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Susan Chipanga Correspondent
RACIAL inequities are so deeply ingrained in the world that it takes the sad terror attacks in Paris to remind Africans that no matter how far we have come to position ourselves in the socio-political world order, we continue to be regarded as a second class race. This is captured by the British author, George Orwell in his famous quote “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”.
The hypocrisy, discrimination, racism and inequality that characterised the world order was laid bare for all to see by the world’s reaction to the terrorists acts that have rocked different parts of the world in recent weeks.
Seventeen people were killed in the capital of France, Paris including 10 journalists at the journal, Charlie Hebdo.
Events were also unfolding in Nigeria with Boko Haram attacking the town of Baga, northwest of the country with local authorities estimating that 2 000 people were killed, while at least 19 people were killed at a market and several others injured by a bomb strapped to a girl reported to be aged about 10 in the north-eastern Nigeria city of Maiduguri, in Borno state.
The Paris attacks received more attention from the international media and world leaders, that a million man march was hastily organised and notable world leaders like Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar attended the march in solidarity with the slain French nationals. Those who did not attend like US President Barack Obama were taken to task for their no show. The world is reminded of the hive of activities that ensued after the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks in the United States by Al-Qaeda. The world machinery was quickly activated as this was regarded as a travesty in the developed world.
Contrary to the world response, Nigeria has been battling to contain the scourge of Boko Haram, a terrorist group formed in 2002 and launched military operations in 2009 to create an Islamic state, killing an estimated 13 000 people and affecting three million people. Nigerian army have indicated that they don’t have the equipment to fight Boko Haram as they are using AK47 small machine guns, accurate up to a few hundred metres while Boko Haram has anti-aircraft guns, which are alleged to be accurate up to three-quarters of a mile (1,6km).
Nigerian soldiers are said to be given only 60 bullets each, so they quickly run out while Boko Haram, has large supplies of ammunition and more fighters. Hence, many reports of Nigerian soldiers regularly forced to turn tail and run for their lives by the sheer volume of gunfire from Boko Haram fighters.
Despite these reports, the world has turned a blind ear that Africans were shocked after the Paris attacks that the world has the capacity to actually respond that way, while Africans are left to beg for help.
A Nigerian Roman Catholic Archbishop of Jos in central Nigeria, Ignatius Kaigama, was quoted as saying: “We need that spirit to be spread around, not just when it happens in Europe, (but) when it happens in Nigeria, in Niger, Cameroon and many poor countries, that we mobilise our international resources to confront the people who bring such sadness to many families.”
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused the West of hypocrisy for its stance for the Paris attacks but failing to condemn anti-Muslim acts in Europe or elsewhere in the world. He also denounced Netanyahu for attending the solidarity rally in France accusing him of killing 2 500 people in Gaza with state terrorism.
The US, a professed, fervent supporter of anti-terrorism after the 2001 terrorist attacks, has also been remarkably quiet over the happenings in Nigeria. Some are actually accusing it of withholding information that could help the Nigerian government defeat Boko Haram.
Representative Steve Stockman, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who led a delegation to Nigeria in June 12-16, 2014 alleges that the Obama administration is not sharing the information because it objects to Nigerian policy. Stockman said that the “policy” is Nigeria’s determination to affirm traditional marriage and reject same-sex unions along with non-discrimination statutes that endorse homosexuality.
In reference to the 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram on April 24 2014, Stockman is alleged to have said: “We have information that would help the Nigerian military take back their country and get back those girls,” Stockman said.
“The mistake on our side – the United States’ side – is that we have laws preventing us from sharing that information with the Nigerian military. And one of the reasons is that we don’t like some of the social policy of the Nigerian government.”
The congressman added that “what needs to happen is that the people in charge of the information need to be pressured to share it. The information industry and the people need to get the word out to pressure the Obama administration to allow the American government – we’re not asking for boots on the ground – to share information and possibly the hardware the Nigerian government needs to do the job”.
A UK military officer who has worked closely with the Nigerians, James Hall summed up the attitude the world has taken to the plight in Nigeria when he said “the UK is very wary in giving training assistance, and sales of better equipment are also problematic”.
In more blunt words, the world does not care if Africans butcher each other, in their view we are already a second class race that does not enjoy the same privileges with those with the lighter skin.
Mmeanwhile, Boko Haram will continue operating without restraint and Hussein Solomon, a professor at University of the Free State in South Africa and an analyst for the Israel-based think tank, Research on Islam and Muslims in Africa, says Boko Haram essentially is operating as a nation.
“I believe that they have been in control of the northern parts of Nigeria for at least the past 15 months with the complicity of certain northern officers in the Nigerian armed forces who miss the days when they controlled the entire country during the days of the military juntas, It’s tantamount to what ISIS is doing in Iraq”. he said.
From the above it is obvious, Africa has to go it alone and structures like the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) which was formed in Abuja, Nigeria on August 26, 2004 and brought together intelligence and security services from 49 African Union members states to assist the AU with security challenges confronting the continent can go a long way in ensuring peace, stability and harmony on our mother continent. Africans need to do things for themselves as it is obvious, death of many in Africa is a non-event to the world. One is reminded, how about a million people died in the Rwanda genocide in 1994, as the world stood by and watched.
We need to be our own liberators, the spirit of Mbuya Nehanda who fought for the emancipation of African people should guide us, the world has shown us, we need to fight our own terrorism.
Online Reporter