Prime
Africa’s youth uprisings: Who and what exactly motivates them?
Soldiers remove fire barricades from the road during the November 18/19 riots that erupted following the arrest of former NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine. PHOTO/MICHEAL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
- With some political change advocates believing more in foreigners—who may also have their own sinister agenda, than in fellow citizens, would it not be worthwhile to act strategically?
Africa’s youth are revolting, again, working from a familiar script, but with varied triggers. In December 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor, set himself on fire in protest outside a government office in Sidi Bouzid town. In a matter of days, Bouaziz’s act of defiance sparked off a revolutionary movement, Arab Spring that rippled and riddled North Africa.
Specifically, the 2011 western-funded Arab Spring insurrections saw some African legitimate leaders toppled.
Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi was murdered in a manner foulest, a myriad citizens killed, and their countries ravaged. Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt have hardly recovered!
In 2019 Sudan’s Omar-al-Bashir was deposed in a similar fashion. They seem more intentional, unfettered, creeping to more countries than those targeted in the first wave. Recently, Tunisia—where it earlier all began last time, again, endured a similar heinous resurgence, but just what and who exactly incites them?
Looking at the ravages such uprisings left in once splendid cities like Libya’s Tripoli, what really motivates them? These youth say theirs is a “revolution of consciousness” only seeking political change; that they achieve more with demonstrations demanding change on streets and social media, than they would with a ballot—what more exactly?
I have keenly watched three Straight Talk Africa Shows/ VOA news: May 26, 27 and July 28 with Haydé Adams, all talking about, “Why Are Africa’s Youth Rising Up?”
In South Africa it was about unaffordable tertiary education; in Nigeria—systemic police brutality; in Senegal—demanding accountability from public officials; in Sudan—the high price of bread, and for Tunisia, Covid-19 curfew exacerbated tension, but just how genuine are these justifications? Is it really only about changing the socio-political landscape? Who exactly is perilously misleading these youngsters? What might the trigger(s) be in the rest of [perhaps targeted] African countries?
There is a great shift. In the past wars that ousted governments were fought in jungles, but the rising populations have slowly eaten away at them. Besides, today’s #Hashtag elite youth, majority across Africa’s demographics, are unprepared to endure jungle hardships to achieve their ambitions.
They have turned streets into their ‘jungles’ and exchanged guns for social media. Even away from streets, they still fire more ‘killer missiles’ than at jungle frontlines provided they have internet-aided communication gadgets! With guaranteed precision, their targets cannot escape. It is mind-war, not of muscles—even weaklings win high scores!
The enemy is within and beyond; citizen or not—we hardly know, who! With blogger Fred Lumbuye, arrested, will others survive?
Here’s what governments should do: assess youth agitations and explore harmonious compromises to avert strife; engage and confront brutal facts honestly! For instance, considering unemployment, with youth constituting more than 60 per cent of a nation’s population, how many qualified youth can meaningfully be absorbed in government?
It is quite difficult, but with engagement, other avenues to profitably harness youth ambition, vigour and creativity may be sought! As Greek philosopher Aristotle noted, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” If we do not effectively engage the youth, why won’t they be misled? Citing a case of Latin America, in his 1963 book, The Wretched of the Earth, Frantz Fanon, argued, “… in an under-developed country the young people represent one of the most important sectors.
The level of consciousness of young people must be raised; they need enlightenment. If the work of explanation had been carried on among the youth… integrating them into the nation, those mistakes would have been avoided which have threatened or already undermined the future…” Fifty-eight years today, this call remains valid to Uganda!
With some political change advocates believing more in foreigners—who may also have their own sinister agenda, than in fellow citizens, would it not be worthwhile to act strategically before such actors sell their country’s future for their selfish strivings?
Patrick Katagata Jr., [email protected]
