The dilemma in world politics today is that the UN remains unable to produce a coherent blueprint to face legitimacy conflicts in the developing world. Lacking its own armed force, the UN offers only the same old global management. But global management by the UN alone has failed to translate the concept of collective security into a predictable policy backed by decisive and credible actions. The prime example of such a failure is Ivory Coast, where, at this moment, bullets are replacing ballot boxes to institute democracy.
Following its November 28 runoff election, the Ivory Coast had two presidents, two prime ministers, and two governments -- or it had until yesterday. The runoff was intended to end a decade of political and military crisis. Instead the country plunged into a deeper crisis when the Constitutional Council, which was led by an ally of incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, declared him the winner, alleging that the ballot was fraudulent in parts of the north controlled by the rebels. The Council thereby overruled the Independent Electoral Commission's decision in favor of the challenger, Alassane Ouattara, a day before it was formalized. Despite the fact that Ouattara is recognized internationally as the duly elected president, Gbagbo refused to step down. The presence of French and UN peacekeeping troops did not dissuade him from usurping power.
As forces loyal to Ouattara are surrounding Abidjan from several directions, their offensive threatens to make that last stronghold of Gbagbo a bloody battleground. The fighting reflects the failure of the UN to translate the concept of peacekeeping into a predictable policy backed by decisive and credible actions. Billions of dollars have been squandered on an ill-advised peace plan, leaving guns as the symbol of power instead of voting cards.
Besides the UN's failure, the last-minute call by the US to protect civilians from violence is what is referred in political science to as "organized hypocrisy." If the justifications to intervene in Libya were based on (1) "the prospect of violence on a horrific scale," (2) "an international mandate for action," (3) "a broad coalition," (4) "the support of Arab countries," and (5) "a plea for help from the Libyan people themselves," then Ivory Coast qualified for the same intervention a long time ago. The absence of any decisive will to use an unmatchable military power by a third-party broker against Gbagbo effectively endorsed his usurpation of power. Worse, crimes against humanity, such as women slaughtered during a peaceful march or mortar shells fired in the direction of a crowded market, were tolerated. More than 460 people were killed, says the UN, and at least 800,000 people were forced from their homes. And yet any intervention would have been less expensive than the one in Libya.
A lesson can be learned from the Ivorian case. In a post-civil-war period, the absence of a credible threat by a third-party force capable of deterring uncooperative protagonists allows the push for democratization to crumble. Where mistrust among hostile forces is strong, a third-party broker's unmatchable military threat attenuates fears about the future. Security becomes the determining factor in making democracy workable in post-civil war. Indeed, in a similar context of lawlessness and bloodshed as in the Ivory Coast, President Bush's decisive action to remove President Charles Taylor from power in Liberia helped institute democracy in record time. That happened because he ordered a fleet to be positioned off the Liberian coast to help peacekeepers create the conditions for humanitarian aid to enter the country. The simple fact that the Marines were aboard three ships bobbing off Monrovia's shores sent a credible coercive signal to all warring parties.
Is the Independent Electoral Commission mandated to announce final results in Ivory Coast? If no, on which grounds are its provisional results backed by the UN to the extend of calling one of the presidential candidates Internationally Recognized President when there is an election dispute? One of the candidates have to cede power, is that the best way of solving an election dispute? Why is it that one of the candidates refused vote recount as an option to solve the political deadlock? That candidate's supporters are currently killing in mass. Where is the International Community that appointed him to protect the people? What will happen to Ivory Coast when Ouattara takes over power with the help of rebels and invisible forces? The rebels' battle was against the country's military? Will he dissolve the military? What if this military turns into another rebellion? Democracy is good but it has to be homegrown and not imported.Thousands have fled their homes and hundreds have died because of an imported democracy to Ivory Coast backed by the International community.
It's terribly sad that instead of actually fighting for and defending people from tyrants and terrible abuses the West would instead prop up the tyrants until they are no longer of value and are then removed to make the west look like the actually care.
No place is "older" with people than Africa. No place is "younger" with people that North America.
Millenia after people "began" in Africa , it tends to be tribal and have small nations. Hundreds of years after "people began arriving" in North America , they expanded west (sorry , natives) , and created a large nation with small states in an association.
My point (finally) is , the best course for Africa would be to have the small states associate and become a large nation.
I found it interesting that so many people were concerned about China's emergence in Africa and how the locals would be "take advantage of". Maybe they are just wising up to the fact that the west prevents them from advancing through trade and crushing debts to the IMF and the funds made off of royalty percentages that are lower than any countries in the west would put up with.
An African Congress already exists, but I think that different countries in Africa have different needs and resources and as we have seen with the EU bigger does not always provide stability and can drag nations down with their neighbors problems.
I find I have little pity concerning the crushing debt part. Small countries with bad governments who borrow tons against a better future , but the petty tyrants enrich themselves and their buddies and the country is left with the mess. Sounds kinda like the GOP, don't it?
the ANC was a good idea , but unless it leads a move to the United States of Africa , small bands will continue to shoot , loot , and gain outsized influence because the standing government is usually bad but rooted in place thanks to tribal bonds.