African Youths Take To The Streets, Demanding Change
African Youths Take to the Streets |
Protests have broken out in various African countries. Countries like Nigeria, Congo, and Namibia have witnessed peaceful protests in the last few weeks. These protests are fuelled by the people’s grievances against their government. Most of these protesters are youths between the ages of 15 and 40.
When these protests began, they were ignored by the government of these countries but the relentlessness and focus of the youth has caused them to sit up and make changes or in some cases, sit up and try to force protesters back home.
Congo
In Congo, a country in Africa blessed with various resources, crimes of rape, and genocide has pushed citizens into the streets. These crimes committed against the people of Congo seem to have gone unpunished and the people are demanding justice.
The hashtag #Congoisbleeding was created to give the protest an online presence. The pictures posted under these hashtags are gory and would naturally spark outrage.
The people of Congo have suffered thus:
Genocide In Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo has conflicted for more than 20 years. Armed rebel groups were a menace to the people. The problem of the Congolese people lies in their government and the cesspool of corruption. In a country where the army and the police were underpaid, these officers of the law sometimes broke away and joined the rebel groups who terrorized the people, killing and maiming them.
These rebel groups made demands to the president who then reinstated them back into the army with benefits such as a more high ranking position. These rebel groups were formed with the secondary aim of seeking positive change in the government and the country in general. Sometimes when fighting broke out, people fled their homes, leaving their properties and sometimes children who couldn’t move fast enough.
Till today, the natural resources of Congo are mined and the proceeds do not reach the people of Congo who languish in poverty. Several foreign companies and a corrupt government, however, enjoy the dividends.
Rape In Congo
In Congo, about 48 women are raped every hour. In past times, the rapists were usually government officers or rebels who took the war as an opportunity to loot and pillage their people. The people lost confidence in the government. They no longer believed that their government could protect them. Even the United Nations army was not left out from the incompetence.
Child Labor In Congo
Congo is home for the horrors of child miners who are beaten and killed when they fail to produce their quota, mirroring a time in Congo history when the King of Belgium would punish inactive with maiming. Some of these children have parents who have been either displaced or killed and because of that, have no one to care for them. It is a common sight to see a five-year-old being responsible for a younger child of one to three years.
These miners mine Coltan which is used in producing Lithium batteries for phones and other electrical devices.
Displacement In Congo
When there is insurgency, people flee their homes and end up in displacement camps where there is no food, no electricity, and no water supply. Some survive long enough to return home, others die of diarrhea and other diseases.
In 2006, When a rebel group attacked Goma, killing three persons and leaving one seriously injured, the Congolese people took to the streets in a great protest that cut across religions and tribes. They demanded that President Kabila step down from office, calling him a “Tulsi” and a “Traitor”.
The women of Congo are spearheading these prot33ests, with the assistance of Dr. Denis Mukwege. They call for justice for those who have suffered at the hands of rebel forces, the national army, and the Congolese government.
Nigeria
In Nigeria, the EndSars protests began on October 8, 2020, and have gained traction since then. Thousands of youth come out daily into the streets to protest against police brutality, extortion, and secret killings by the police. Following the demands of the people, President Buhari dissolves the Special anti-robbery squad (SARS) division of the police. A new unit which was called SWAT was created much to the ire of the Nigerian youth who saw it as a big joke.
About 10 people have died in the protests so far. Some were killed when the Nigerian police opened fire on peaceful protesters, others were killed when paid hoodlums attacked the protesters. At these protests, Nigerian Youths have shown their resourcefulness and resilience in the face of adversity. Food has been served, people taken to the hospital and others have received legal counsel when arrested by the police.
Stories of the victims are also shared during these protests to help the protesters keep their eyes on the goal. It has been eight days of protests and slowly, the protest has undergone a metamorphosis, turning from just a simple protest against police brutality to a general demand for a better Nigeria.
Police Brutality In Nigeria Amidst Protests
Even as protests are peaceful, the police have reacted negatively to it. Threatening protesters or outright shooting into crowds of peaceful protesters. It is disturbing also to know that members of the Nigerian Police stand by and watch when hired thugs harass protesters. They fail to see that these protests are for every citizen of Nigeria and instead view it as an attack against their comfort.
Namibia
The Namibian women are protesting against gender-based violence, rape, and feminine. They have been beaten and arrested by the police but they still stand firm, loudly speaking against the frequency of these crimes and lack of punishment for offenders.
SGBV is a persistent problem in Namibia, in particular, intimate-partner violence against women and girls, sexual violence by non-partners, and femicide. Reports earlier this year said police were receiving at least 200 cases of domestic violence monthly, while more than 1,600 cases of rape were reported during the 18 months ending in June 2020.
Campaigners said that, like in other parts of the world, a month-long lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus pandemic had now made life even harder for domestic violence survivors forced to self-isolate with their abusers.
On Friday, while protests were continuing, 27-year old Gwashiti Tomas was allegedly brutally murdered by her boyfriend because she wanted to end their relationship.
With politicians failing to deliver progress, many women said the fear of violence was constantly accompanying them.
Source: Aljazeera
Final Word: DeRay McKesson said,
“I am mindful that the goal of protest is not more protest, but the goal of protest is Change.”
This is what sits on our chests as African youth today. We want Change. We know that we deserve better and we are fighting peacefully to attain that promised land. Arise, o compatriots! God bless Nigeria, God bless Congo, God bless Namibia, God bless Africa. May this energy never die!
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