END IN SIGHT FOR AFRICAN TYRANTS/ DICTATORS

END IN SIGHT FOR AFRICAN TYRANTS/ DICTATORS

  Jubilant shouts and chants of victory rent the air, across Libya on October 20 2011, moments after strongman, Col Muammar Gaddafi, was shot dead in his hometown of Sirte. Guns and other heavy military artillery that the people of Libya had grown accustomed to, for the last six months finally fell silent. Revolutionary fighters had finally won a pulsating, fiercely fought battle against fighters loyal to Gaddafi, and ousted him from the power that he had held on for 42 years. This marked the end of an era for the man who had taken over the reigns in Libya through a bloodless coup in 1969.

  The Arab revolution sweeping across North Africa had already claimed Tunisia’s Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. Col Gaddafi was the third to fall victim to the undeterred determination of people in the Arab world to liberate themselves from these tyrants who had clung onto power for like an eternity. Only death seemed to be the only way of ousting these strongmen from power, and it surely did for Col Gaddafi, who unlike like Ben Ali and Mubarak, had resolved to fight to the last drop of his blood. He had on several occasions since the uprising started, being seen on the television, defiantly saying that he would fight to the bitter end and die a martyr. However, the ruthlessness and perseverance of the revolutionary fighters finally won and he was killed on October 20 2011. He was found hiding in drainage, captured and shot in the head. He had died like the very rat that he had defiantly likened the rebels to. Following the fall of these three strongmen, the people could now afford a breath of relief, at last. Chants of ‘free at last’ rent the air.

  The fall of Ben Ali, Mubarak and death of Gaddafi, who had ruled for decades but all fell in less than six months, must have sent a chill down the spine of the other ‘presidents for life’ in the continent. These shameless leaders have` raped’ constitutions in their countries, besides using other state systems and organs, to ensure that they remain in power. They are, Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema 32 years, Angola’s Jose Santos 32 years, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe 31 years, Swaziland’s King Mswati 24 years, Burkina Faso’s Blaise Campaore 24 years, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni 25 years and Cameroon’s Paul Biya 29 years.

  The increased protests and heightened revolts againstsome of these tyrannical regimes in Africa, is not good news to the leaders. The revolts, sparked off by tough economic conditions, skyrocketing of food and fuel prices, poor job opportunities, to name just but a few, are a clear sign that time is nay for these shameless tyrants and dictators. The successful revolts in the Maghreb have strengthened the belief that ousting other tyrannical regimes across the continent, is possible .Though these have been mild; the leaders in these countries are not sleeping easy. The eminent possibility that losing the power they have held onto for so long, is an unwelcome monster that has refused to go away. An example of leaders staring at fall in the eyes is Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.

  These self proclaimed` presidents for life’ must have by now realized that clinging onto power is no longer wise, at least from what Ben Ali and Mubarak came to learn. This wave of change never again experienced in Africa is sure to leave more casualties, in the name of these tyrants. It is not a question of if, but when the next of these African tyrants will go down. These leaders, driven by the lust for power, have centered it amongst their families, relatives and their political sycophants who see no far than the end of their noses. The blatant disregard of the people’s interests by the leaders have infuriated the masses that they are prepared to go the hard way, as evidenced in the Arab world, if at all it’s the  only viable method of toppling these crop of African leaders who have decided to stay in power till death separates them.

   Unless this batch of Africa’s longest serving leaders embrace democracy and all inclusive governance and relinquish power, chances of facing the same fate as their North African counterparts are very high. The only question is, who among the seven will be deposed next and how will they be brought down?