photo: Al Jazeera
The Heart of Darkness may have just moved a little to the north, to the Central African Republic. It is here now, where life seems to be standing still in a frozen motion of lawlessness and chaos.
Nothing in the CAR seems normal any more. As China, Brazil and the US rush in to stake claims or to retain a measure of control over the riches of Africa, the CAR has been left to its own device, and slowly, it is imploding from within.
Human rights abuses, and now alleged evidence of mass graves, has sent human rights activists and UN security council envoys scrambling for a solution.
But the CAR is now pretty much under the control of Seleka rebels. If the country is not returned to the previous order, or any order for that matter, it risks becoming a place where death, famine and violence are the only realities.
The CAR is one of the African states that has seen the most unrest since its indipendence more than 50 years ago. A former French colony, the CAR has never been able to get a solid foothold on democracy. For decades, it has seen a succession of quasi and true dictators, from Bokassa who crowned himself emperor, to president Patasse`.
War crimes are nothing new to the Central AFrican Republic. The quick and often bloody succession of power was always marked with reprisals and vengeance that claimed many victims.
The latest president, Francois Bozize`, was routed in a coup by Seleka rebels, who live and train in the northern part of the CAR. Bozize`'s tenure was too marred by allegations of graft and corruption, as almost any other premiere that took the seat. But the rebels, who claimed that a previous peace agreement had been violated by Bozize`, completely crushed any hope that democracy would survive. For now the rebels have dissolved the parliamentary body, and suspended the constitution. But in their idea of martial rule, there might be no room for the restoration of democratic order to the CAR. For now, they may simply enjoy the power and monies it entails and take revenge on those who dissent or were previously in a position of power.
Although the Seleka leader, Djotodia has promised free elections in a year and a half, it remains to be seen if this rebel leader will become infected with the same power hunger that has caused the CAR to remain the most backward and frail state in the African continent.
In addition, the rebel's reign could give rise to alliances with terrorist group that could further undermine France's, and the international community's, attempts at stemming terrorist and Islamist activities in Africa. Such alliances, which are usually forged with money, are the hallmark of a failed state. Criminal and terrorists groups alike, exploit the chaos inherent in democracy-less states by plying the rebels with money and getting new avenues for their activities in return, in a place where there is no police or federal surveillance or enforcement.
Partial Source : Al Jazeera/ 11.07.13
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