THE AU’S STRANGE AND DEAFENING SILENCE ON NIGER

Nothing illustrates the fact that the African Union (AU) is an exclusive club that exists for the protection and sustenance of corrupt African dictators, more than its strange silence, about the shabby and disgraceful attempt by President Mamadou Tandjaan of Niger of Niger, to foist himself on his people, yet again – despite constitutional limitations on the length of his tenure. It is simply beyond belief, that in the 21st century ICT age, an incipient African dictatorship can be initiated by a corrupt megalomaniac, with such impunity. Can a sane leader of his nation think that without him, the expansion of Niger’s uranium industry cannot possibly take place – because he is the cleverest individual in the whole of Niger: and the only one who can ensure a positive outcome for that project? Is that alone not proof positive that he is going mad? How can it be that such a monster can single-handedly dismantle the democratic structures put in place to protect the liberties of the people of Niger and ensure the long-term stability of their country – whiles the AU and the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS) look on and remain strangely silent: and carry on as if nothing is amiss in Niger? How can that be when this is said to be the era of the African Renaissance? Were both the AU and ECOWAS not set up to serve the interests of ordinary Africans – and protect them from tyranny and bad governance?

The president of Niger must be told in no uncertain terms, that the enterprise he is intent on embarking, is totally unacceptable in the new Africa, of today. It is typical of corrupt African leaders that they often find it difficult to leave office when their tenure ends – lest their many transgressions eventually become known to their citizens. The impasse in Niger, presents President Sarkozy of France, with a perfect opportunity, to make up for the many sins of France against ordinary Africans, over the years: in her obdurate support for corrupt francophone African dictatorships – by getting his fellow European leaders to get the EU to act quickly and place a temporary ban on the importation of uranium from Niger. The EU must also freeze all the assets held in Europe by the president of Niger and his immediate family – and ban all of them from traveling to any of the EU member-states. In addition to that, relations of the president of Niger, currently living in any EU member-state must be swiftly deported. In getting the EU to take those steps, President Sarkozy might perhaps avoid being booed by the ordinary people of Niger, were he to ever attend a state funeral in Niger (in similar vein to the booing he got from the ordinary people of Gabon – when he recently attended the state funeral of the late President Omar Bongo).

The time has come for the African Union to stop seeing itself as an exclusive club for corrupt and Machiavellian African leaders – and begin to understand that it exists to ensure the human rights of the ordinary people of Africa: in whose hearts the yearning for freedom beats no less strongly, than it does in the hearts of ordinary Europeans; ordinary South Americans; ordinary North Americans; the ordinary people of the Caribbean; ordinary Australians; ordinary Polynesians; ordinary Asians; and the ordinary people of the Middle East: because ordinary Africans are also members of the one human race. The AU must act immediately to stop the president of Niger from enslaving the citizens of Niger – on whose side it must be, if it wants to be on the right side of history, in the unfolding events in that most unfortunate of nations. The leaders of ECOWAS must also bow their heads in shame, for not acting swiftly to let Niger’s president know in plain language, that it will not allow him to foist himself on his people under any circumstances. One hopes that both US President Barrack Obama, and the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ky Moon, will also make their voices heard – and that they will both make it absolutely clear to Niger’s leader, that his actions are reprehensible and totally unacceptable, to the broader international community. Silence, it is said, often means consent. Nkrumaists and pan-Africanists throughout the continent, salute all those in Niger who are now fighting to resist oppressor’s rule, in their country. Our thoughts are with them: and we are convinced that victory will be theirs in the end – despite the shameful and deafening silence from the AU and ECOWAS: as they watch on and leave Niger’s brave citizens to struggle valiantly on their own to remain a free people.