BY Kwabena Boateng Jacaboba
POLITICIANS WORRYING CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE
It is described somewhere that. ‘‘The unexamined life is not worth living: but examine life is more painful’.
There have been recent reports about emerging civil war and or violence in Ghana’s mass media. The lens of this imagination originated from a sequence of pronouncements, press conferences and speeches that have been articulated by fragments of pop idols, politicians, individuals and religious leaders. The talks are indeed, vastly deeply rooted in controversy and scepticism surrounding the 2012 election results being contested in the Supreme Court. In June 2011 it was extensively reported that the presidential candidate of New Patriotic Party NPP, Nana Akufo-Ado, has created volatile alarm in Ghana when he used the popular phrase - ‘’All die be die’’ during his electioneering rallies. Stealthily and explicitly, this galvanised huge chorus of disapproval, clashes and condemnations across the country. The media including NDC ordinary loyalists organised a series of intensive press conferences and smear campaigns in many ways to weaken and dash Nana Akufo-Ado’s presidential aspirations. In many press conferences, NDC managed well through media frenzy that Nana Akufo-Ado could not be trusted with the security of Ghana in case he was to be elected as president.
Although one could defend Nana Akufo-Ado’s ‘All die be die’ - axiom as ‘a passing away chat’. But in politics messages and manifestoes that are not carefully thought through before they are presented to electorates can be damaging. With this NDC managed to use ‘All die be die’ hymn to score cheap political points among ordinary Ghanaian electorates. Whatever view one holds or jettisons this remark, the interpretations and meanings that a section of the media and people used to vilify Nana Akufo-Ado’s message in many ways is not a true reflection of his democratic values, principle, character and records– historically. Tersely, this is part of a true democracy.
However, it appears that recent NDC’s leaders open declarations to the nation and media to support any civil war in Ghana should Nana Akufo-Ado to be declared the winner of 2012 presidential elections being contested in Supreme Court have not received serious national protest. This begs the question. Why?
In June 2013 it was broadly reported in the media channels by a disciple of NDC communication team Gabby Assuming, ‘’I tell you that, look, this election which the NDC won genuinely; there is no place for Nana Ado. His Excellency president Mahama will make his four years mandate and there is nobody, Nana Ado, on the face of the pink sheet, to be a president; then may be, we are calling for civil war in this country, I am telling you’. Besides a few weeks ago another NDC member Kakra Essumuah, used the mass media to declare officially that he will support any coup attempt should Nana Ado be declared the president of Ghana by the Supreme Court. Consider how stinking, brutal and dangerous these statements are. Here one question comes to mind. Have NDC stalwarts including John Mahama’’ expressed unequivocal rebuff against Gobby and Kakra’s comments? Regrettably, other religious celebrities in their sermons have also joined this queue to play civil war drums.
RELIGIOUS CELEBRITIES DISTURBING SERMONS
In a few weeks ago some religious leaders including the general Overseer of International Gospel Church (ICGC), Mensa Anumua Otabil claimed that they have received prophesy that civil war and or evil is about to happen in Ghana. In an aggressively emotionally charged imaginations address delivered on 14th July 2013, Mensa Otabil claimed that he has a ‘sense of weight in his guts ‘’concerning the destiny of this country that there is something heavy ready to fall upon this country that if we don’t take charge of that we will be in a different state a month from now. He further charged that – there shall be no civil war in Ghana…there will be no military takeover in Ghana…there will be no bloodshed in Ghana…there will be no coup d’état…there will be peace in Ghana…the land shall have peace and rest…there will be prosperity in Ghana…abundance in the name of Jesus.”
Similarly Rev Owusu Bempah, a founder and leader of Glorious Word Ministry on many occasions since 2011 has often sermonised that he could smell war from afar in proximity to Ghana.
Upon wrestling and battling on alarming comments and behaviours of these politicians and religious leaders, I try to ask some questions. How safe are we as a nation in the hands of people in power? Why in the 21st Century persons of influence will try to venerate, imagine and adore prospects of civil war in our landscape? Where are our sophistications? Are we innately blind, ignorant and lack essential basic short term memories about persistent civil wars across Africa? Let us look at example of disastrous consequences of civil wars that have occurred in Ghana’s back garden in Africa.
CONUNDRUMS AND HORRORS OF CIVIL WARS
Practically, let us make profound ecological effort to broaden our human sensibility on wars, civil wars and violence across Africa a few decades ago and beyond, starting from Liberia civil war.
LIBERIA CIVIL WAR
It has been estimated that the first Liberia civil war from (1989 to 1996) wiped away more than 200, 0000 of the population and over one million people were displaced as refugees across Africa and other part of the world. At the period of Liberia civil war all efforts made by Economic Community of West Africa State ECOWAS with support from the United Nations could not entirely bring peace and stability. The second Liberian civil war ballooned again in 1999 and this further resulted in over 50, 000 citizens slaughtered including displacement of approximately one million. The civil war led to the creation of refugee settlements and enclaves by the United Nations. A typical example was a refugee camps established in the periphery of Accra - Ghana in the mid 1990’s that was popularly called Bujumbura. The catastrophic effects of this war resulted dislocation of entire towns and villages, tribal killings, community anarchy, destruction of familial networks and almost entire societies. The ruminants of the past civil war continue to have devastating effects on Liberia economy, people’s social stability and existence. Does Ghanaian want civil war? Let again extend our mental eyes intently in Rwanda in East Africa.
RWANDA SHOCKING AND DISTRESSING CIVIL WAR
In Rwanda the 1994 civil war led to cataclysmic mass killings of approximately one million people according to Human Rights estimate. This led the establishment of museum to preserve over one million of skulls of Rwanda’s who suffered these tragic deaths. The same tribal war contributed to the creation of International Criminal Count ICC around 2002 by the United Nations. The purpose of ICC was to trial leaders who commit crimes against humanity. The mockery surrounded Rwanda civil war is that the powerful countries including the United Nations stood by with little effort to stop that genocidal butchery. Why this war could not be stopped? Was it because of financial interest by the powers that be? Just in a few minutes ponder through the lens of this human slaughtered and skulls in Rwanda museum and ask yourself. What moral logic will be to lionize civil war in Ghana by NDC leadership?
Let us move a step closer to Biafra war that erupted in Nigeria. The civil war in Nigeria commenced somewhere in July 1967 and ended around January 1970. We know that during this war diverse tribal people were killed like chickens and during these periods around one to three million people were killed? What about Burundi? During Burundi civil war in 1993, it was recorded that about 300, 000 people were killed until the war ended in 1995 and there have been tribal violence and killings following the war.
CONGO ASSESINATION AND CIVIL WAR
One can add the Congolese civil war around 1998 following assassination of Patrick Lumumba in1965. The crisis of Congo and its subsequent civil war has claimed millions upon millions lives. The Congolese war has been pigeonholed as the greatest war in Africa involving more than 20 factions and 9 countries such as Sudan, Chad, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Angola etc. It is estimated that almost 6 million people had been exterminated through starvation, malnutrition, diseases, poor sanitation, health related issues before the end late 1998. Who cares? The Congolese civil war continues, the world watches whilst some countries floods this country with weapons. Who cares about spilling blood in Africa?
ANARCHY IN LYBYA
On 15th March 2011 we witnessed how Murmur Ghadafi was directly and indirectly provoked and callously assassinated with intensive campaign and support of Britain, France, USA and a section of other Arab countries like Quarter et cetera. During the Libyan uprising Africa leaders including, Tebo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and many other leaders offered to use diplomatic approach through Africa Union to resolve this crisis but none of the Africa leader’s voices was listened to in dignity. Libya was bombed consistently and at conservative estimate over 4, 000 Libyans were killed. In this war blacks from sub-Saharan Africa typically, the black natives in Libya and economic migrants were deliberately targeted, imprisoned, raped, burnt and killed by the rebels. What have population of African descents done to experience large scale and capacious massacres once again? Now the oil and gas in Libya are flowing to their true owners and the people of Libya continue to die unabated through inter-tribal factions and terror. What about our neighbouring country, Ivory Coast?
