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Getting Democracy back on Track

31 Mar

UN PEUPLE, UN BUT, UNE FOI ( ONE PEOPLE, ONE GOAL, ONE FAITH) IN OUR COUNTRY MALI

The past week has been an eye opener to not take things for granted. A democracy that had become the beacon and lesson for other countries in Africa was pulled to its feet. As the world watched, a coup led by junior army officers brought down the soldier of democracy himself, Amadou Toumani Toure (ATT).

Much of the Western world has responded in addition to the surrounding African countries requesting a swift return to democracy. The US, EU and ECOWAS have issued sanctions and in some cases threatened them if democracy does not return. So why is democracy so important? Democracy is a relatively fresh concept for many Africans and even at that those countries that have democracies and have elected leaders, eventually find themselves distanced from the very leaders that they put in power. Democracy which entails the formation of policies and determination of state’s role becomes a hard sell in general for so called young African democracies that do not see an exchange of this sort at the local level. In order for democracy to succeed and truly be embraced, leaders need to involve their constituents in running the government. Constituents need to see how laws passed affect them at a local level. For democracy to succeed, local participation should not only be hoped for, it is essential.

Mali had been a democracy for 20 years. The one thing that weakens a democracy like no other is when there is a vast difference between the elite that make the rules and the majority of Malians. Mali has been independent for 52 years, but has seen little improvement in healthcare, education and the poverty standards. Despite an influx of NGOs, unless the Malian government takes a personal stance literacy will stagnate at 46%. 1 doctor will continue to serve 20000 people. The average life expectancy will remain 52 years—almost 30 years shorter than the average Westerner. A huge percentage of the population will continue to live below the international poverty line of 1.25USD a day. The biggest challenge remains the institutions that have been created to resolve these issues. In addition, while great foreign investments have happened in terms of infrastructure, Mali has seen little investment to enhance its primary strength in the agricultural field. 70% of Malians work in agriculture; however, changing climate and the demand on food has made Mali very dependent on importing a majority of its food. More investments need to be made to make Mali self-sustainable and profitable in the agricultural arena.

The new leader will have a plateful of challenges.

  1. Teaching a man to fish: Education needs to be an important part of a new Mali. Today with 46% of the population literate, Mali has very few Bachelor degree holders and even fewer Master degree holders. Very few PhD holders will ever return to Mali because of the lack of opportunity. The new leader will need to increase the number of schools in the rural areas; pay teachers better and make education mandatory. Today, children are favored to work in the fields rather than in the classroom because the first option yields an income for the family. By providing incentives to children and their parents to enroll in school as well as making schools accessible, education can become a reality for many Malian students. Yeah hopes to build 1000s more schools as soon as he comes into office as well as hiring more teachers. He hopes that each region will have its own university and that the strikes that have ravaged the educational systems since 2009 can be resolved with better pay and more investment in the student’s future.
  2. The healthcare situation in Mali is despicable. The average Malian finds healthcare unaffordable and unreachable. With the life expectancy very low and the death from preventable diseases very high, Yeah hopes to build hospitals in every region. Ouelessebougou will have its first hospital in the area that will house a maternity center, pharmacy and eye/dental center. In addition, it will be important to make Mali a safe haven for medical expeditions that come to serve the people of Mali. Through our years we have been blessed to meet many giving hearts and hands and we hope that they will continue to come and bless the people that need it most in Mali.
  3. Jobs: Malian people are not asking for a handout. No one likes to beg and Malians are no exception. However, circumstances currently do not give much choice and it is hard to pass a street without seeing a hoard of hungry children or a mother with a baby on her back and another two in her hands. An important task will be to create jobs for the individuals graduating and also those in the unemployed middle class. Mali’s unemployment is gauged around 30% and is evident in the streets where young men sit hoping that opportunity knocks. Yeah has been able to create jobs with the hospital, school and solar panel field. Also with the cotton plant reopening in Ouelessebougou, 100 more individuals have a paycheck.
  4. A security issue: The north is becoming more and more an Al-Qaeda battle ground. The issue of sovereignty has existed for a few centuries with the Tuareg feeling unappreciated and unaccounted for in a government they elected. The only reason Al Qaeda stands a chance in Mali is that our youth are desperate for opportunities. Normally our people are not prone to radicalization. The Tuaregs in the North believe they have been marginalized—that the government is not serving them.
  5. All these things can only be instituted if you have a government that is not riddled by corruption and institutions that are run effectively and efficiently. Many current government institutions are riddled with inefficiencies and bureaucracy.

