The Deaths of Statesmen: The Case of Gaddafi and Doe

I have been asking myself, why has it taken me so long to write this blog? Well, the simple answer is, because I just haven't been able to. The most realistic response is - the topic is contentious and I've been mulling over the idea of not what to say to but how to translate my thoughts into tolerable words and language, especially for those who are directly impacted by the situation. Before I even begin to share my thoughts, let me reinforce my disclaimer. I DO NOT in any way condone violence or human rights abuses. But I do subscribe to critical analysis and self-reflection which involve forcing my thinking faculty out of subjective worldview toward unfamiliar and uncomfortable zones.

For a moment, try to suppress the fact that the issues of women and children caught up in war and violent conflict fall short of daily media attention. If the media do manage to come up with anything at all, it will usually be centred around women as the "spoils and helpless of war" - sexual and gender abuse (e.g., rape), starvation, displacement, medical care an other basic needs. Except for extremely few, such as Benazir Bhutto (with much respect and honour may her soul rest in peace); Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; and Tawakkul Karman who have proven beyond reasonable doubt that women are fully capable of fronting the stage of non-violent struggle for peace, equality, justice and human rights. So, why aren't women and children's voices heard, especially when their statesmen husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, and sons are dehumanized in public display? Two cases in point are those of: 1) Master Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe, and 2) Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. These two men came to power around the same time when I was relatively young - tho' Gaddaffi did when I wasn't born yet). But as I grew older, I begun to study their philosophies, power dynamics and leadership struggles. For this, I write an introspective piece not just about my relatively short journey with their "rise and fall" but also about the role/positioning of the women and children who stood beside them.

Master Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe took control of Liberia in the early 1980. As the first indigenous to skyrocket to such height, it must have felt glorious. Having endured over a century of mono-party system, I guess Liberians were ready to rewrite history. But they forgot an important point. That when the elite exclude, subjugate and oppress the marginalized they are only reaping perpetual injustice when the marginalized do manage to gain some control. The fact that the oppressed has never being given opportunity to learn, engage and interact with the learned, it is only natural that (mostly) they will continue to oppress. There are so many real-life examples that I can't even begin to enumerate. 

Notwithstanding, Doe's alleged 4th grade education, which further incapacitated his leadership ability, in my opinion, could still be credited as a somewhat "productive" leader. With help from his "partner in crime" he erected Ibrahim B. Banbagida Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Liberia; and the one and only Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Liberia. He also paved the long-time dusted/mudded road on Duport Road, Paynesville - the outskirt of Monrovia, where I grew up before the inception of the civil war in Liberia. Now, when you read about Doe, you will notice numerous poor governance attributes during his regime; some of which I accept. Irrespective, (BE FOREWARNED THIS VIDEO IS VERY GRAPHIC AND TRAUMATIZING) no leader or human being for that matter deserves to die this way. To add injury to insult, Prince Johnson - the Brigadier General who tortured and executed former president Doe is now an elected senior senator in current President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's government.

I do have a lot of respect for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, despite his challenges and alleged history of human rights abuses against his own people. Why? One may ask. Primarily because he reignited Kwame Nkrumah's vision of establishing the United States of Africa. Call me pan-Africanist or Afro-centric but thanks the phenomenon called education where one can use his/her brain to separate media junk from objectivity. What I am talking about? You may have already guessed - how Western media always use propaganda to destroy Africa. But who's to blame? If you ask me, I will securely say, our oppressed leaders who end up being the oppressors. 

Regardless, Gaddafi was bold and brave especially when it came to challenging Western/America's dominance, power and control over resource poor countries. I am not a Libyan and I do not claim to have the slightest idea of what it meant to be a Libyan living in Libya during Gaddafi's regime. Albeit, from a very narrow point of view, it appears to me that, Libya was always far better economically than many other African/Arab countries. For my three something decades of existence, I have never seen Libyans forcibly displaced or seeking mass refugee asylum due to violence or conflict until the recent uprising. So, I imagined Gaddafi was a good leader to his people. Of course not, seeing the kind of  (BE FOREWARNED THIS VIDEO IS VERY GRAPHIC AND TRAUMATIZING) dehumanizing showcase of his death experience. Fully backed by NATO, Libyans once again proved to the world that Africans are "sub-humans"and unless the White NATO Neoliberalists are involved we (particularly the African Union) are incapable of using our brains. 

Maybe I'm the only outsider here, but how can it be so impossible to clearly see that only African leaders undergo heinous deaths that are such eyesores on the Internet? Mind you, George Bush, Tony Blair, Nicolas Sarkozy and their cronies will almost never receive similar treatment? Where is the social justice and human rights we claim to aspire for in this our so-called civil society?

