It took the international community weeks of waiting, hand wringing and negotiations to draft, and pass UN security council resolution to impose a No-fly zone over Libyan airspace. In the mean time, thousands of lives were lost and impacted in Libya. Gaddafi's forces retook cities and towns and began a campaign to disappear and torture thousands of Libyans.
And though it was painful to watch the obvious reluctance of the United States and others to get involved I understood it. After an unpopular war in Iraq that did not have the backing of the international community, President Obama's reluctance seems prudent. The world and perhaps more specifically the U.S. is caught up in the specter of Somalia in 1991, Rwanda in 1994, and Iraq in 2003. And these images are forever etched into our psyche and brought up when the world is faced with massacres or the threat mass killings.
And the world is fraught with tension. The U.S. does not want to see images of U.S. troops invading another Arab, Muslim nation, even if with Arab League's blessing.
I think its safe to say that instruments such as the United Nations and the international community has failed in the prevention of crimes against humanity, i.e. Darfur. But what is the alternative?
I'd argue the importance of neighborhood and region. There is simply more incentive to take action if you're affected by chaos in the neighboring country, such as the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees on your border. If you're half way across the world, with an ocean separating you perhaps you are hesitant to commit your resources and the lives of your country to come to the aid of another country. And that is why Africa needs a NATO.
It'll be a challenge. The resources, infrastructure is lacking. There are still several dictators and authoritarian governments strewn across the continent, but democracy is a crafty and contagious creature. Stealthily creeping across borders. I would like to imagine if such an organization existed people like Gbago in Ivory Coast would think twice before overturning the results of the elections, and Gaddafi may have conceded to the demands of his people and left. Perhaps they wouldn't have, but even so at least there would be an organization on the ground that would be willing and able to react quickly and decisively.
And maybe there are too many countries in Africa for one central organization. It could be more feasible and efficient to have a series of military agreement treaties for west Africa, east Africa, southern Africa and northern Africa.
Either way I think lessons learned from Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Libya, and Sudan are clear. Africa needs its own NATO.
And though it was painful to watch the obvious reluctance of the United States and others to get involved I understood it. After an unpopular war in Iraq that did not have the backing of the international community, President Obama's reluctance seems prudent. The world and perhaps more specifically the U.S. is caught up in the specter of Somalia in 1991, Rwanda in 1994, and Iraq in 2003. And these images are forever etched into our psyche and brought up when the world is faced with massacres or the threat mass killings.
And the world is fraught with tension. The U.S. does not want to see images of U.S. troops invading another Arab, Muslim nation, even if with Arab League's blessing.
I think its safe to say that instruments such as the United Nations and the international community has failed in the prevention of crimes against humanity, i.e. Darfur. But what is the alternative?
I'd argue the importance of neighborhood and region. There is simply more incentive to take action if you're affected by chaos in the neighboring country, such as the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees on your border. If you're half way across the world, with an ocean separating you perhaps you are hesitant to commit your resources and the lives of your country to come to the aid of another country. And that is why Africa needs a NATO.
It'll be a challenge. The resources, infrastructure is lacking. There are still several dictators and authoritarian governments strewn across the continent, but democracy is a crafty and contagious creature. Stealthily creeping across borders. I would like to imagine if such an organization existed people like Gbago in Ivory Coast would think twice before overturning the results of the elections, and Gaddafi may have conceded to the demands of his people and left. Perhaps they wouldn't have, but even so at least there would be an organization on the ground that would be willing and able to react quickly and decisively.
And maybe there are too many countries in Africa for one central organization. It could be more feasible and efficient to have a series of military agreement treaties for west Africa, east Africa, southern Africa and northern Africa.
Either way I think lessons learned from Rwanda, Ivory Coast, Libya, and Sudan are clear. Africa needs its own NATO.
2 comments:
Firstly, I'm so happy that I came across your blog b/c am embarrassed to admit that as an African woman, I'm very under-educated on countries outside of West Africa.
Secondly, you are right that we need to help ourselves and I don't know if a United countries of Africa is possible with all of the cultural politics/bullshit that goes on. I was very happy about the formation of ECOMOG and the work it did during the war in Liberia and Sierra Leone. So you see, we are capable of helping ourselves but unfortunately, some of the trash that we "elected" or elected themselves aren't always willing to help out their neighbours. The only other alternative I can think of are female leaders for African countries.
Thanks for reading! I agree wholeheartedly more female leaders would be a game changer, but so to would an ECOMOG for countries north of the Sahara, and those for East Africa/horn countries, and those for Southern African countries. But as you said these organizations will reflect the leadership elected, and if we have trash, then the integrity of these organizations will be at that same level.
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