Democracy is not lost. This is evident in the opinion polls where 74.5 % prefer democracy to any other regime type. However it has been hit hard in Mali. More than half of Malians feel that government has not served its purpose. Malians for the most part believe government is there to make their lives better. Lives have not gotten better.

Once the immediate security threat of MNLA is crushed, it will be important to start creating stability for our Northern brothers and sisters and also creating opportunities in the North for the refugees displaced by all the fighting. Then it will be important to return to the democratic process and allow Malians to truly choose their candidate unbiased by money and favors.

I truly believe that Malians need a leader with a vision. I truly believe that they need young blood that has been untainted by lives lost and the people’s money stolen. I believe the people of Mali will find a leader who cares in Yeah Samake. Yeah has been distraught over the current crisis that has gripped Mali. Today he told me:” My heart is crying for my country”. I hope that the leaders that are running the country today will work with the international community to end the Northern rampage of MNLA. I hope that international organizations will not forget my people suffering the North. I hope and pray that democracy will be restored temporarily with an interim government and then with free and fair elections. But most of all, I hope Mali will get the leader it so desperately needs that can show his people that there is hope and that Mali can be a great country not made great by foreign aid but by Malians themselves.

Democracy can be and will be restored. Make your voice heard at www.samake2012.com. Support Samake for Democracy!

SAMAKE FOR DEMOCRACY!

 
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Posted by on March 31, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Kidal Falls

30 Mar

A landlocked country, sanctions could mean devastating economic trouble

Today we find ourselves in the first 24 hours of the threatened economic sanctions that will be imposed in 48 more hours by ECOWAS if Mali’s junta does not hand over power to the people. To be vigilant, we decided to stock up on things like water, drink cases, rice, potatoes and sugar. If ECOWAS does impose sanctions it will cause great harm to the Malian individual. It strikes me as ridiculous that the UN would actually make a statement saying that they hoped the individual would not be harmed by these sanctions. Sanctions do not harm governments, they harm individuals. The junta has apologized for the protestors that rushed onto the tarmac, causing a security scare to the oncoming ECOWAS plane. They have asked that ECOWAS leaders not to be hasty in their decision but rather to understand the circumstances of the coup and how the junta leaders are attempting to resolve Mali’s economic concerns and the security issues in the North.  The old constitution of Mali stated that if the President resigned, power would be handed over to the head of the National Assembly. In this case the head of the old Assembly is Diacounda, a presidential candidate and one of the very leaders that the junta has accused of stealing from the country and showing ineffective leadership. In addition, Diacounda is not liked by a majority of Malian people. However ECOWAS is asking that they would accept a resolution with Diacounda being placed as the interim President.

If the junta does allow this to happen, Diacounda would be taken out of the running in any elections held for the Presidency. If ECOWAS continues to push its agenda, it will find itself hated by Malians who will see it as bullying tactics pure and simple. A bigger, more complex issue would be to deal with the dissatisfaction of the people. The Malian people are very supportive of the junta currently. Not because they believe in the coup and the end of democracy, but because of their frustration with the old government. Malians do not believe their government has served them. They see corruption and nepotism rampant and when the coup happened, it seemed the answer they were looking for to end the situation of an inept government. This explains the sentiment that runs high in the protests in the streets.

