THIS RED EARTH
âThe government must listen to us. We are peaceful protesters, and we are not hurting anyoneâ - Nigerian Youth
I was on Twitter a few days ago and most of my followers were tweeting #ENDSARS. I wasnât sure what it was about, but after scrolling down some more, I noticed it had something to do with Nigeria. I quickly sent a message to my Nigerian friend, Syd, to find out the meaning of SARS and what was going on. He told me SARS was an acronym for Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigerian Police. He also said, âThese guys have taken it up a notch and they summarily execute, kidnap, and extort people.â
Protests began in early October following the alleged killing of a young man by SARS officers according to BBC. Protesters are calling for the ârogueâ unit to be disbanded. With their vicious track record, some would even refer to them as a âCrime Syndicate.â
As of October 13, 10 people have died in Nigeria from the ongoing protest. The same protest which began as a means to put an end to SARS has now elevated to a protest against police brutality. "The excessive use of force by the police in response to the protests reveals the longstanding disregard for the right to life by Nigerian security forces," Amnesty International Nigeria
To the east of Nigeria sits Cameroon. A country that used to be known for being quiet and peaceful, but now these two words are nowhere close to describing that country. Cameroon is a bilingual country, 80% French and 20% English. For years now both sides have coexisted in relative harmony. However, over the last three years or so, there has been violence in the English regions of the country. Hundreds of citizens have lost their lives and about 500,000 have been displaced, most of whom have fled to Nigeria. The government claims that separatists from the English regions have terrorized civilians and attacked government forces and left them no choice, but to strike back. However, an article in the Washington Post says that âEnglish speakers displaced by military raids on their villages recounted how Cameroonian troops opened fire on unarmed civilians and burned down their homes. Soldiers often arrived at Anglophone villages early in the morning, they said. But instead of looking for armed independence fighters, they fired indiscriminately, at times leaving the bodies of young men piled in the streets.â
How did we get here? These arenât the only tragedies going on in Africa right now. In fact, the whole world actually. According to UNICEF, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia, accounting for 50% of all the deaths of children under the age of 5 in 2019. Let that sink in. 6 countries out of 195.
I was listening to a podcast the other day and they were talking about tradition and how it is something that is passed down from one generation to the next and I keep wondering who will be left to collect whatever is there to be passed down if all the youths are being killed. Rather than going to school, youths are forced to become activists in the streets and on social media. What kind of life is this?
All this bloodshed makes me think of a scene in the movie, Blood DiamondâŠ
âThis red earth, itâs in our skin. The Shona (an ethnic group in Southern Africa) says the color comes from all the blood thatâs being spilled fighting over the land. This is home. Youâll never leave Africa.â
Believe me when I tell you that if we, Africans could get the best out of our continent, we wouldnât have a reason to migrate. We migrate because our leaders continue to fail and terrorize us.
Africa is so fucked!! This tweet tells you everything you need to know. My generation has only ever known this guy as president. Even when they know theyâre doing a terrible job; they hang on to power for whatever reason.
My love for Africa is immense and I donât like talking bad about her, but sometimes I have to say it as it is.
Every week on social media brings forth a new hashtag. We have to do better.
Ayé Africa
Written by Boy Dâjine