
Radar | Apr 16,2022
Dec 19 , 2018
By Eden Sahle ( Eden Sahle is founder and CEO of Yada Technology Plc. She has studied law with a focus on international economic law. She can be reached at edensah2000@gmail.com. )
Intimidation and violence are much too associated with leadership in Africa. Failure to ensure justice, redress and accountability remain a key driver of human rights violations and abuses in many countries.
Amid these, the courage of ordinary people and human rights' defenders to stand up for justice, equality and dignity in the face of repression continue to be the lights at the end of the tunnel. Hope lies in the countless people across the region that stood up for human rights, justice and dignity while risking their lives and freedoms.
A few weeks back, I met a group of human rights activists from the continent who spoke about the inhuman and brutal treatment they went through in their own respective countries for speaking out against political leaders.
Among the heart-breaking stories, a young woman from Togo and a father of two from South Sudan affected me the most. The immoral treatment, sexual violence and the brutality they have experienced were extremely hard to listen to.
Such relentless violence against civilians in long-standing conflicts is compounded by the stagnation of political efforts to resolve crises, which is especially the case in the African continent.
Intolerance of peaceful criticism and an entrenched disregard for the right to freedom of peaceful assembly are a norm. From Togo to Zimbabwe, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Sudan and South Sudan, it is common to hear media reports of mass arrests of peaceful protesters, as well as excessive use of force, displacement, sexual violence and torture.
Political prisoners are detained without charge and access to lawyers and family members. Respect for human and constitutional rights are the exception rather than the rule.
In African countries such as Angola, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Togo, legal administrations are used to impose restrictions and bans on peaceful protests.
Although the nature and intensity of Africa’s conflicts vary, the crisis is generally characterized by gross human rights abuses and violations of international law, and unaccountability. Lingering conflicts, along with recurring humanitarian crises and persistent human rights violations, have forced millions to flee their homes for the sake of survival.
One crucial factor in all of these is the insistence of leaders to stay in power forever and neglect by regional and international bodies to take appropriate measures against political malaise that leads to a sense of impunity. These are occurring under the expense of economic development and better living standards for the continent’s citizens.
The failed regional efforts by the African Union to resolve the political deadlock of Africa has achieved too little. The African Court of Justice & Human Rights intended to promote and protect human rights and basic freedoms in Africa has not done much to solve severe human rights abuses.
Not surprisingly, Africans do not have a strong faith in the institution, given that leaders who say “my way or no way” are rarely even admonished.
The continent’s people need a leader with a vision, courage, integrity, humility and focus along with the ability to plan strategically and catalyze cooperation to solve the continent’s massive problems. They need leaders who live up to their promise and are accountable. Most of all, leadership requires integrity and a willingness to stand up for what is right, even if it means resigning from a position in government or losing an election.
One of the vital leadership qualities many political leaders in Africa lack is the ability to take responsibility. A lot of political leaders are very adept at pointing fingers at everyone but themselves and denying their political failures or their contribution to a problem. This may be true for any politician across the world, but in Africa, where there are few strong institutions or an informed public, the toxicity of a lack of accountability and responsibility is most vividly manifested.
Such accountability is crucial to effective political leadership. Without it, there will be no fruitful and diligent leadership. Great leaders are those who will be honest and responsible for their own actions and decisions and who are willing to admit when they have made mistakes.
They will focus their energy and time on representing the people, rather than crafting strategies to elongate their time in power at the expense of the people and the economic development Africa desperately needs.
PUBLISHED ON
Dec 19,2018 [ VOL
19 , NO
973]
Radar | Apr 16,2022
Radar | Sep 18,2022
Fortune News | Feb 11,2023
Fortune News | Feb 08,2020
Editorial | Jul 18,2020
Sunday with Eden | Apr 10,2021
Radar | Aug 28,2021
Advertorials | Sep 13,2021
My Opinion | Jun 17,2023
Commentaries | Nov 21,2018
Photo Gallery | 77287 Views | May 06,2019
Photo Gallery | 69294 Views | Apr 26,2019
Fortune News | 55996 Views | Jul 18,2020
Fineline | 55047 Views | Oct 03,2020
Dec 24 , 2022
Biniam Mikru heads the department of cabinet affairs under Mayor Adanech Abiebie. But...
Jul 2 , 2022 . By RUTH TAYE
On a rainy afternoon last week, a coffee processing facility in the capital's Akaki-Qality District was abuzz with activ...
Nov 27 , 2021
Against my will, I have witnessed the most terrible defeat of reason and the most sa...
Nov 13 , 2021
Plans and reality do not always gel. They rarely do in a fast-moving world. Every act...
Sep 23 , 2023
Ethiopia's contemporary political leaders and the policy wonks under their command ha...
Sep 16 , 2023
The Ethiopian economic narrative oscillates between pockets of resilience and signifi...
Sep 10 , 2023
Earlier this Ethiopian fiscal year, the heralding of a peace deal became synonymous w...
Sep 2 , 2023
An unfolding horror story revealed the human cost of desperate migration in the arid...
Sep 23 , 2023
In the misty break of dawn, the usually scuttling Lamberet Bus Terminal in Addis Abeba stood comparatively quiet. This terminal serves as a...
Sep 23 , 2023 . By AKSAH ITALO
In the wake of a devastating two-year war, SUR Construction Plc, one of Ethiopia's premier contracting fi...
The Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) executives were taken aback by an unexpected decision from the Sta...
Sep 23 , 2023 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
Ethiopians living abroad for over a year and non-residents of Ethiopian origin can now deposit foreign cu...