However, this sentiment may soon find itself conflicted. Today, the Northern town of Kidal, which has about 25,000 Malians, came under attack by MNLA and was taken over by the rebels. Kidal is a major town and in all disputes it has never been taken over so this takeover could be disastrous. The reason behind the coup was the military’s dissatisfaction with ATT sending them into battle unprepared and uncared for. Now with Kidal falling to rebel control, it begs the question, what is the military doing so we don’t lose more territories in the North and cause a bigger humanitarian crisis with the refugees. The refugee crisis is worsening with each passing day and as each town falls, more and more escape into neighboring areas and countries.

Wall Street Journal: The displaced and fleeing numbers

The military this afternoon, called on the international community to provide them with assistance with the rebels in the North. This is a large favor to ask, given that in the world’s eyes, this junta isn’t even considered a legitimate leader.

At this point in time the junta looks like it’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. If it does not give in to ECOWAS it will have sanctions imposed which could cause an economic crisis. If it does not stop more towns like Gao and Tombouctou from falling to the rebels, the Malian people might turn against the soldiers that a week ago were saviors. The next week will spell the junta’s fate and that of 15 million people.

Please continue to keep the people of Mali in your prayers. They are the ones that are suffering with each passing day. May a quick resolution be sought so democracy may be restored in a peaceful manner. May the international community support Malians so that no more lives are lost or families displaced in the North. May peace once again be returned to Mali.

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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The crisis deepens

30 Mar

The last 24 hours have seen a string of events.

Yesterday, Yeah was interviewed by PRI The World (http://www.theworld.org/2012/03/mali-junta-constitution/) on his thoughts on how Mali should move forward after the coup. Take a listen:

The junta introduced the new constitution on National TV. They had disbanded a 20-year old constitution when they took power a week ago. The 69-article constitution includes many of the guarantees of the former law, including the guarantees of free speech, liberty of movement and freedom of thought. New measures include the creation of a military-led council headed by Sanogo. It says that the new head of state is simultaneously the head of the army, the head of the government and the head of the judiciary. The middle and final sections set out the role of the military committee now controlling the country, which calls itself the National Committee for the Reestablishment of Democracy and the Restoration of the State. The new constitution says that the committee will be made up of 26 soldiers or police and 15 civilians. Those asked to serve on the committee will receive immunity and cannot be tried at a later time. This leads to concerns of some of the “old guards” (those that have embezzled money), could be asked to serve on the committee and never be tried for stealing from Mali. (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-03/D9TPJIJG0.htm) Also there was no talk of when a new election would be held in this constitution.

Also, this morning, there was a press conference to introduce the Alliance des Démocrates Patriotes pour la Sortie de la Crise (ADPS) or Democratic Patriots for the end of the Crisis. Yeah had organized 12 other political parties that hold 5 other presidential candidates into a unified front, which condemned the coup, and called for the restoration of democracy. The plan which was unveiled on National TV today, calls for an interim civilian government whose main duties will be to restore the constitutional democracy of Mali, a resolution of the Northern crisis and the organization of the elections. Also this body will work with international organizations to remove all sanctions against Mali. The body which will be composed of 30 members will have 7 members from the military, 18 members from the political parties and 5 from civil society.  The plan takes into account the legitimate concerns of restoring democracy and addressing the core concerns of the rebellion. The hope is that Sanogo will keep good on his promise to restore democracy.Details of the proposition can be found in French at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/ADPSMali/doc/282460618498541/

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It was interesting to watch the developments of several protests that were organized. There were clashes between protesters that supported the junta and those that are against the junta. Tires were burned and rocks thrown between the two sides. These protests in part show that the democratic will of the people is still alive and well. However there is the hope that these clashes will not get out of hand.

