ADEKEYE ADEBAJO: Afro-Arab revolutions will not necessarily bring about real change
Protesters in Sudan and Algeria, and in many other African countries, should not take for granted the outcome of their actions
There have been many comparisons between the current revolutions in Sudan and Algeria and the “Afro-Arab Spring” that toppled mummified autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in 2011. The martyrdom of a 26-year-old fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, in the Tunisian city of Sidi Bouzid triggered these revolutions. In all of these cases, technology-wielding, disaffected youths formed the vanguard of popular uprisings that led to military brass hats turning against long-ruling autocrats: Tunisia’s Ben Ali, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi. Sudan and Algeria historically established strong resistance movements that fought British and French colonialism. They also had long-ruling autocrats who were forced to resign within a week of each other: the fall of the 30-year reign of Sudan’s 75-year-old Omar al-Bashir followed that of the 20-year rule of Algeria’s 82-year-old Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in a wheelchair since 2013 following a debilitating stroke. Both countri...
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