These two men have a some things in common even as relationships between Libya and Liberia waxed and waned:

1. The two countries are always mixed up - I'm almost always mistakenly referred to as a Libyan rather than a Liberian.

2. There were both African Presidents who came to power by military coup d'etat (even though Doe's was bloody and Gaddafi's was nots).

3. Despite Libya and Liberia dwindled friendship at the time, after Doe's visit to Tripoli in 1988, Liberia-US relationship soured. It during this period that Libya invested in Liberia including construction of the tallest building in Liberia - the Pan-African Plaza, which is not home to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

So! After all my rants, this is the essence of this piece - the positioning of women in the deaths of their statement. While on my usual research visit to Liberia, heard Gaddafi's death announced on the radio in a taxi. I screamed! And then took a moment to absorb the idea. And then I started tearing up. Before I left for Liberia, I read about how NATO strike killed his son and grandchildren. But actually, it wasn't until I returned to Canada in November 2011 that was able to see the actual video of his death.  For Samuel Doe, once I was able to access the Internet, I was also able to view his torture and death. But it has been so many years. As a born and bred Liberian, who survived the war, these are not images or footages you desire to pack your mind. They are dehumanizing, demeaning and traumatizing. Yet, I had always wondered what happened to Doe's wife (Nancy Doe) and his children, one of whom I share my first name with (Veronica Doe). 

What a pleasant surprise, as I stumbled upon a Grand Gedeh Association in the America's news to see Celue Doe (the late president's daughter) preaching peace. I was inspired! I was hopeful! And of course emotional.  For Gaddafi, I started off by searching for his wife and children. The only resourceful information I came across was the Gaddafi Family Tree on BBC. Well, it is not hard to notice the  over-representation of men. Then, I solemnly thought: I cannot imagine how it must feel to grow up with such an experience to the point of constant bombardment of your father's trauma, torture and death. For me, I don't have much to go on when it comes to father-daughter or husband-wife relationship as I have little or none of such experiences. I think the bottom line for me is being human and seeking for justice. Not just in the warriors' eyes of men but in the emotional strength of women and children.

Related News Link

Death of rebel who caught Gaddafi stokes Libya tensions
Libyan President says attack that killed U. S. Ambassador Chris Stevens was planned Terrorism

Ivory Coast, Tunisia & Egypt In One Month? Where are the Women and Girls?

Does it surprise me that even after six decades of "liberation" from colonial rule the continent is still awash in violent conflicts? When is it ever going to stop? Who are these "grand-father" autocrats who find it difficult to relinquish power or at least accept freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration? And, what are their sexes? You bet - you guessed right, they are all MASCULINE - MALES (with emphasis).

Pause for a moment, when you switch on your live TV or search the internet for news on Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Egypt, what do you see? Who has the spotlight? Well, ...it's mostly men. Does it cross your mind when you think about it? Where are the women and children? Are they equal stakeholders in this so-called race for freedom and justice? Are they impacted by such violent conflicts? If so, are their rights being protected? Let's see if I can muster any motivation from you to consider questioning about the state of women and children in Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Egypt amidst these conflicts.

Without any direct connection, rulers in La Cote d'Ivoire, Tunisia, and Egypt have clung unto power for so long, so much so that the breakout of violent conflicts have become inevitable. What's the consequences of this preventable mayhem? Violent attacks, bruises, forced movement and deaths. "Preventable "because, if only these rulers will recognize the "rule of law" (by virtue of their constitution which allows limited terms for presidency) then they will know that, good leaders lead do not yang-away forever.

LA COTE D'IVOIRE

Ivory Coast, as it is popularly known, was considered a haven for peace and economic stability in Africa having gained independence from France on 7 August 1960. Looking back on its history, one can see that, Cote d'Ivoire's long standing stability was more or less a facade considering that President Felix Houphouet-Boigny clung to the head of state position from 1960 until his death in 1993. The Global Security summarizes his reign as a

cultivation of close political ties with the West that insulated the Ivory Coast from the turmoil associated with the military uprisings and Marxist experimentation that characterized the region. By maintaining an environment of stability, the Ivory Coast was able to develop its economy, attracting foreign investment and becoming the world’s largest producer of cocoa.

This "insulation" was certainly seasonal, as it lasted for the duration of Houphouet-Boigny's three decades and three years rule. All hell broke lose immediately after his death on 7 December 1993. Henri Konan Bedie, his successor, soon witnessed boycotting and protests as a result of election restrictions on opposition parties by his government in 1995. During the election in 2000, Alassane Ouattara, a Muslim who was previously Prime Minister during Houphouet-Boigny's regime, intention to run re-sparked religious and ethnic divide amongst the masses.

