African Leaders and Obama's Big Win

The whole world cheered when Americans bestowed a big win for their first black president. On November 4th, we were glued to CNN, following up the result projections with all eyes and ears open, when my husband cracked a funny, but profoundly bitter joke. He said ‘You know, we Africans are far better advanced than US in counting votes’. With me throwing him a surprising glance, he concluded ‘We know the results before the voters start voting’.

Laughing at the sour joke, I remembered the last election my own country-Ethiopia had in 2005. Even though it was the first election that stirred the people’s political interest and resulted the ever highest voters’ turnout in the country, it ended up with the opposition leaders and many of their followers in jail and with the death of hundreds of civilians.

As trilled as I am over Obama’s huge victory, I would die to know how African leaders would perceive this achievement. Would they find it ironic that Obama is among the few Black leaders in our world, who won presidency without rigging votes, killing their oppositions and most important of all without an arrogant spirit of deserving the chair forever?

People are already talking about how Obama’s presidency will change the world and glitters hope for African children. Yes, the symbolical significance of a black person taking the most powerful office in the world with such grace and dignity is undeniable. It is clear why Nelson Mandela asserted that after this historical phenomenon ‘…no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting change the world for a better place.’

But, how are African children now all of a sudden free to dream change because US has elected the first black president? Were the white US presidents the ones standing on our ways to bringing hope to our impoverished, war-beaten and HIV stricken continent? Yes, in many ways the Western world has worked with African leaders in shattering the dreams of Africa. But who should we hold accountable for the tribalism, civil war, poverty, corruption, and diseases that are pushing the African populace to un-ending misery? Africa has its black leaders, but what have these black leaders given to their people except purchasing IMF and World Bank debts and shameful aids in exchange for our priceless resources?

Only recently, in Obama’s ancestral homeland, whose President Mwai Kibaki declared a public holiday to mark Obama’s big win, thousands of civilians sacrificed their lives for the power struggle between the government and its oppositions. Why would an Obama administration care about these victims or the never-ending civil wars in Sudan, Somalia, Angola, and Uganda, when our own leaders (who happen to be black by the way) aren’t doing much to change the situation? The answer is too simple. Our leaders are busy focusing on their own personal prosperity.

On the same token, when the world admires how far Americans have journeyed in improving their race relationships, I wonder how Africans observe the hatred, intolerance and division that reign in different countries of the continent based on ethnicity and religion.  Having learnt that South Africa’s President has sent his congratulations to President-elect Obama, I wonder what he was thinking about the killings and brutality other African immigrants have experienced on the very soil of South Africa, for seeking homage and refuge.

We understand that African leaders’ relationship with US leaders has been mostly characterized by the scratch my back and I will scratch yours principles. Even though Obama’s stand will be more or less the same, rumours had it that African leaders would have hailed McCain, had they had the chance to vote. Oh yes, they don’t like change. Right now, they must be worrying if the Bush legacy would be inherited by the new Democratic government to fulfil their nonstop quest for Western aids in the name of feeding their people. After all, they claim Africa was doing well under Bush, especially when it comes to HIV/AIDS!

People are already hopeful that Obama’s presidency will shade hope on the dark realities of the continent and facilitate good governance. How is that possible, when it is our own leaders, who are starving their own people to quench their desire of power and who are prioritising their own economic growth at the expense of impoverished citizens?  

To conclude, Obama has a tough challenge in front of him in fixing his own country. I hope his mission of change, will carry him to tackle his challenges and come out victorious. I reckon, in his relationship with the rest of the world, he will act to push American agendas just like his predecessors. So, for those who perceive Obama as the would be saviour of our poverty stricken continent, wake up! The solutions reside within us and the only people we should have our eyes on are our corrupt and selfish so called leaders. And for them, I have one question. Will they ever learn from Obama’s motto ‘Change!’ and drop their own motto of ‘No Change!’ to allow democracy flourish in the continent?