2011: Another 'Freedom Year' for Africa?

[Jacaylbaro]

FULL ARTICLE

 

 

 

In November 1958, following the declaration of October 1, 1960 as Nigeria's independence day, Time Magazine wrote: "The year 1960 is beginning to sound like freedom year for Africans. Also talking about independence on that date: French Cameroons, Togoland, Italian Somaliland."

 

1960 indeed turned out to be the Africa's "freedom year" - starting with Cameroon, on January 1, eighteen African nations gained their independence that year. 1960 was therefore one long year of partying, citizens gathering in large numbers in capitals everywhere from Lagos to Nouakchott, to witness fresh beginnings.

 

One imagines that some of the most widely trafficked images of that era would have been of Independence Day celebrations - beaming citizens waving a brand new flag and getting their tongues accustomed to brand new anthems.

 

I'm not sure anyone suspected that freedom 'sale' was a time-bound offer. For most African countries it was a downhill journey from independence, a continent-wide race to the bottom. Independence, it turned out, was all about self-ruin, not self-rule.

 

Over much of the next five decades, in many countries, refugee camps replaced those independence arenas, as gathering places. Where once people huddled around radios to listen to post-independence speeches by silver-tongued nationalists-turned-administrators, they now settled for martial music.

 

But now, after five decades of despair, 1960 appears to be around the corner, again. 2011 is promising to be another freedom year.

[MoonLight1]

Kaana siib, Kanna saar

[Jacaylbaro]

,,,,, Good one

 

Much much better than death & destruction plus Uganda's occupation .....

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Guul africa guul