Silence The Guns

As you read this, there are at least 6 major conflicts going on within the African continent among them the Somali Civil War that has been rearing its ugly head since 1991 and the Boko Haram insurgency in West Africa among others. There are also countless civil unrest throughout the continent that have plagued the continent since independence.

Though conflicts are not entirely a preserve for Africa, as the middle east also shares its brunt of conflict, the African people seem to suffer on a much larger scale. Conflict coupled with lack of development for years leaves the African man to literally fight in the bush, any areas experiencing war also experiencing dire humanitarian crises.

African has undeniably the most youthful population in the globe, with 65% being able bodied persons under the age of 30. Without lack of opportunity, ignorance and mis-education, many of them find themselves misused by the powers that be for political or economic gain that does not benefit them. And even those who are lucky enough to escape the bullet have no reprieve against unemployment and scourges of disease such as Ebola and malaria, which till this day kills tens of thousands.

The African Union, in their limited wisdom, have a goal to end wars, all civil conflict, Gender based violence, violent conflicts and preventing genocide on the continent by the year 2020. While this is most certainly a pipe dream, it can be achieved within our lifetime. The young people of Africa have the potential and ability to create a border-less, multilingual and dynamic Africa, the Africa we want.

But to achieve this will need more than just rhetoric. It needs the active participation of each one of us to ensure both our present and future is secured. For instance, the Government of Kenya intends to construct an expressway from JKIA to Waiyaki way, for whom? not the common mwananchi for sure, and in the process of eating up our tax money, they also intend to hive off sections of Uhuru Park. Now, anyone of sound mind can tell that that is a bad idea and we must show our resolve by rejecting in earnest any plans to interfere with the park. For the future belongs to us.