Global Recognition or Africa’s liberation ?

I recently read an interesting piece by Theodore T. Hodge titled ‘From OAU to AU: Same Old Lady, New Dress’. According to Hodge; African leaders can begin to tackle the problems of their own people when they stop playing politics at the expense of human misery. The major focus of the piece was primarily on how these leaders protect each other, no matter the circumstances and call it ‘the principle of state sovereignty’. Although Theodore T. Hodge was extremely uncharitable with his choice of words in a diplomatic sense I strongly believe he dealt with the pertinent issues he wanted to focus on.

A little over a week ago, Ghana came out to join other nations in giving recognition to the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya and to accord them due diplomatic recognition following Muammar Gaddafi’s overthrow.

When I heard this news, I felt Ghana-an oasis of peace- was brewing troubles already across the rest of Africa. And I heard a lot of comments from different quarters on why they thought Ghana should have remain silent and not rush into giving recognition to the NTC backed by the rebels. A prominent Ghanaian lecturer of international relation even said, ‘nobody would have beaten us’ if we did not recognize the NTC. Am sure he would not say that in the lecture hall. And a lot of others also opined that it was too early and premature on the part of the country and that maybe-yes maybe- it was some long hand somewhere shrouded in mystery that coerced us into making such a “hasty” decision.

Try as I may, am not going to draw any conclusions here. I am not too sure which side of the coin I belong to myself. But methinks instead of sitting down and folding our arms unconcerned just like the African Union, any decision otherwise at this time is welcomed.

Dr. Yao Gebeh is an international relations expert; he excited me when he said that the African Union had to take the blame, at least for failing to take pragmatic measure to salvage the current situation in Libya. They have done nothing, in this case, perhaps aside taking the back seat and watching from afar like it exist somewhere space and once in a while sending signals that, ‘peace should prevail”. That’s not serious for me. Not for an organization seeking Africa’s unity. The same people we have entrusted our total independence. Such toothless entities clouded with sheer greed and national jealousy, every nation wanting to be “greater” and the west pouching it so hard. Our leaders are just confused or maybe intimidated.

Of course I do not begrudge those who are of the view that Ghana rushed into giving recognition to the NTC. It is evidently clear that they might be saying this based on what certain aspects of Ghana’s foreign policy posits.

However in the same vein it is necessary to come to the realization that Muammar Gaddafi has been overthrown-his people were literally sacking him from power- and life must go on. Libya need to rebuild, the people need to live once again as a country. And it is about time Africa wakes up to provide the needed support in ensuring that this dream is realized.

Ghana’s friendship with Libya dates far back and the reign of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi over the last forty-two years saw this friendship move to very enviable heights. As it stands now Gaddafi is nowhere to be found, heard the English and French are in search of him but Libyans are looking forward to a new leader who will begin a reconciliation process with the rest of the world following the massive evacuation of immigrants during the crisis. Am sure Gaddafi is not ready to come out of his hid-out, not anytime soon I can foresee. The protest can go on for weeks or even months but trust that Gaddafi’s time is over and moves to stop the mass killings must be encouraged than senseless diplomatic observations netted in accusations. Of who rushed to give who recognition and who waited for the rest of the world. I say it unnecessary and time wasting. We can’t afford more killings.

The young Libyan children who are massacred each passing day, the women who lose their husbands through this senseless battle are all looking forward to a miracle that will bring fishes into the rivers of Libya than the dead bodies filling it now. It is not about who decides to give recognition to the NTC first, second or last. It is about giving meaning to the very essence to life for the Libyan people.

It looks to me as though African leaders are rather expecting a bigger miracle of a sort: to see Muammar Gaddafi come back from his hiding to rule the Libyan people. Maybe that explains their silence. They are hiding in the “hole” and peeping out quietly to see who has the nerves to take the decision. Who is going to provide that leadership for the continent; I am sure is a question most of them might be asking in their respective mansions.

I find it so hard to understand what is preventing the African Union to come out with a clear position on the way forward for the Libyan people. Or could it be that they fear international diplomatic sanctions? Or maybe the spirit of Muammar Gaddafi could come back and haunt them. This was not Nkrumah’s idea of an African Unity. A union that fears its own members cannot certainly make any serious impact on the very societies in which they operate. I am also not too sure that the proponents of the idea that the African Union does not represent the interest of the common people and therefore does not stand for peace, unity and people-centered development, must have said this based on a certain premise. Is the African Union now saying that the Libyans caused their own problem and therefore should handle it on their own? Ghana is known across the world to be an oasis of peace and stability, its people cherish peace to wealth and if the rest of Africa are not ready for peace to prevail in Libya, its only proper that Ghana goes back to take its rightful place in showing the way. I do not think being quite and deciding to play a neutral role in this instance is an indication that we are pursuing an African course. No! Far from it!

Perhaps this is another test case as some will in the Democratic Republic of Congo where former President Laurent Kabila’s forces took over Kinshasa forcing the then dictator Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga to flee the country. It wasn’t too difficult for the same body to say then that because the Mobutu had fled and gone into hiding, therefore there was no effective head of state. This state caused world bodies to give recognition to President Kabila and he performed his duties until his assassination in January 2001. Col. Muammar Gaddafi was Chairman of the African Union in 2009 and served until 2010 when he failed to win a second term bid to lead the Union. He had during his tenure pushed for a pan-African unity yet failed like his predecessors. Muammar Gaddafi might have seen it coming and wanted to prevent it with his unity government of the continent. But the leaders at the time and those before him have never seen to reason with the idea.

Today he is no more. Although, alive yet hidden. And his former colleagues want to play it safe by not incurring his wrath. But the continent and its leaders must be made to understand that Africa is bigger than every single individual. And that moves, that will support livelihood are those that need to be encouraged and not those that will kill.

Brother Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is gone for good. What we should pray for is how he gets out of hiding and lives the rest of his life righting the wrongs he has perpetuated. But for Libya it must move on with or without Muammar Gaddafi. Indeed, nobody has beaten Ghana for granting recognition to the National Transitional Council of Libya, and it will not be a different story at all should the rest of continent decide to emulate same. At the end of the day it is about the Libyan people and not a single individual.