Deplorable acts of sectarian violence have left hundreds of people dead in the Nigerian city of Jos this year. Cote d'Ivoire's faces an imminent cascade towards civil war as two political principals tussle over power.
With Uganda's presidential elections at the corner, the two major protagonists are already spitting fire. In a few days time, Sudan faces a referendum that could see southern Sudan secede. Kenya risks becoming a pariah state for failing to address its internal justice system and at the same time opting out of an international justice process.
For Africa to confront the challenges that face her, the African people must no longer surrender leadership to elite cliques. The ongoing political squabbles demonstrate that they (the political elites) do not focus on long term interests of the continent. The onus is on the African people to safeguard the democratic gains achieved over the last decade. There must be no driving in reverse if Africa has to impact the global community. Africans must deliberately decide that enough is enough and starve all those bent on destabilizing the continent the nutrients of power whether in business or politics.
Currently, developed economies and emerging ones are making strong inroads into the continent. A fragmented and squabbling Africa will yet again get raped and plundered for free. It is imperative that the continent transforms differences in opinion into vehicles to deliver prosperity as opposed to driving short term political interests. If we have to navigate successfully through the year 2011, we must put our act together and begin advancing the bigger African agenda.
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