Ecowas Protest ( Reuters)

At one point, these protesters stormed into the airport and ran on the tarmac causing security concerns to the plane of Presidential leaders of ECOWAS, and preventing them from landing. ECOWAS leaders were on their way to meet the leaders of the military coup and discuss ways on which democracy could be restored. For the past week, this same group has condemned the coup and threatened Mali with economic sanctions and locking up the borders it shares thereby preventing the transfer of goods. To be honest, if this group of African leaders had not rushed in this situation hot headed and trying to strong arm a country, I feel they would have received a better reception. Its third grade playground tactics. No one likes the bully and in this case the Malian people were saying they did not appreciate the bullying and to back off. If these leaders had invested some time in studying the situation at hand and reaching out to these leaders to see how a diplomatic solution could be reached, such a situation might not have happened. The result is Mali has now had economic sanctions placed on her and all her neighbor’s borders will been locked down in 72 hours if power is not relinquished. So what does this mean for Mali if these sanctions do go through? In actuality, this could be very bad for the 15 million Malians. Mali imports almost all of its gas from neighboring Ivory Coast. In addition, all of its banks would be on lock down as the central government will not transfer money to any Malian commercial accounts making it impossible to withdraw money. Also Mali that imports much of its food will find food prices shoot up as demand goes up and the supply reduces food stores present within the country. The devastating thing is that this will cause a lot more harm on the individual level before it even makes an impact on the government in place. Sanctions don’t effect governments, they affect individuals. The next 72 hours will help spell Mali’s fate. The refugees that find themselves in already desperate situations down north will only be pushed into a further desperation as remaining food sources become inaccessible.

While the issues in the South play out, in the North, MNLA is making its own advances. Now the town of Kidal finds itself surrounded by MNLA. Kidal is an essential town and if lost would mean a huge defeat for the Malian army where confidence is already low. The situation is dire as MNLA is attacking from the north while fighters from an allied Islamist group, Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith), were leading an offensive from the south. Once this town is taken, Gao and Tombouctou seem next on the agenda. Once MNLA has access to the Northern region, it will not be long before the area is turned into pre-9/11 Afghanistan.

Currently, Malian citizens do not feel that their government served them.  They have felt helpless and marginalized by previous administrations and so now they find themselves turning to the junta that have removed the very government that has taken so much from them. The Malian people have been led by bad governance for so long. Suddenly, here is a leader that came in and overthrew a bad ruler. Not to romanticize it, but in the mind of some Malians, the junta are seen as Saviors and these Malians want them to remain in power to resolve the corruption and Northern issues that plague the country. From where I am, I feel like these young military soldiers did not mean the country harm and the coup was far from a planned event. Sanogo has started to grow into his role as the new President, but his inexperience shows. How can you not secure an airport when you know a delegation of Presidents is entering your airspace? How can MNLA continue their advance when the issues of the North were one of the very things that caused the coup? How can Sanogo allow the number of refugees to grow while he traverses the country visiting imams and individuals that strengthen his image as the caring leader?

Support the prompt return to democracy in Mali. Support our leaders as they attempt to work with current leaders to propose a long-term solution to the problem. The solution needs to come from within.

 
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Posted by on March 30, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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News from Mali

23 Mar

The situation in Mali remains precarious. Last night for the first time since the coup, there was news on ORTM, Mali’s national TV. In an attempt to preserve some sort of normalcy, one of the regular reporters reported the news in Mali. However one could see the lady reporter was frazzled. The report started by showing the current state of the Malian Presidential palace. As the camera zoomed on cars that were riddled with bullets, spent bullets on the ground and the Presidential office ransacked and destroyed, a sense of how real and dangerous this situation is was prominent. In addition the camera focused on military men armed with guns, in an attempt to show who was in control. The reporter also advised all parties running in the race to submit their declarations on the situation. In addition, people were advised that a big meeting would be held today to explain what happened and why it happened in more detail.

As the news wrapped up, the TV channel played movies in an attempt to calm the fears of the population and reassure them that normalcy would return. In addition, soldiers were ordered to stop firing in the air and to return to military barracks around 8pm. The night remained calm and for the most part the nation waited to see the outcome of this coup. The ex-President Amadou Toumani Toure(ATT) is reported missing and has not been captured by military leaders yet. Many ministers that served under ATT have been “detained” including Modibo Sidibe, who was a presidential candidate and the ex-prime minister that embezzled money from Mali. The airports and borders continue to be on lock down restricting anyone from fleeing the country. So far, the one thing that remains promising is the fact that no civilian has been harmed. Yesterday afternoon, spelled a different story, as military people looted the government offices and then attempted to stop cars to help carry the loot. Yeah, who was downtown, doing an interview with Al Jazeera, was flagged to stop in his 4×4. But his driver, encouraged by Yeah, drove past the man in uniform, who fired his gun in the air to show his displeasure. The two Mercedes behind Yeah were stopped instead. The situation has become very real and all this in just a day and a half. It makes you think that there is no control out there. As attention of the military is diverted here, MNLA in the North promises it will continue its advance for independence.

