The Perils of Western “Democracy” From Ethiopia to Mali

Divide and Rule in Africa

by THOMAS C. MOUNTAIN
June 19, 2013 (Counter Punch) — Divide and rule is a law of imperialism and western style “democracy” is how imperialism implements this law in neocolonial Africa. It’s called “elections” and with it’s winner take all diktats division, conflict, ethnic cleansing, mass murder and civil war are the results.
Traditionally in Africa’s villages decisions and conflict resolution takes place using a consensus system with no absolute winners and losers, with all parties agreeing to the final decision and honor bound to carry it out. Just the opposite of what happens after “elections” in “democratic Africa”.
The dishonor roll of “African Democracy” a.k.a. bought, rigged or stolen elections must begin with Ethiopia, where the ethnic minority regime declared themselves victors 12 hours after the polls closed with 99.6% of the seats in parliament.
Second place could go to Liberia, where the capital Monrovia has not had running water or electricity for the entire term of Eleanor Johnson’s Presidency, she who ran unopposed the last “election”, and won a Nobel Prize to boot.
In third place, maybe second place really, stands Somalia, where there simply was no voting done by the Somali people, the entire parliament which “elected” the President was hand picked by the previous President.
Fourth place? Maybe Libya where Al Queda militias run rampant and it doesn’t really matter who won the latest “election”, it is all about tribe and family and ties to the local warlords, sort of like Somalia really.
Fifth place is being reserved for the “victor” of the Malian “election”, scheduled to be held in the midst of an ongoing counterinsurgency with thousands of French troops still occupying the country.
Sixth place goes to Cote D’Ivoire where under the international communities supervision hundreds of thousands of non-Ivorians were allowed to vote (never mind the Ivorian Constitution) and then declared the World Banks local rep as the winner (again, never mind the Ivorian Constitutional Court who declared the incumbent President the winner). And when the incumbent wouldn’t cede power as demanded, rocket his Presidential residence courtesy of the French military and UN “peacekeepers” until shellshocked into surrender.
Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Burundi, Congo, Central African Republic…insurgencies and rebellions everywhere and the foremost demand of Pax Americana and its western vassals is “elections”.
Of course there is one country in Africa that doesn’t have elections. It is also the African country with the smallest debt to the IMF and World Bank and one of if not the fastest growing economies on the continent.
According to a nearly opaque World Bank report this country has tripled its GDP since expelling western aid organizations in 2004 and the UN “peacekeepers” in 2005. Can one even name another country in the world that expelled an entire UN “peacekeeping” army?
I am talking about Eritrea, 22 years independent and no elections. And you know what? When I raise the question of “elections” with my Eritrean family and friends, both at home and abroad, (I am the only one who raises this, I cant remember the last time an Eritrean I knew did so) they have little or no interest in the subject.
If I persist, the Eritreans will tell you that the thought of “elections” only brings with it visions of divisions and conflict. Most everyone here in Eritrea supports the President and the feeling is pretty clear we don’t need westerners telling us what’s best.
In other words  the only people calling for “elections” in Eritrea are not Eritrean.
Democracy is supposed to mean that the leaders of a nation do what their people want.
Most Africans will tell you what we most want is food, water, shelter, medical care and education for our children.
If a country’s leaders are providing these basic human rights to their people they are doing what their people want and practicing democracy. If they are not, if their people are hungry, cold, sick and illiterate then these leaders are not democratic no matter how many times they hold “elections”.
Democracy vs elections is how matters stand in Africa today, and it all boils down to who is cold, sick, hungry and illiterate and who has leaders taking care of their people, first and foremost, those most in need.
Elections in Africa means divide and rule, followed by crisis management, managing the western created crisis to better loot and plunder Africa’s resources, everyday more critical in a world ever more rapidly devouring such.
Thomas C. Mountain is the most widely distributed independent journalist in Africa, living and reporting from Eritrea since 2006. He can be reached at thomascmountain_at_yahoo_dot_com.
–Counter Punch