Nigeria played its role of big brother in Benin- Zambian journalist

Daniel Sikazwe is a Zambian journalist, with extensive experience in media management and geopolitical reporting. He is also a journalism trainer in a local university in his country and covers issues of the new world order. In this brief interview, he shares his take on the military interruptions in Africa.

Why do you think we are having coups and attempted coups in West Africa?

West Africa is currently painfully knocking on the door of a new world order of self- determination. But because it is leading the future of Africa, leaving behind a past of slavery, colonialism and neocolonialism, it won’t happen easily. It cannot happen using governance systems established by the West and used to perpetuate their stranglehold on West Africa.

It appears as though soldiers who want to change democratic leaders are being resisted, do you agree?

The difference between the current wave of military coups in West Africa and those that happened immediately after independence is that the current military leaders cannot afford to be total despots. They face a highly alert and demanding citizenry. They have no choice but to work towards working for the people.

Nigeria recently helped to thwart an attempted coup in Benin Republic, what is your take on that?

Nigeria has come of age. She is now living as the big brother she should be in West Africa. We have no way of knowing what could have come out of a coup in Benin. The fact that Burkina Faso and other countries seem to be stabilising does not guarantee the same would happen in Benin. The country is also eaten up by factions and terrorism.

Some people believe Nigeria has more than enough problems at home, therefore, overreaching itself by deploying aircraft and soldiers to restore normalcy in Benin. What do you make of that?

An African elder brother does not stop helping a younger brother in need because of his own problems.  Benin (falling into the hands of soldiers) would perhaps have made West Africa and Nigeria’s problems worse.

There are allegations that Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, all of them under military rule, might be angry with Nigeria, over its role in Benin…

It’s understandable; I mean their supposed anger. But we must be cognisant of what we will never know. Peace is always better than chaos.

What is the best way to sustain democracy in West Africa?

Leaders in the region need to rediscover indigenous ways of holding societies together.

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