Here is the Al Jazeera piece that Yeah did:

This morning, you could still hear the gunshots ringing in Faladie. Yeah this morning with his advisors left to arrange a meeting with the leader of the military coup Amadou Sanogo. The focus at this point is to establish a peaceful relationship so that things may move faster in the direction of democracy. Also they will be giving their formal declaration to ORTM ( which is still controlled by the military).

It is in situations like these that I believe true leaders emerge. While half the parties hid away not wanting to get involved, Yeah, despite my deep anxiety, had issued his declaration condemning the coup and was already reaching out to the military leaders in charge and other national leaders attempting to see what could be done to restore democracy in a stable and peaceful way. The coup leaders have advised that the end goal is democracy and the elections will happen. However, no time or date has been set in stone. Currently the only promise made is that a government will be put in place on March 27th, 2012 and workers are encouraged to return to work or it will be considered job abandonment. There is no talk of who will hold what role.

It is sad to see one of the more stable democracies in Mali disintegrate after 20 years of hard work. It is almost like time has been turned back to the year of 1991 when the first coup happened since independence. The biggest difference is there has been no claim on innocent civilians. It is the hope that the military will honor their promises and hold the elections so that Malians may be able to choose their own leader and in turn their own destiny.

It is my hope and prayer that things stabilize. But more than that, it is my prayer that democracy is returned back to Mali. The Malians have enough pain and poverty to deal with and now insecurity has only been added to their plate of misery. It is my hope that all the refugees displaced by the fighting in the North will be able to return to their homeland. It is at times like these that I wonder what our children’s future holds when everyone can’t get along. Pray that this homeland can achieve the peace they so desperately need right now and the democracy and honest leadership needed to build a successful future.

God bless you and thank you for your continued support.

Vive la démocratie ! ( Long Live Democracy)
Vive le Mali ! ( Long Live Mali)
Divisés nous perdons tous ! Unis nous gagnons tous! (Divided we all lose! United we all win!)

 
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Posted by on March 23, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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Portable water, education, better healthcare and above all a sense of service

15 Jan

As mid afternoon approached on January 14th 2012, 300+ men, women and children gathered in Sanakoro Djitimou to greet and welcome a presidential candidate. 10 National PACP party members headed by Party President Yeah Samake met the newly elected PACP representatives in the commune of Sanakoro Djitimou. For this event, 27 different village representatives came to hear Yeah and PACP speak. The mayor’s representative Bagayoko also came to greet the party. The party came to display their new logo and what their values were. Yeah spoke with eloquence of what could be achieved in Mali if he was given the chance to lead his people.

Yeah and his party representatives were greeted with loud singing and dancing. The dancing was unusual in that it represented an old form of dancing showing that the commune had not lost its traditions.

This was an awesome meeting. Yeah was in particular touched by the actions of an older man who came to shake his hand. This man called Traore expressed a deep gratitude for what Yeah stood for and hoped to bring to Mali: portable water, education, and health services. He hoped that Yeah’s sense of service would affect his fellow Malians.

The entire event was covered by National TV and will be aired by ORTM tomorrow night.

It is the hope as rallies like this happen that people can be shown what is possible if Yeah is elected. It will be important on Yeah’s part for him to balance the new with the old so that traditions that do work are not lost. The day fast approaches when a decision will be made. It is a hope that the decision for a new leader will be Yeah Samake.

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Posted by on January 15, 2012 in Past Posts

 

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