IVORY COAST TERROR
We can equally look again for a second and ponder over recent political impasses in Ivory Coast. The inter-tribal killing consequentially led to at least over 1,500 women, children and many more unaccounted deaths following the election altercations. Was this uncivilised? No matter how one assessed the former president of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbabo’s stubbornness, think about displacement and trauma of over one million Ivoirians who fled to other neighbouring countries including Ghana. Now the French army is garrison in Ivory Coast. Where is Ivory Coast’s Sovereignty? Are these not worrying lessens to be learned by Ghanaians who are playing relics and rhythms of civil war instruments. Let us travel to Central Africa Republic and highlight on the on-going civil war there too.
HIDEN TERROR IN CENTRA AFRICA REPUBLIC - CAR
Another on-going civil war in Africa is Central Africa Republic with the population of around 4.6 million. The civil war in this country has gone on since Independence from France in 1960. In this civil war, women, children, teenagers in different regions are trapped and frogmarched to any locations to be ganged rapped and mass rapped in an unmatched scare until their vaginas are tore. Women including hospital patients who refused to be rapped can be hacked and killed with machetes. Men can be summarily disappeared, tortured and executed. Children are also recruited by the rebels to be trained as killers. UN has labelled this country and her population to be victims and. One of refugee agencies has called CAR the most silent and neglected crisis in the world. Although there are re-echoing warnings to United Nations and international community to stop this mass murders but the world has turned a blind and death ear to our Africa brothers, sisters and mothers and children.
We can now turn our sensibility to ongoing Egypt political struggle. We know that over 150 plus Egyptian demonstrators have been shot dead by the military. Egyptian people continue to be shot dead almost every day since the constitutionally elected president; Morsi was overthrown by the military on 3rd July 2013. As I write this article there are ongoing civil wars and conflicts in Mali, Somalia, Sudan and Guinea. Somalia’s have been robotised to fight for over 20 years. Civil war is also going on in Sudan and South Sudan. In Uganda the rebel leader Joseph Koni has been accused of abducting tens of thousands children hacking their lips, noses, limps including civilians. Is that what we want to happen in Ghana?
OTHER PART OF THE WORLD
In other parts of the world in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, we saw the calamitous consequences of these wars and civilian casualties. It is estimated that over one million Iraqis died when US and her allies invaded the country under the pretext and excuse of weapons of mass destruction. There are many babies and children in Fallujah who are born suffering from degenerative diseases, defects and disabilities as a result of depleted uranium, phosphorus and cluster bombs unleashed on Iraqis during the war. As I write this article Iraq is near to civil war.
In Syria Kofi Annan’s attempt to bring diplomatic reconciliation between the rebels and the Syrian government was frustrated by war mongers and Mr Annan has to resign and the civil war is still on-going. The war in Syria has been catastrophic to their organised and structured society. Infrastructures, hospitals, educational set ups, natural environment; moral values and villages, farms, libraries and cultures are being destroyed through mass killings, fire, shootings and bombings. Villages have become ghost towns and Syrians sources of critical economic basic necessities and historical artefacts that have been preserved for centuries are being destroyed.
