Ify Onyekwere
The African continent has a rich diversity, vibrant cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and incredible wildlife. It is home to over 1.2 billion people and has 54 countries, each with its unique history, traditions, and contributions to the world.
One of the most exciting aspects of Africa is its natural beauty. From the Sahara Desert in the north to the savannah grasslands of the Serengeti in the east and the lush rainforests of the Congo in the west, Africa has an incredible range of ecosystems and habitats. Visitors can explore the world-renowned wildlife reserves of the Masai Mara in Kenya, the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and the Kruger National Park in South Africa, among others.
But in recent times, Africa has been experiencing various conflicts that have resulted in loss of lives and famines. Some of the countries affected include Sudan, Burkina Faso, Togo, Nigeria, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Clement Awanfe Ngueto, President of Global Compassion, ACWAY Fellow / TPP Advisora, who has experience in peace building and social inclusion in more than 9 countries in 3 continents (Italy, Azerbaijan, Sudan, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya , South Africa, Morocco, Argentina and Cameroon) believes that the major reasons for the conflicts are the fight for power controls, creation of new states, and control of natural resources.
In an interview, Ngueto was asked whether it is the failure of democracy, poor governance structures, or a combination of both that is responsible for the conflicts. He stated that while democracy and poor governance are factors, they are just the visible part of the iceberg. He cited the example of countries like France and the United States where citizens are not 100% happy with the election results, indicating that there is no perfect democracy. Ngueto noted that poor governance legitimizes political activism and contestations from one state to another. Poverty, lack of job opportunities, and inflation are major consequences of poor governance, and they drive activist positions and gain the trust of the population facing life challenges.
Ngueto believes that the poor economy growth in African countries is also a contributing factor to conflicts. In His words, “poor economies affect citizens, making them vulnerable to violent activities, extremism, and other forms of radicalization. When someone lives with less than a dollar a day, with no access to health care or education, their mindset is vulnerable to joining conflict projects to fight for their rights. The economy is conditioning the stability of the states, people\’s wellbeing, job opportunities, and access to healthcare will drop down any conflict project”.
To ensure stability and democratic growth in Africa, Ngueto suggests that heads of states and governments produce the proper governance policies that favor business development through access to capital, tax reductions, and facilitating the creation of businesses to boost job opportunities. Democracy should be effective, giving citizens the right to express their wishes during elections. Governments should ensure freedom of expression and media activities within the countries and have openness to people\’s concerns.
In response to civil society\’s role in making people conscious of Africa\’s need for peace and tranquility. Ngueto noted that civil society in most African countries lacks the financial resources to reach out to the communities to collect data, share information, and produce advocacy work. He recommends that African governments collaborate with civil society organizations that help solve or share some pressing problems with the government. Peace-building efforts must be well done by CSOs as they are good facilitators between the state and the citizens.
Ngueto believes that women\’s engagement in peace-building efforts is more efficient in transforming people\’s mindsets. Unfortunately, women are not involved enough in peace-building activities in Africa. Women should help lead peace-building efforts, and policy-makers should help support their efforts and mentor them. Women\’s efforts in human rights, community development, entrepreneurship, and peace in this era should be more effective and supported.
He states that the recent events in Burkina Faso, Khartoum, Sudan are more of the fights of leadership to rule the countries concerned. Ngueto noted that it is time to condemn the killings of civilians in Sudan and for the international community through the UN to take a major step forward to stop the atrocities and monitor the transition giving the power to the civilians and ensuring that democracy is effective. Africa can achieve stability and democratic growth with proper governance policies, effective democracy, openness to people\’s concerns, and support for civil society and women\’s efforts.
