BURKINA FASO: A Ghanaian Expat’s view of the latest Burkina Coup; and the Role of the AU/ECOWAS

A Ghanaian Expat’s view of the latest Burkina Coup; and the Role of the AU/ECOWAS

By Anatu Ben-Lawal, Regional Advocacy & Partnerships Director at The Hunger Project

I have lived in Burkina Faso for the past 10 months. Needless to say I am disappointed but not surprised for various reasons at the recent turn of events. One of which is that when Heads of States and their goons get used to seeing a country as their personal ATM and when three quarters of all buildings in the country, gas supplies, hotels and businesses belong to the president, his brother, wife and goons it is kinda hard to simply let go of of your personal investments like that. (You know what they say about coming between a man and his money.)

Secondly the transition process could have been better supported by the AU, ECOWAS (actually other african countries and bodies). I refrain to use the international community because they are not responsible for africa. ( We are happy to claim neo colonialism when it suits us and in the same vein decry their absence when it is time to clean up our mess so i don't go there anymore.)

ECOWAS refuses to be bold about capping presidential terms to a maximum of 2. Long standing oligarchies are a major part of the reason why people refuse to leave power till they croak and until that is tackled we will continue in this trend. It is because of this similar mindset and outcomes that i am still frozen shocked as to how africans and even civil society advocates fail to see that amending the constitution for Paul Kagame to run a 3rd term is bufoonery in the highest of orders and setting precedents that we will live to regret. However to be fair to them hindsight has never been our forte.

Given the problems that Africa has i have always found the mandate of AU and ECOWAS at tangential proportions to the real causes which is why to me the AU especially is now an official white elephant. I actually wrote about the AU being a white elephant at the age of 12 as part of an essay competition by the Non -Aligned Movement. I am 36 now so that is a heck of a long time to stay white and to be an elephant smile emoticon. We do not need any institution that cannot make bold decisions nor enforce anything at this stage in our history. The path to victory calls for a revolution nothing less.

Africa's number one problem continues to be that the very leaders and institutions she has mandated to lead her to independence are cowards and half baked bureaucrats themselves who will do anything to avoid conflict or hard issues. It is a job, a salary and a let me do my minimum best in order not to rock the boat.
No boat ever served its purpose by staying in the harbour( but maybe that is another subject for another time).
I am currently not in Burkina as i have been on leave. My staff tell me they are safe but the situation is precarious.

Let us not spit out platitudes and eulogies this time. Instead we should roll up our sleeves, stand up and be counted in laying the ax at the root of the problem to stem the incessant hemorrhaging of our nations which always always end up costing the lives of our people.
I continue to weep......

This was posted on her Facebook page. Used with permission