On 25 December 1999, General Robert Guei (16 March 1941 – 19 September 2002) ousted President Bedie marking the inception of Ivory Coast first (bloodless) military coup. As tension mounted with General Guei "troublesome" policies which ended up barring Ouattara from running as an elected candidate, forced the Rassemblement des Republicaines (RDR) (his party) to boycott. the election. Preempting low elections outcome on his part, General Guei halted the elections process and declared himself a winner. This was the "straw that broke the camel's back" - the beginning of Cote d'Ivoire on-going bloody violence. In just a matter of hours, women and children were plunged into blood baths, rape and all other forms of abuse, before Ouattara recognized Laurent Gbagbo's presidency.

A relatively short-lived peace was broken when on 7 January 2001 another coup erupted plunging the "Elephants" into a fragile state until November 2009 partly resulting in repeated postponement of election date. All efforts on the part of ECOWAS, AU and mediator Thabo Mbeki proved futile as Ivorians (mainly women and children) seek refuge in neighboring Liberia.


TUNISIA

According to Tourism Tunisia, the original inhabitants of this north African desert star were the Berbers, who were later followed by settlers and tradesmen from throughout the Mediterranean basin. For hundreds of years, the Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine, Visigoth settlers, colonizers and traders did not only interacted with the Berbers they managed to remain thereby constructing a beautiful cultural mosaic adorned in language, traditions and shades of complexion most attributed to the domination of Arabs.

Arab Muslims, who arrived in the 7th century, exerted the most influence and established themselves permanently in Tunisia. Like any other original people, the Berbers resisted Muslim's language and religion, but their ability to exercise full control was overcome by the arrivals of the Bedouin tribes from the east which added more strength to Muslim influences.

After transitioning through medieval times as well as surviving Italian and French invasion in 1881 - fast-forward to 1920, the creation of the Destour Party - a nationalist movement led by Habib Bourguiba - fueled a series of tension in Tunisia, one of which resulted in Bourguiba's arrest in 1952 after Tunisia fell under Vichy's rule during World War II. Three years after Bourguiba's arrest, a wave of violence between the French and Tunisians ensued. France later granted Tunisia independence on 20 March 1956 "crowning" Habib Bourguiba as the first prime ministers.

Worth noting, is how interestingly similar African leaders are. Regardless their geographical location, background or race, they somehow manage to exhibit similar leadership qualifications as is seen with Bourguiba and Ben Ali. After 31 years of domination, in November 1987 Bourguiba was "removed" by Zine el Abidine Ben Ali who has become the center of attraction today (for repeating the exact same thing Bourguiba did) having served five consecutive terms - a total of 23 years.

Today Tunisians as rural farmers, mountaineers, city dwellers and human rights activists refused to remain passive. As they mount the streets to protest Ben Ali's "undemocratic" endless repression, corruption and economic malaise, the Jasmine Revolutionists are exposed to serious injuries and death. Although Ben Ali has fled the country, one big question remains, will his departure bring lasting solution to Tunisia's leaders (men) propensity to abuse power?

EGYPT

Same ole, same ole! Almost the same story retold three times, except that the locations are different. Egypt proudly known as the birth of civilization, culture and history is at its worse state now. President Hosni Mubarak who succeeded Anwar Sadat after he was assassinated in 1981, have clung unto "sweet power" for three decades. He is infamous for paying diplomatic visits to four US presidents - Ronald Regan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. At this point, these visits tell it all with regard to the sheer length of time an African male leader can grip power without conscience or empathy. But that's not the end of the story.

The most important concern for this blog is the "backseat" row women and children inherently assume amidst faulty leadership characterized by long-term oppression and then sudden outburst of violence in Africa. From Cote d'Ivoire, to Tunisia and now Egypt all we see in the media is men fighting for "freedom" or ...? With that much focus on the next male power-abuser, women and children are ignored, shut-out and pushed into the background as if they have no part to play in restoring justice and peace-building. I am very much interested in disseminating and education the WWW about media coverage that highlight the impact of Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Egypt violent conflicts on women and children. If you have a thought, please share it with me.

LINKS
https://www.cia.gov
www.egyptdailynews.com
www.egypt.gov

http://www.globalsecurity.org
http://www.gouv.ci/
www.sis.gov.eg
www.touregypt.net
www.ministeres.tn
http://www.tourismtunisia.com