Xenophobia In Africa: A Snapshot Depicting Failure Of Leadership And Underdevelopment – Umar Muhammad

Xenophobia as the word implies, is a strong antipathy or aversion to strangers or foreigners. The Xenophobic attacks by Africans against Africans has been one of the dangerous path taken by some Africans to showcase how the most pursuit word “Unity” would keep eluding African Continent in the midst of the brazen West that are capitalizing on our disunity and continue to plunder our resources in a neocolonial manner.

The mid and late 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s has been a difficult periods for the African states seeking to free themselves from the decades of bondage of colonial dominion. They stand united forming continental alliances in pursuing common goal “Freedom”. As they began to gain independence, dividing views arising from divergent interests and odd policies, national boundaries, ethnic and religious cleavages, envy and hatred among other pressing issues emerged and dominate the previous tempo. Much has not been done by the emerging African Leaders to poster Unity, thus, leading to inter-intra states conflicts with devastating effects.

Subsequent upon these, the post-independent African Leaders deliberately refused to pursue genuine development that would curb unemployment, poverty, hunger and undue immigration, they conspired with their western counterparts and multinational cooperations to plunder the resources in their individual states and stash proceeds to foreign banks.

Little done to bridge the looming infrastructure gap has been met with stipper resistance from the impending corruption, mismanagement, squandermania, bigotry and so on. This compelled the emergence of factors as unemployment, hopelessness and underdevelopment. Thus, immigration to other African countries by Africans seeking greener pasture and running away from their country’s economic, political and social woes became a norm.

This led to an overbearing burden on countries with constraining economy and citizen’s unemployment. Like South Africa, the citizen began to lash their angers against African immigrants whom they considered are rudelessly pursuing what remains of the little opportunities they believed to be allow to pursue and utilize themselves. Today, it is apparently clear that the failure of African leaders to vigorously pursue genuine unity in diversity, and greater development of the whole Continent that can tackle emerging needs after independence has been the backbone of the current woes.

Now with the manifesting disunity and discontentment among African states and citizens, it shall serve as the right moment for the Continental healings. This can be achieve by stronger commitment to mutual respect understanding, cohesiveness, partnership to progress and so on. In the main, the development of African states is paramount to citizen’s well-being, progress and prosperity.

There is no country without immigrants, but immigration especially within Africa can well be reduce if our leaders committed to judicious utilization of state resources, that can guarantee massive job opportunity, eradicate poverty and fight hunger. Successful implementation and strict adherence to solutions to disunity, discontentment and underdevelopment would create stronger, united and prosperous African nations with available opportunities for all.

With that, citizens can live in their individual states harmoniously and progressively, and if they wish to migrate to other African states to seek greener pastures, they can be accommodated without intimidation, harassment, xenophobia or racism. Let’s all work together to make a United Africa of our Dream.

By Umar Muhammad
mumarlere@gmail.com