The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
It is clear that among the social groups that helped topple Bashir, there were organisations funded by the Western World. These are the fifth columnists of the West’s imperial project to strengthen its control over Africa. These groups must be the spearheads of ICC in the new government. Otherwise the desire to hand over Bashir to ICC defies imagination because his fate shows that Africans have capacity to hold their leaders to account without help from abroad.
The desire to seek salvation of the African peoples from the West is a deeply entrenched mentality among a section of African elites. It is based on the conviction that Africans are helpless victims of their rulers and their circumstances. Hence Africans cannot be active agents in their own liberation – whether political or economic. Rather they need the paternal hand of the West to save them from their predicament – whether to politically remove bad rulers or to improve their material conditions, hence foreign aid in form of money or military interventions.
A large section of African elites buy into this narrative because of brainwashing. Yet for over 70 years when nearly all of Africa was ruled by European powers not a single African country graduated from poverty. Indeed, in spite of all the failures of post independence Africa, opportunities to access public services such as education, health, electricity, clean water, roads etc. have been made available by governments in post independence Africa.
Secondly nearly all the African leaders who have been accused of the most venal practices were brought to power and sustained in power by Western powers to wit Mobutu Sese Seko of former Zaire, Idi Amin of Uganda, Siad Barre of Somalia, Samuel Doe of Liberia, Jean Bokasa of Central Africa Republic etc. How then does the same Western world claim to be the saviors of Africa from tyranny?
On the other hand some of the most promising leaders of Africa like Patrice Lumumba of Congo, Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Milton Obote of Uganda, Madibo Keita of Mali etc. were overthrown in military coups orchestrated by the governments of the Western world. So the historical evidence is clear: the West has been involved in our subjugation directly through colonialism or indirectly through their neocolonial agents.
Africans are not helpless victims of their rulers in need of foreign assistance. On the contrary, foreign assistance poses a significant risk to our future as we have witnessed most recently in Libya. Those who pretend to seek to liberate us have their own interests, which often are not for our own good. We need to be active agents in the struggles for our liberation, not passive spectators.
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amwenda@independent.co.ug
you are beginning to sound like the TV Africa and RT guys. All this western colonialist stuff! Get over it. BTW what about the Serbian and Yugoslav war criminals. Slobodan Milosovic ? where WAS HE tried? In Bosnia?
I personally am surprised that this has happened given it is an open secret that bashirs security forces had American training. The vaunted nsis was built from the ground up with American aid!
Given the American stance on the icc and our African problem with how the whole icc thing is like rattling bones to our beloved leadership, I am surprised there is an influential lobby in Sudan that can get this done.
Kenya was extremely unique and has always been. Their conspiracies are within tight, loyal easy to manage circles whose members rarely fall out. This is unlike the rest of Africa where the so called opposition are either former abusers or (by their own testimony) future rights abusers.
Perhaps Africa is, “growing a conscience”, and people are willing to matry themselves at the alter of justice. But even this is unlikely given the current machinations to protect whistle-blowers in Uganda which is obviously a roundabout way of getting immunity because as we know from experience, most whistle-blowers are disgruntled co-conspirators.
I will watch and see how many glass houses get smashed if this Sudan icc thing really happens. Personally, I am more intrigued by the Ugandan (regional?) transition quagmire.
Judiciary in Sudan is not independent and politicised.
Stupid article
The fact that someone has escaped trial, is not an excuse for any leader to commit atrocities and genocide.
Bashir & co have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region, killing more than 300 thousands innocent people. Bashir himself has confessed publicly to killing “only” ten thousands.
Moreover, this war was fueled by Islamic radicalism and racism, which are considered terrorism all over the world.
Being on the run for years, he has literally destroyed Sudan due to the imposed sanctions and listing the country as terror-sponser for decades.
He should be handed over to the ICC, upon finalizing his ongoing corruption trials locally.
Accurate information about Albasheer
You are correct John
Thanks.
corrupt mentality
His name is Omer albashir not mohamed
“Yet for over 70 years when nearly all of Africa was ruled by European powers not a single African country graduated from poverty. Indeed, in spite of all the failures of post independence Africa, opportunities to access public services such as education, health, electricity, clean water, roads etc. have been made available by governments in post independence Africa.”
HOW long did it take most of EUROPE to develop itself? When and how long did it take to provide semi universal education, health, water, roads etc.In fact the likes of MWENDA are the ones who even bring out “facts” and figures to show that there is still poverty in EUROPE or the western world, and yet this same MWENDA expects that the Europeans would have wiped out poverty, starting from base zero, provided universal education, have tarmacked roads, let alone that there were only a handful of vehicles, within a period of 70 years.
MWENDA sings til the cows come home, how we should appreciate what M7 has done in 33 years and still counting, and yet he does not want to appreciate what the colonialists, their faults notwithstanding, did in 70 years, under very hostile conditions.
A glaring example is the fact that they built a railway line, in record time, and the visionary has not added an inch to it in his 30 year rule(unless you count the Port Bell extension) , in fact most of it has been uprooted under his watch, even the state house he lives in, after massive renovation, was built by the colonialists.
M7 once remarked that for the 70 year or so period the British were here they only constructed the Jinja dam. What has to be remarked is that by the time the British came here the scientific method used for generating electricity (electromagnetic induction) had just been discovered and there was not electricity in people’s homes even in UK or US. It took time. Mwenda and M7 can spin and spin but there is hardly anyone to be convinced
Any disputes to your views might be motivated by western supremacy mind. This’s a right article that represents Africa’s position on ICC being an organization used by the narcissistic west to molest Africa. I am not saying that African leaders who had committed unimaginable atrocities during their atrocious rule had to be defended unreasonably from facing justice. I mean Africa should handle it justice cases internally like what was done to Chad’s former President Hissebe Habre in Dakar 2015. That was justice from our legal resources and was not at ICC. Mubarak was tried in Egypt, Mugabe had the same chance, Zuma Shall in SA, M7 may soon. Bashir should be tried in Africa. This argument is to empower our legal leverage on our competent Judges, Juries, Counsels, Legal Advocates, Lawyers et al. South Sudan will do the same thing as When time comes for our leaders to account for crimes committed during their tenure.
Sometimes I wonder what goes on in Mwenda’s head. Otherwise, it is only war mongers, merchants of death (arm dealers) who defy the UN. And it is only the war criminals and criminals against humanity who condemn and defy the ICC.
In other words it is simple: Andrew Mwenda is the agent and apologist of the African war crime and criminals against humanity.
With time,ICC will have no clients. Why do i say so?
1.Almost all the Militia groups still operating in Africa are shrouded with mystery for example;its alleged that Bashir supports the Janja Weed Militia that operates in Dafur at the same time its alleged that the conflict in Dafur is as a result of Khartoum government trying to impose Islam and Arab norms in Dafur while other sources think that the war in Dafur is as a result of environmental pressure and land ownership.The same case is with rebel groups operating in Chad.Tell me with such inconsistency Bashir will be vindicated?
2. Leaders from Africa have mastered democracy they will win all elections whether fairly or not as they also amend the constitution.
3.Gone are the days when the likes of Rajab would just join LRA these days;Africans value life alot.
Splendid approach. Your argument, does open many avenues which need to be addressed.