War in Heaven-Ebony springs

This week we saw the dawn of what I will describe as an ebony spring. 

Previously with the exception of Burkina Faso, there were springs emerging from predominantly lighter skinned and mainly Arab Africa. 

Tunisia had emerged from its fog after a young man struggling with employment doused himself in petrol and then lit the match. This event had gone on to bring about an awakening in Egypt whose streets were soon overtaken by crowds of eager demonstrators calling for change. 

In previous blogs I had ruminated about the existence of an imaginary mason dixon line which roughly splits Africa into two sections much like the pre-independence America. I had gone on to describe the nature of this divide along mainly religious lines which also often take on a certain hue. 

So Burkina Faso was a breath of fresh air for many. For the first time, the sons of biblical Joseph seemed to have began a rebellion of sorts after decades and even centuries of casualness and passivity. This marked a spring that was now owned exclusively by black people.

The demonstrations in Burundi seemed to have taken in a similar format however my ears grew attentive when for a brief moment the activity in the streets was referred to as war. What this meant was that there was a brief opportunity to capture the narrative away from the agreements that were singed after the civil war (agreements preventing an extension of term limits) as well as ideas behind hallowed documents such as the constitution. Calling the activity in the city war, would therefore justify a measure of violence and if possible nip in the bud any commitments that would be made by any generals or top cops. 

Maybe this calculation would help prevent any strategic moves by influential leaders to steal the thunder from the activists and civil society groups or citizens for that matter. 

There were and are fears about driving a wedge between the two major ethnic groups a la Rwanda but the text was pretty solid and the variations clear. Regardless of the tribe or the current leader, the people...those that had managed to make it into the streets were calling for a respect of their sacred documents. They were challenging the member of the military to abide to the higher law. Similar sentiments were echoes in previous debates between the Congolese who struggled though the same concerns and other ideas would also emerge in neighboring Rwanda. 

All this was taking place across a complex backdrop of immense mineral wealth as well as the rise of well armed and well funded militias drawing in leaders across the region and causing convoluted relationships between states. 

So the involvement by a section of the army was a welcome development but it has not stolen the show from the civil society and the community at large. What it has revealed is a major or for some minor rift in the military machine and brought about a ratcheting up of an already strained management system. 

And while it might be attractive to summarize such complex ideas in such brief spaces, the hope is that we might distill a little more from the initial awakening in Tunisia which in my view was really about youth and unemployment. It should be noted that even after the massive and in some ways commendable changes in that country, the exodus of bright young North African minds has not ceased. If this is an invasion, then it's strategist has chosen an incredible method-and that by depleting the continent of its most prized possession-it's people. 

Subtleties of the Street Protests

There are certain groups in Uganda which are pushing for reform in the political space. Some have watched Egypt and Tunisia and attempted to draw lessons from these events. It will be difficult to replicate the spontaneity of many of those protests and to maintain the pace for change. The confrontation has two sides. Government and Opposition Government and its response: Public Spaces In Uganda we watched as our Tahrir square was cordoned off. It sits strategically at the heart of the city and in proximity to the courts of law. It is rather small and cannot accommodate a large populace. But it is still a significant space and is for now a no go area. Public Gatherings In addition to this, a law was put in place to stifle freedom and gatherings. Even if enforcement will be hard, this law is designed to prevent groups of people gathering together without the knowledge of the authorities. Media Maybe our neighbors in Kenya had similar fears when they attempted to restrict media freedoms by creating stiff penalties for their media houses and media personalities. Uganda had faced similar threats and it became common to encounter the ominous disclaimer (the views expressed on this radio station are not...). NGOs Our Civil Society Organization which were beginning to flex, also found themselves cornered like their Egyptian and Russian counterparts whose loyalty to the state was questioned. In Uganda though, there was a change of guard (in preference for a military man-Gen. Aronda Nyakairima-who replaced Hillary Onek in the Internal Affairs Ministry). Even if parliament put up a stiff fight against his selection (questioning the general's ability to hold both military position and ministry or cabinet post). The Opposition and its response A Change of Tactics We have heard a lot more talk regarding activism. As a result the opposition came up with Walk to Work Campaigns (which many ordinary people do everyday sans fanfare). The University as Open Ground In addition to this we have seen the politicization of learning areas. This is tragic because the quality of our education has suffered. One almost has to watch the Guild elections with as much interest as parliamentary elections. The students nursing political ambitions have also seen their universities as key entry points into politics. Entry into Media Activism is a useful way of getting the message across but the goal of a lot of these activities has been to capture the attention of key people and to find access to the front pages. Access to Finance Access to finance has been restricted to the ruling party and has in some way affected the 'discussion'. Shifting alliances are based on the desire to make a quick buck which makes sense given some of the frustrations in the economy. Conclusions Maybe the government has proven to be victorious. But what it must deal with is the challenge that will arise with dealing with an invisible Tahrir sqaure! The battle for control is on in the police and and there have been attempts to win the support of the people (even if this is what crowds do). Heroes have emerged where land ownership issues have arisen. What you have is pretty much the same circumstances without the square but with shifting loyalties among generals and other leaders. In addition to there has been a fallout amongst key business groups like the Taxi owners and operators and Boda Bodas as well as Traders.