Failed Leadership: The Greatest Challenge Afflicting Africa
By Madi Jobarteh
Pres. Embalo of Guinea Bissau has threatened to expel the UN/Ecowas mission today after they met with the opposition. Luckily the mission was able to complete their task and had to hurriedly leave the country.
Meanwhile, Embalo’s term ended since Feb 27, 2025 because he took office on Feb 27, 2020. But he refused to conduct elections saying his term ends in November 2025. The Supreme Court on its part had ruled that his term ends on 4 September 2025. What kind of government is this?
At a time when the world faces the most uncertain and treacherous situations, in Africa, our leaders continue to behave as if the world is about and for them only. No one needs to remind Embalo that the people of his country have suffered for so long so much thanks to autocratic and corrupt politicians and governments.
A man of his generation should know better that today all that the people of Guinea Bissau and Africa need is salvation. That requires honest, law abiding and visionary leadership committed to freedom, prosperity and peace of the country. After centuries of slavery and colonialism, followed by decades of independence, the conditions of Africans continue to leave much to be desired.
Across Africa, sadly and shamefully, if there is no military coup or regime in a country such as in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger, then there is an armed conflict such as in DRCongo and Sudan or an ongoing rebel, insurgency or terrorism activity such as in Chad, Nigeria, Somalia or Mozambique to name a few, while many more suffer under authoritarian regimes such as Uganda, Egypt, Togo, Cameroun, Burundi and the rest. Even where there is said to be peace and democracy, rest assured the government is characterized by corruption, human rights violations, inefficiency and incompetence and sheer abuse of power such as in Kenya, South Africa, the Gambia or Ivory Coast just to name a few. It appears the only countries that give some hope for Africa are Senegal and Ghana because of their new leadership, and Namibia and Botswana.
Whither Africa?
