One can imagine the laughing faces in newsrooms in Paris, Berlin, London and New York at the sight of this African delegation (Cyril Ramaphosa from South Africa, Macky Sall from Senegal, Azali Assoumani from Comoros and Hakainde Hichilema from Zambia) left like a big one in order to settle the intractable Russia-Ukraine conflict. The ridiculous story of the blind man who comes to the aid of the one-eyed man! The irony is that this is not the first time that Africa has sent a peace mission beyond the continent, contrary to the assertions of the South African president. Already in 1971, when apartheid was in full swing, Portuguese colonies were desperate for independence and the children of Biafra were in the headlines, the defunct OAU (African Union Organization) sent Senghor, Ahidjo, Gowon and Mobutu to settle the problems of the “complicated Orient”, as de Gaulle said. The objective was to have Egypt and Israel apply Security Council resolution 242, in short to unblock the famous Jarring mission. Which is indeed a mission of peace!
In Cairo as in Jerusalem, African presidents were greeted with great courtesy. Golda Meir rolled out the red carpet for them. Anouar El Sadat offered them the flowers, the hookah and all the welcome salamalecs. That was all. Abba Eba, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs had already announced the color: “We do not expect anything spectacular from this visit. And in Cairo, Abdel Kader Hatem, the Minister of Information, stiffened as soon as the visit was announced, referring to a “tendentious plan aimed at creating a climate of optimism around supposed peaceful solutions to the conflict in the Middle East.” East”. Besides, it was the Yom Kippur war, two years after the toasts, the accolades and the press releases for the occasion.
And here again, the intruder Africa interferes with what does not concern it. She will put her little finger between Russia and Ukraine. She wants to make peace between the enemy Slavic brothers, as if she doesn’t have enough to do at home. Putting out the fire across the seas while one’s own hut is burning, is this really the well-ordered charity that the proverb recommends? I don’t know if you know it, but Ituri counts its dead by the millions, Mr. Tshisekedi. Senegal is on the brink of explosion, Mr. Macky Sall. As for you, Mr. Azali Assoumani, Chairman-in-Office of the African Union, don’t you think that you should take care of Mali, Burkina, Sudan or Western Sahara first? The continent has no shortage of hotspots where Africans tear each other apart over trifles, most often.
Our presidents should have remembered the words of the elders before embarking on this short-lived adventure: “The chicken does not have to meddle in the affairs of the knives. »
* 2017, Grand Prix de la francophonie for all of his work; 2013, Palatine Grand Prize and Ahmadou-Kourouma Prize for The Black Terrorist; 2012, Erckmann-Chatrian Prize and Grand Prix for Métis Novel for The Black Terrorist; 2008, Renaudot Prize for The King of Kahel; 1986, Literary Grand Prix of Black Africa tied for The Scales of the Sky.