a long sought law degree amid providing a formidable leadership to his fellow prisoners while in prison.

v  He had a clear sense of his ideology and its ideals. Himself being an African Nationalist, he became fully absorbed into democratic socialism as he began his long term romance with politics in the ANC and governance in South Africa. Though during his struggles, he had alliances with western maligned communism and some absolute leaders in Gaddafi which made him being labelled as a terrorist by western governments. His clear ideological drive overtime won the hearts and minds of all those who once evil branded him as seen in eulogies poured out at his demise. This is a far cry from the inept ideological tendencies dominating the African political cosmos today. This has reduced politics and governance to a trivial ground for scores settling, unideologically driven cross carpeting, and money bag governance in most African Countries.

v  Even when at the helm of affairs as South Africa’s President, he distributed governing powers. His deputy, Thabo Mbeki concentrated on domestic issues while Mandela concentrated on foreign matters; and amid the cheers, he quit when the ovation was loudest after one term in office. This is a far cry from the bad exemplary governance of previous Africa independence leaders before him who turned their countries to one party states; and most had to be dislodged by coup d’etats, civil upheavals and sometimes bloody civil wars whose scars still lace the Africa political cosmos till this day. It is however sad to note that the governing ANC seems to be diverting from the exemplary ideals of Mandela leadership legacies

v  He loved his country to a fault. He never sought to leave or retire abroad; as such, he never had some foreign holdings of loots stashed abroad. No wonder he died at home. Some other African leaders would have retired/sought medical treatment abroad, died abroad and be flown home on demise.

v  He never had a stable family life. From three marriages (two ending in divorce), his personal life sometimes cast a shadow on his glorious credentials. His first marriage broke due to his wife’s irreconcilable ideology with his as she left him before he returned from one of his numerous incarcerations. Unable to forgive his adulterous  long term wife and companion, one may hold that moment with thoughtful grief as they barely had five years together (though spent in transit in and out of prison) before his eternal 27yr incarceration which could have had testing moments in the life of young Winnie. Some say he forgave his oppressors but couldn’t forgive his wife! In that he showed his mortal side in the face of secular knight ship and sainthood.

“I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all during my life; I fight it now, and will do so until the end of my days.”

In life and in death, Nelson Mandela remained an embodiment of political pietism and in that; he attained the status of a secular saint.

Whilst basking in the euphoria of having a man worthy of historical reference from Africa, it is most important for all who care to reminisce his memory to think and practice his deeds. Maybe such could be called Mandelasm (no calls for a political movement though)!

Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way.” 

“I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.”

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered"---

RIP Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18/7/1918- 5/12/2013)

SOUTH SUDAN: The PANGS OF NATIONHOOD!

Joyous scenes in Juba heralding the Independence of South Sudan on 9th July 2011
Source:BBCNEWS

On the morn of 9^th July 2011, Mother Africa went through the throes of natality and South Sudan was born! Joyous crowds greeted that day in Juba, Bor, Rumbeck and Wau. Much joy was found from the Upper Nile, Jonglei; East, West and Central Equatorial States, all of which will now make up the world’s newest country.

It has been a long bloody journey to independence. From the initial independence of the Sudan in 1956, the peoples of the South of Sudan had fought a war against domination and Arabization. Dubbed Africa’s longest contiguous/running civil war, a truce/peace deal was signed in 1972 giving a break from the Anya Nya rebellion that had began about 1956.

Yet the underlying issues that led to rebellion not being addressed, the South (dark skinned, non-Arab and mostly Christian) culturally and ethnically different from the North; against a governing/dominating Pro-Arab Muslim North, the South in 1983 once again descended into a rebellious conflagration with the government sending John Garang (a Southern army officer) to quell the rebellion.

John Garang

Garang instead allied with the mutinous forces and forged the Sudan’s Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA), the armed wing of the Sudan’s Peoples Liberation movement (SPLM); thus launching a full scale second round of rebellion. Beginning in 1983, the war raged amid series of peace moves and finally a Comprehensive Peace Agreement deal was done in 2005, ending 22yrs of war. Under the deal, South Sudan was to be allowed self government for a six year period culminating with a referendum for self determination in the sixth year.

For all the troubles of John Garang, he didn’t live to enjoy the dividends of the peace deal as he died in a plane crash in July 2005; barely 3months after signing the deal. A crack seemed to simmer among the ranks of the SPLA/SPLM. Turning a rebel movement into an active political/governing force over a territory that has only known war, pillage, cattle rustling, marginalization and underdevelopment was no easy deal. The South made up of the Dinka-Ngok, Nuer, Shilluk amongst several other minorities began to simmer in ethnic tensions.

Though evident during the rebellion in the defection Peter Gadet and his militia from the SPLA to the side of the Sudanese government, a power struggle was waiting to happen after the death of charismatic Garang; with the highly educated Riek Machar and militarily vibrant Peter Gadet (both from the Nuer ethnic group) against a less educated military commander in Salva Kiir (from the Dinka ethnic group).

The lines of differences between the actors was bridged before the referendum which ensured independence. Plagued by ineptitude and corruption, the SPLA government made a poor start failing to learn lessons from older independent nations. Peter Gadet once more defected from the SPLM, kick starting a rebellion in the troubled Unity/Jonglei region which was flanked by General George Athor. These differences played into Sudan and barely months after independence, South Sudan and Sudan were at odds. Sudan occupying disputed Abiyei and South Sudan occupying the oil  fields of Heglig (Panthou). The world watched as both sides verbally sabre rattled at each other with President Omar Al-Bashir calling the South Sudanese government ‘Insects’ that must be flushed out.

With both sides struggling to contain internal rebellions, all out conflict was certainly not an option and overtime the conflict seemed to progress by proxy as both governments accused each other of supporting their respective rebel groups. Oil ceased to flow from South Sudan and both governments became cash strapped.

Tensions continued to smolder in South Sudan; defections, discontents culminating in the sack of the entire cabinet by President Salva Kiir. Then came heightened violence referred to as a coup attempt.

Once again, South Sudan is split along the lines of previous rival rebel movement- Peter Gadet and Reik Machar seeming to align against the main stream SPLM lead by Salva Kiir.

For years, these have fought side by side against the government of Khartoum and united by the cause of getting an improved status quo for the Southern Sudanese. Though there have been splinters in the past, upon getting their desired aim, it is up to the power players in South Sudan to make their nation great.

Like most African countries, independence leaders seem united at the onset fighting a common enemy in Colonialism. Upon independence, it has been the custom of most independence leaders to stifle opposition, promote nepotism, ethnic tensions and ultimately cement their places in power by declaring a one party state.

Such has been the pangs and throes of independence in Africa which has relegated most African Countries to third world statuship…. Miles behind the Asian Tigers who started the independence journey with most African Countries.

It is sad to note this trend in South Sudan. Barely 2yrs into independence, the country is embroiled in the same circle of violence familiar with SubSaharan Africa.

A Nation was born in South Sudan; young, ruddy and potent! She must learn from her elders else another failed state in the making! And who says secession is a solution to Africa’s ethnic/cultural mangle?..... see South Sudan!