The African Intelligentsia Is Silent Part 2

African intelligentsia were captured by Russia's interference in the American electoral process in the year 2016. Some Africans know what the Americans tried to do in a Russian election 20 years ago yet they've no knowledge of their own electoral processes. They will even explain how in 1996, The United States of America tried to swing a Russian election, the African intelligentsia will even give details of how Boris Yeltsin was seeking a second term and Bill Clinton desperately wanted to help. The African intelligentsia will go as far as quoting Bill Clinton, "I want this guy to win so bad,” he told Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott, “it hurts.” The Clinton administration lobbied the International Monetary Fund to give Russia a $10 billion loan, some of which Yeltsin distributed to woo voters. On Yeltsin's campaign, he often announced, " My pockets are full."

Three American poltical consultants; -Joe Shumate,  George Gorton and Richard Dresner, a highly skilled political consultant who in the early 1980s helped elect Bill Clinton governor of Arkansas went to work on Yeltsin's reelection bid. 

Election violence in Ghana.

Thomas Graham, who served as the chief political analyst at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, Russia during the 1980 Russia campaign, later conceded that Clinton officials knew the election wasn’t free and fair. “This was a classic case,” he admitted, “of the ends justifying the means.”

The United States of America has a long history of election meddling. Top intelligence agencies in America say there was interference in their 2016 elections. However, Americans didn't cry over what had already happened. They had a plan,  the reason they did manual vote count in 2020. There is no doubt Americans intend to influence elections world over. Just to get a clear perspective of what they do, Senator Rand Paul was quoted on CNN saying "Russians are going to spy on us, they do spy on us, they're going to interfere in our elections. We also do the same. .... We all do it. What we need to do is to make sure our electoral process is protected."

While we can't downplay the severity of Russia’s election attack. The Americans can always determine how—and how not—to respond. However, the question before the African masses in general and the African intelligentsia in particular is 'Do Africans know how to respond when their elections are meddled in ? Or do the African intelligentsia bother to know whether elections in African countries are meddled in, leave alone putting themselves in position to ensure African countries electoral processes are protected?' 

America’s leaders see nothing wrong with electoral interference, so long as the United States is conducting it. Some African Intelligentsia acquiesce electoral interference by Americans and yet others go as far as cheering it because they believe American meddling is good for democracy despite facts on ground proving that American interference in the African electoral processes has done far more to harm democracy in Africa than promote it. Overall, America's favored candidates in Africa are no more committed to liberal democracy than their opponents. What this teaches us is that America's favored candidates are friendlier to American interests than their opponents not that they're more Democratic than their opponents. 

The reasons, African masses should take interest in our electoral processes. Without the knowledge that the west and the conceptual west meddling in African electoral processes has done more harm to democracy than promote it, most African intelligentsia will cheer electoral interference in Africa by the west and the conceptual west. 

During presidential nominations in Uganda, Gen. Tumukunde's supporters were teargassed for standing by the road side while their candidate was headed for nomination while thousands of President Museveni's supporters received police protection for doing just the same thing. And yet, the African intelligentsia is silent. 

President Museveni's supporters enjoying police protection.

Henry Tumukunde's procession teargassed

Denis Ouma, the FDC flag bearer member of parliament representing people with disabilities (PWD) and a man whose arms and legs are not functional due to spasms caused by a road accident that injured his spinal code many years ago was forced out of the vehicle going to nominate Patrick Oboi Amuriat.

Patrick Oboi Amuriat nominated with no shoes on

The police claimed that he was not among the names supposed to access the Electoral Commission nomination grounds although he was proposer of the FDC presidential candidate. And he endured the heat of the sun in his wheel chair. FDC presidential candidate's shoes were confiscated by police on nomination day and he walked in his black socks to his nomination. 

Robert Kyagulanyi's supporters being dispersed

Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine National Unity Platform presidential candidate was violently arrested right after nomination. Police beat him up, tore his suit and broke his car glass. National Unity Platform (NUP) spokes person Joel Ssenyonyi was also beaten up and left almost naked  but the African intelligentsia is silent. 

The brutal arrest of presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi

presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi's car smashed

There is politically orchestrated violence in some areas of the Ashanti, Central, Ahafo, Bono, Volta and Greater Accra regions of Ghana. And these sparks of violence claimed the life of a young Ghanaian man in the Bono region, and left many others injured. And during the electoral registration process, there was a shooting incident involving a serving Ghanian minister. 

The Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya East Constituency in Ghana who is also the Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Hawa Koomson all smiles after admitting to firing a gun at a voters’ registration centre in Kasoa. 

The Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya East Constituency who is also the Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Hawa Koomson admitted to firing a gun at a voters’ registration centre in Kasoa. 

State Minister for Labour in Uganda Mr Mwesigwa Rukutana was involved in a shooting incident in Ruhama, Ntungamo district during the NRM primaries election in which incident one person was seriously injured and a motor vehicle damaged.

Rushenyi County member of Parliament, former Deputy Attorney General of Uganda and current Minister of State for Labour in a shooting incident

Youths should not allow themselves to be lured into violence by selfish and greedy politicians for their personal interests while young people across different African states should desist from being used in these selfish acts, young people must also task themselves to analyse where their generation is headed. Young people must stand up and direct issues pertaining the future of Africa. They must prepare themselves well as the young suckers that will grow when the old banana trees die. Young people must stand up against inhumane and degrading acts by police which police is intended to serve them. Young people must get up now and direct the future of Africa. 

When political parties particularly the ruling political parties in Africa can not exhibit political maturity and stay away from acts that cause violence, when politicians in Africa cannot take advantage of the mechanisms put in place to challenge an issue like bussing people and illegally registering people at various polling centers, when police in Africa can't carry out their work in a more professional manner and not shrink from their responsibilities, when some people are untouched even when they commit criminal activities with impunity, the people and the victims of those crimes sooner than latter lose confidence in their governments' capacity to provide them with safety and peace and more often than not, they're compelled to devise their own individual means of protection and defense. 

African governments must have the courage to take action against those acts of violence and these governments must protect the rights of its people not violate them.

These politicians abuse their positions in society and they endanger lives of people but their governments do nothing cause they're on their side. Appropriate action must be taken by their governments and the African intelligentsia should not remain silent no more. They should rather call out such politicians to resign their positions.  

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