Continued from yesterday’s edition
BY SUNDAY EZEANA
UPPER North of West Africa are still the Gambia is like a sword thrust into the heart of Senegal. However, both are fully fledged republics. Senghor of Senegal will be better remembered as the long-time president of Senegal. Also would exist the former cape verde (the Saharawi) whether still attached to morocco should not be quite clear. It is also expected to be harnessing autonomy if not outright Sovereignty. The Northern parts of West Africa are also republics like, mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou and Niamey are well known Capitals. It is not quite clear if militarized or not yet both are republics.
The North Africa itself has got Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Egypt. All the above are well known and recognized Republics, fast republicanising, good at football and had maintained and retained and sustained republicanism but for Libya. The case of Libya was such that one young lawyer vied and over threw the Monarch of the time in about 1957/1958. This young Legal Luminary stayed on the throne of leadership as a despot, autocratic, tyrant, dictator and an authoritarian. Liken him to Saddam Husseim and Fidel Castro of Iraq and Cuba. His name was controversial to call and even to spell. The press of his time were not quite certain what the spellings of his name should be, nor how to call it. Therefore, some press called Mammer Kaddalfi, some others Mammar Quaddafi and the rest Maummar Guaddaffi. Like his Cohort Saddam who died in a drain pipe at the onslaught of George Bush (junior) tenor.
Benbela of Algeria did well. while Ali of Tunisia also did well. The issue of Morocco is based on Monarchy (king Hassan), may be with a prime minister like Great Britain. Egypt had independence, sovereignty in 1947 to 1948 along with India with Indira Ghandi as prime minister, while Sadat ruled as president of Egypt, who permitted both sectarian and secular religion in his time. His successor a retired Air Force Officer by Mubarak was not as good as Sadat, Mubarak tended towards despotism.
The Central Africa could see Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire, Congo Leopoldville and Brazzaville on focus. All the above are republics in themselves and individually. Chad is also there with the Sudan and South Sudan as tagged the failed states by the press of the time via the international bodies like U.N.O, A.U and E.U. The issue of the Congo Zaire had not been very impressive. The country or republic had been dampened by the death of Patrice Lumumba in 1962, when he was about to become the Prime minister. The Kaswavuvu and the Patrice Lumumba issue did beheld the Congo Leopoldville or Zaire for now. Here Mobutu sessekou took Leadership for 33 years. Though the son of patrice Lumumba had been compensated over the father’s demise. The CAR- Central African Republic is too old to answer, too old to answer that name, like South Africa both should have a republican name like Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania etc. Since Central African and South African had got other countries and republics with names so also North Africa.
The East of Africa is also summarized by KUT-Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The founding fathers here are highly exhorted In Kenya was the Pa-Jomo Kenyatta as the 1st president. In Uganda was Milton Obote another jolly old man. Then in Tanzania a Grandpa Mwalimu Julius Nyerere- who had” said that every person in a republic is a servant of the people in different category”. The South East Africa could be seen the Rhodes country or the republic once called the south and North Rhodesia. Now have republicanised to become the Zambia and Zimbawe. Zambia as first manned by president Kenneth Kaunda, who became a primary school pupil at the age of 12 years so had been a president all through his lifetime. Sir Robert Mugabe was also the 1st president of Zimbawe in 1975. He nearly became a despot for his distaste for Ian Smith who perpetuated apartheid. Moving from the tropics of cancer of the equater to tropic of Capricon Malawi had long been validated as sovereign and a republic. It is monarchical yet had had Kamuzu banda as the first prime minister. Botswana as formerly Bechuana land was traditionally monarchical became a representative Government since 1966 or there about. The South Africa had its sovereign state in 1995 with Nelson Mandela as the first president as earlier said this area would require a republican name. The issue of South Africa is one of patriarchy with all the founding fathers that fought for independency. well would come Namibia of Jonas Savimbi. No doubt this Namibia must have become a republic today. Angola is there also very fast republicanising. A small country that would continue to challenge the Gigantic country Nigeria at football. At the Atlantic is the Fernando po, now the republic of Sao Tome and principe, once overthrew their president in Nigeria. Later reinstated after dialogue. Also in the India ocean is mocambique or Mozambique with Maputo as the capital. Into the ocean was Samora Machel blown by the foes, adversaries and outright enemies. En route to his country from South Africa. When his wife turned into the 3rd wife of daddy Mandela.
Being one of globe-trotting at independence, it is worthwhile to mention the European world cum continent. As our colonial or ex-colonial masters, even when Neocolonialism is still in vogue. Britain and France had got a good shot in Africa. The late queen Elizabeth did very well on the throne as now succeeded by her child king Charles. Yet daddy Prime Minister Winston Churchill did also very well. Yet lamented in his meeting at London with the ex-colonies leaders, when he retorted that he had not become the prime minister of Great Britain to sit over the liquidation of the British empire in the late 40’s. After which India and Egypt had independence in 1947/48.
to be continued…
