Patrice Émery Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of DR Congo
The conflicts plaguing our continent are not new — they are deeply rooted in the colonial legacies that continue to shape our reality. Colonial powers arbitrarily drew borders, separated families, and fostered divisions between brothers and sisters. Their strategy was simple: divide and rule. The result has been pain, destruction, and the constant struggle to reclaim lands that were once taken from us.
Today, we find ourselves trapped in cycles of violence, fleeing, and dying in the same places where our ancestors once thrived. We are left with little more than prayers, hopes, and pleas for help as we endure suffering.
However, the origin of our pain lies in the hands of colonizers who engineered the destabilization of our continent. For decades, we have been plundered, our leaders assassinated, and our future betrayed.
Take the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for example. The country’s instability has lasted for more than a century, with people in the South and East having never known peace, freedom, or security.
Colonial powers carved up our land, denying entire populations the right to call it home. In doing so, they stripped away our rights and set us on a path of struggle.
These communities were abandoned, humiliated, and subjected to violence. Families were displaced, scattered across borders, and made into refugees, fighting just to survive. All of this happened in plain sight of international organizations and world leaders, who watched from the sidelines in silence.
The Fight for Recognition and Protection
Congolese freedom fighters, like the AFC/M23 alliance, continue to fight for their rights, yet the global response remains largely indifferent or hostile. Western media often distorts the facts, accusing Rwanda of interfering in Congolese affairs when, in reality, Rwanda has long been a safe haven for Congolese refugees. Instead of addressing the country’s internal issues, the Congolese government often blames their neighbors for their struggles.
The Hidden Forces Behind the Conflict
The DRC is a nation rich in natural resources, yet it remains a pawn in a game driven by hidden agendas. Beneath the facade of aid and support, external forces are securing their own interests, all while exploiting the Congolese people.
The true motivations behind the conflict are buried in secret deals that remain undisclosed. Western powers and international organizations, posing as peacekeepers, are actually protecting their own economic ambitions. Meanwhile, the people of the DRC and the surrounding region continue to suffer.
Who truly bears the cost of this suffering? It is the Congolese people, and by extension, all Africans. While global leaders sit comfortably in their offices, making empty promises and perpetuating lies, our soldiers die on the frontlines, our civilians are caught in the crossfire, and our land is turned into a battleground for foreign exploitation.
The Berlin Conference of 1884-85 sealed our fate, stripping us of our independence and forcing us into a system of exploitation disguised as “civilization.” Education became a tool of manipulation, religion was used to suppress, and generations of Africans were condemned to carry a heavy burden with little to show for it.
A Call to Unity: Honoring Africa’s Visionaries
In this moment of crisis, I ask: What would our ancestors think of us today? The heroes who fought and died for our freedom—how would they feel knowing that we, their descendants, are still bound by the chains they struggled to break?
Kwame Nkrumah, W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Patrice Lumumba, Amílcar Cabral, and many others dreamed of a united Africa, free from oppression. The bold visions of leaders like Haile Selassie, Jomo Kenyatta, and Muammar Gaddafi for African unity must continue to inspire us to rekindle the fire of collective strength.
Let us remember the sacrifices of these visionaries and the martyrs who gave their lives for the freedom we now hold. The memory of Lumumba’s tragic death, Mandela’s relentless fight, Sankara’s revolutionary spirit, and Nyerere’s philosophy of self-reliance should fuel us to push forward.
Cultural icons like Miriam Makeba and Chinua Achebe used their art to awaken us. Their contributions remain powerful, and we must honor their legacies by building an Africa that reflects their dreams.
The Africa We Deserve
The time for action is now. We need a united generation focused on one goal: to protect our resources from the long-standing thieves who have looted our land for centuries. From Namibia to Libya, from Somalia to Guinea, let us stand together and rescue our continent.
Africans, rise! Let us reject aid that keeps us dependent and instead build from within. If we must die, let it be in the pursuit of self-sufficiency. If disease claims our lives, let us build hospitals and laboratories that can protect future generations.
The choices we make today will determine the Africa we leave for the generations to come. Let us commit to a future of dignity, sovereignty, and unity.
By: Bertin K. Ganza, Pan-Africanist and Poet