WAR MONGERS QUEST FOR RESOURCESTHROUGH CIVIL WARS
We must open our intellectual imaginations. There are civil wars in many countries where there are natural resources - oil, diamond, gold, bauxite, gas, timber, manganese, population, energy, uranium and weak leadership. Just pause a bit and reflect on the Angolan civil war and Congolese civil war including political assassinations of leaders and frequent coup d’état since 1945 in Ghana and Africa in general. Was it not Congo uranium that was used to make Hiroshima and Kirishima bombs that kill millions in the entire city. Civil wars are backed by powers that be and their governments through covert political manipulations, economic exploitations, financial predatory systems, unfair trade practices, currency marginalisation, sanctions, religious disseminations and imposition of inimical policies that destroy local economies. Africa continent has always been militarised by some countries with the support of our local unpatriotic citizens. We see drones in Somalia killing people. We know that US has established Africa military stations call AFRICOM in some countries. What does this tell Ghanaians? What is the aim of AFRICOM? Professor Campbell Horace and Pan-Africans have strongly advised Ghanaians and Africans against US policy of militarism and military relations that have gone on for long. We know that war mongers are amorphous, work in secrecy, violate freedoms, subvert constitutions, slaughter human beings and cause spiralling terrorism in countries. With this imagine how we should all as Ghanaians guard against civil war once again in Ghana.
The end product of civil war in Ghana will not benefit any individuals or person except war mongers and international military industrial complex in Europe, America and elsewhere. Ecumenical evidence shows that civil wars are equal to expensive bloodshed, population reduction, and costly social capital, wound social pains, long term tribal psychological scars and unbridle inter-tribal divisions, economic devastation, social unrest, starvation, property destruction and cannibalism. Which countries supply arms for these carnages?
Mark Townsend, a guardian columnist has reported that European countries Military Industrial Complex and companies are sending arms to Central African Republic, with Britain a major player, continue to flood the country which has the world’s second lowest life expectancy, with military hardware. Since 2005 United Kingdom has been the European 4th exporter of arms to CAR and the largest arms exported to Uganda, and the third to Democratic Republic of Congo, 4th largest to Chad and the second largest to Sudan and 2nd largest exporter of supplier of explosives to South Sudan and many more. You name other countries like USA, France, Belgium et cetera.
BY WAY OF CONCLUSION
In prayers from our anceters I will painfully try to conclude that civil war is a matured form of ugliness that should not be allowed by any means to happen in Ghana. Let us be brutal to face logic and to educate our society about appalling devastations of civil wars in few countries I have described above. Let us have a critical self examination of our lives as Ghanaians with one aim. We need ideas that will bring Ghanaians a deep sense of democratic value and ultimate love for our fellow human beings.
Experiences of people of Africa decent in almost everywhere in the world look socially stigmatising, politically victimising, economically terrorising and religiously traumatising. We should be wrestled with critical self-intellectual reflection with the legacy of enslavement, apartheid, colonialism and neo-colonialism, poverty, ignorance and medical apartheid that have dominated our landscape.
Let us imagine scientific approach to resolve issues in Ghana’s progress like emerging countries in China, Brazil, India, Asia and South American instead. To speak of civil war in Ghana in the 21st century by some politicians and religious leaders is; brutal, venom and difficult issue to bear and handle? Will Ghanaian parliament be serious for once to make laws about utterance, behaviours and actions that glorify civil war in Ghana illegal and criminal offence with severe punishment?
I strongly urge all decent Ghanaians everywhere, the army, chiefs, police, Christian, civil servants, students, farmers, farmers, security agencies and politicians that we should never praise civil war in our mist. Civil war should not be deodorised, sanitised and sterilised in our society. As this can encourage war mongers representative in our country and elsewhere to exploit our insidious weak tribal divisions to destroy the little we have built. War mongers can through many strategies co-ordinate plan to influence dissents. Can you see everywhere that war mongers live with us. Our decent ancestors forbade this. Let me end here by borrowing three issues in life that Marcus Garvey struggled and grapples with before he died. (1) What does integrity do in the face of oppression? (2) What does decency face in the face of deception? (3) What does virtue do to meet brute force?
Let us not in any way allow ourselves to be divided as a nation and live in unity and peace we have dearly enjoyed since Independence.
The Ghana Supreme Court judgement about on-going election dispute is a critical text for our time if we will allow ourselves to be destroyed by civil war.
KWABENA BOATENG JACABOBA –JUABEN ASHANTI
God Bless our ancestors - Nana Yaa Asantewaa, Kwame Nkrumah and many more.