The Ivorian Crisis - Who's Troops are to be Sacrificed?

The stalemate in Ivory Coast is a wound self-inflicted by over-ambitious, thoughtless and mean-spirited  politicians (read Gbago, Owattara and Bedie) which has been aggravated by external meddling by the UN (read France and USA) and compounded by clumsy local handling by ECOWAS (read Nigeria and Bukina Faso).

The conflict originated when Owattara, then a former Prime Minister, attempted to seize power from the constitutional next-in-line, the then Senate President Conan Bedie. In his bid to secure power, Bedie started this "la Ivoritie" nonsense to draw attention to the fact that Owattara was of Bukina Faso parentage. It is literally means "Ivory Coast for Ivoirians only". In other words, non-Ivoirians were free to leave Ivorian soil, and they will not be missed!

Bedie continued to pursue this divisive policy after becoming President since it helped focus attention on his opponents only to face the logical backlash when the rank-and-file of the military accused him of ethnocentricity. The "boys" who were being discriminated against successfully staged a coup and installed the Army Chief-of-Staff General Gaye as Head of State.

General Gaye got funny ideas a year down the line, contested in an election he had earlier promised not to contest in, rigged the election and declared himself a civilian Head of State! He was ruthlessly assassinated within months after being "sworn-in".

Ten years ago, Lauren Gbagbo was elected by a traumatized Ivorian people as a compromise candidate to bring stability to the state, and an end to the cancer of ethnocentricity. But alas, he decided to play the very same negative political card he was elected to end: ethnocentricity! He even expanded it to include (read exclude) France and all things European!! Hence his current problems with the "UN".

Today, the UN (France and USA) are bent on driving Gbagbo  out of office by force (read the blood of ECOWAS soldiers). ECOWAS (Nigeria egged on by Bukina Faso) walked into the UN trap and are now furiously back peddling now they realise that ECOWAS troops contributions will not amount to more the 2000 men from all 15 member countries (including a HQ staff of about 500!).

In short, 1500 men to fight 5000 army plus ex-thousand para-military and police Gbagbo can call up. Its would be like invading Iraq with low-tech weapons (AK47's and Somali "technicals"). Who thought this up? What kind of materiale will the UN provide to ensure the war does not drag on for years? Nuclear weapons? Under what mandate will the said troops operate? Peace-keeping or peace-enforcing?

Cooler heads have now prevailed in ECOWAS states while the hot-heads are still having a field day at the UN! How many times in its history has the UN declared war on any country over a rigged election? What about, Zimbabwe or Kenya? Will they do the same when Uganda (next week) and Nigeria (next month) have similar problems? What's so special about Ivory Coast? Who stands to gain after the blood has been shed and the dust settled?

Let the UN fight its own war, if it has the troops. Better still, let the nations who honestly believe that war will help solve the Ivorian problem (in both the UN and ECOWAS) sent their own troops there to enforce their convictions.

I am of the opinion that: 1} reforming the Ivorian electoral laws, 2} reconstituting the Electoral Commission and Constitutional Court, and 3} re-registering to electorate and re-running the election; will go a long way to resolving the mess in Ivory Coast.

Another Tyrant bits the Dust!

Egypt is free of ex-Prez Mubarak at last! No Gamal and co either! Freedom! Freedom at last!! The thick-skinned fellow still refuses to leave the country in order to defuse tension. As I said, this guy is tough! He must want to die a martyr at the hands of a vengeful mob. Let not the people of Egypt soil their hands on this leper. Let him live to see how much more can be accomplished without him and his family.

Politically, Egypt is more or less rudderless. Wise council must prevail at the local level or else the "Higher Military Council" will have the Tunisian excuse to delay reforms. Citizens must cooperate with the "HMC" to clampdown on looting and any anti-social act. Nobody wants or needs lawlessness.

So Vice President Suleiman was right about a possible military takeover! Please note that the Vice Prez, like the ex-Prez, is ex-military. Who are these faceless Higher Military Council types who as "in charge"? Where were they yesterday when the people needed them the most? We can only hope that there are patriots amongst them who will ensure a peaceful and orderly handing over of power to civilian rule, else they will become another hurdle to overcome.

To the people of Egypt I say, keep a level head and a steady nerve. Your day is still yet to arrive.

To the people of Tunisia I say the same thing. Your day is still yet to arrive.

That Tough Guy called MUBARAK!

On Thursday February 10, 2011, the world waited with baited breath for the expected resignation of President Mubarak of Egypt. His response was to delegate unspecified powers to his Vice President and a promise to stay till September to hand over! The protesters be damned! Wow!! The man is really tough!!!

It is clear that he has forgotten how to take orders after years of issuing them. It must have been an extremely bitter pill for him to swallow when his plans for his favorite son, Gamal, were completely derailed by Gamal's resignation from the ruling party's executive organs. And to have an internal dissident now appointed as Secretary-General of the party must have been something else. Even with his family safely in London, he has a lot on his plate after a long, long couple of weeks. Obama is "complicating" things by his "unhelpful" suggestions. Mubarak must be wishing he will shut up and concentrate of finding suitable a asylum if need be.

He has enough influence in the military for them to hesitate to overthrow him. If the army cannot kick him out, then Egyptians have some distance to cover to see the end of this sit-tight-guy. How many more Egyptians must die before this idiot figures things out? May the Almighty protect Egyptians  and grant them the wisdom to resolve the current situation. And some of the same for Tunisia, Yemen, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Somalia etc.

P.S.  Ben Ali of Tunisia is an ok-guy comparatively! And I thought he was a really bad guy! Hey, Tunisians! Do you now want to revise you opinion of your corrupt ex-Prez?!