Last week,
Monday 3 March, The Washington Post ran an editorial on the events in the Crimea. Here it likens Russia’s current policy on the
peninsular to that of a 19th century conqueror-state. Surprisingly, the
editorial does not mention the contemporary world’s lead “19th century-style”
invader: France. In the
past four years, France has
invaded Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and the Central
African Republic and co-led the invasion of Libya.
France’s invasion of the CAR is in fact
ongoing. This is its second attack and occupation of the country within 11
years and its 52nd invasion of an African state since 1960. It is not
inconceivable that before the Crimea affair is resolved, another African
country could well be in the sights of yet another of Paris’s now customary invasion of African
lands. This it launches through its unrestrained access to the gargantuan financial
resources lodged in the Paris
bourse by the so-called francophonie
African states (http://re-thinkingafrica.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/herbert-ekwe-ekwe-franca-invasao-como.html)
But why
the brouhaha, no, major international crisis over Russia
in the Crimea but none whatsoever over France in the CAR? Maybe the
answers to this can’t be found, easily, within the turgid discourses of
international politics. Perhaps I should pop across to the calligraphy
department next block and have a word with colleagues there for a solution on this: it just
could be that the answer lies with the difference(s) in the shape of the letter
“C” in the name “Crimea” and the “C” in “Central African Republic”.
Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe
