The World In Crisis

As i sit down and write this piece, i realized how fast the year 2014 has gone by, and we are left with only four more days for the year to end and we will be ushering in the year 2015. A lot has happened on the international scene and for that matter the global arena with all sorts of power play going on. But the highlights of 2014 to me will be the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 with almost 239 passengers on board, Russia's annexation of Crimea, the Ukrainian crisis and the alleged shooting down of another Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine also killing almost 300 innocent passengers. The shooting of unarmed blacks in the US could also be something worth mentioning as protests are seriously going on in some of the US cities to bring to the fore the senseless killings. The US Senate also released the much dreaded CIA Torture Report and the world was taken aback by the details of the report with some people calling for the officials in charge of such gross human rights abuses to be brought to book, but hey, who cares? Its the US the so called bastion of Western Democracy and they do as they please, so we just shut up and watch as the report gathers dust on the shelves.

In my opinion, coupled with other major events that took place in the year 2014, like the imposition of sanctions on Russia by the EU and the US the world is seriously in crisis. The reduction of the price of crude oil  on the world market is having far more repercussions  than it was imagined. The economies of some of the major OPEC countries is suffering as a result of this reduction. The Russian currency, the Rouble is in a serious decline and Nigeria's Naira is facing the same problem as the government had to devalue the currency. The sanctions imposed on Russia is also affecting the EU countries badly and it seems they do not want to admit it.

the year 2015 will definitely be a challenging year and we must all avoid plunging the world into a major crisis. Dialogue must be used to settle conflicts, human rights of people must be respected and the hypocrisy must end on the international scene. The world is truly and really is in a crisis judging by what went on during the year 2014.

The "Spatula" Revolution of Burkina Faso

The people of Burkina Faso have spoken with their voices and the former President, Blaise Compoare has listened to the voice of reason. He has finally handed in his resignation and the country's Armed Forces have taken charge of the reins of power.

It all started some few days ago as thousands of Burkinabe men and women marched in protest against the decision of the president to table a motion in the country's parliament. He wanted to amend the constitution so that he will stay in power for another five years. The men and women waved spatulas as they protested against Blaise Compoare's 27 year rule. The Parliament building was set ablaze and some shops in the capital Ouagadougou were also vandalized and looted and some of them set ablaze. The security forces responded by firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters and in the process two of the protesters have been confirmed dead and scores injured. It seems the dead and injured Burkinabes have really paid the ultimate price.

So after ruling Burkina Faso for 27 years, what has the former president achieved for his country? What was his role in the death of his former friend and Head of State, Thomas Sankara? Since Blaise Compoare was a staunch ally of the US and France, what did these two governments do to make sure he was stopped in his tracks in his attempt to amend the country's constitution for him to prolong his stay in power? Why do some African leaders decide to stay in power for a long time?

I presume by now the transitional government that has been put in place will start looking for the former president's assets that he has accumulated so far during his 27 year  rule. Why did the UN, ECOWAS, AU allow him to continue to stay in power for all this while and not prevailing on him to step down. What is it with power that some leaders find it difficult to step down when their time is up?

Right now the people of Burkina Faso have spoken and long live the Spatula Revolution. I can imagine Thomas Sankara's ghost hovering around in the Burkinabe capital. I hope the transitional government will do what is expected of them and usher the country into a proper democratic dispensation.

The Palestinian Question (When Innocent People Suffer)

Once again the Middle East is in a sort of turmoil due to the conflict that has started between the Hamas militants in Gaza and the Israeli Government. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have resolved to bomb the Hamas rocket launch sites in Gaza. The Hamas militants who are regarded as terrorists by both the US, Britain and the Israelis have also made up their mind never to relent in their efforts to resist the Israeli occupation of their land. Both parties are claiming ownership of several territories in Palestine. It seems the one with so much power and the ability to defeat the other party always emerges the winner. For the past one week or so, both Hamas and the IDF have been firing rockets and bombs at each other with the IDF causing more harm and damage to Hamas held areas of Gaza. When at all will these senseless killings end?  Why can't these two parties sit down and dialogue and reach an amicable peace settlement?

More innocent women and children are being killed as the bombs and rockets rain down on both Gaza and the Israeli cities. It seems the UN Security Council have totally lost its voice and it is in mute mode. Both sides have to be condemned as the death toll keeps on rising. As usual, the hypocrisy of the world powers is being seen clearly. So when will the innocent women and children in Palestine stop suffering and also live in a land where they can move around without fear of being killed by an Israeli bomb or a Hamas rocket attack. Both sides must be held accountable for these senseless death. Will the so called world powers call the two parties to order or bring them to the peace table for the world is fed up with the Palestinian Question which sees no end in sight? Posterity will judge us all, for an eye for an eye will make the whole world go blind.

The Road To Damascus

Once again, the US and Britain are deceiving the world into believing the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its people. We all know what happened in Iraq where no WMDs were found but the country was invaded. This is a tinderbox which will set the Middle East ablaze. The world is watching. Who helped Saddam Hussein to gas the Kurds and also who gave chemical weapons to Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s?The war rhetoric by top government officials in the UK and US on Syria has gotten to a high level. Its just a matter of time for the military intervention by these two powers to happen just like what happened in Iraq. The world is waiting and watching when the strikes will start. What will Assad gain from gassing his own people? We all know of the consequences of the US and Britain helping the Syrian rebels to overthrow Assad. Iraq should be a reference point. No evidence of WMDs were found in Iraq yet she was invaded. What's in for the US and Britain if they launch strikes on Assad's regime? It seems Bashir Assad was targeted to be overthrown the moment he refused to help in disbanding the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.  I also have a hunch that  Saddam Hussein's WMDs are alleged to be hidden in Syria so the so called "Coalition Forces" are on the "Road to Damascus" to make sure they find it. But i also don't support Assad nor the Syrian rebels in the entrenched positions they have taken as dialogue would have been the best solution to the Syrian Civil War. Assad will surely go very soon either into exile or by an air strike from the "Coalition Forces" which will eventually terminate his stay on this earth. I also foresee the "Road to Damascus" to be a very tortuous and dangerous one. Russia has a military base in Syria and do you think they will just sit down and watch the US and UK have a field day? We all know that this evidence the UN investigators are looking for was cooked up by the US and their collaborators just to give Bashir Al Assad a bad name and hang him. Any major intervention in Syria would surely affect the whole of the Middle East. The war hawks in both the US and UK are surely planning every detail of their military strikes in Syria. Why would the US Department of Defence authorize the sale of cluster bombs worth $641 million to Saudi Arabia? The last time i checked cluster bombs have been banned by the UN and we know where these bombs are heading to as Saudi Arabia is being used as a proxy in the Syrian Civil War. The rebels would use these bombs and later present them as evidence against the Syrian government. The UN is still in its "toothless dog" mode as they always do not conduct thorough investigations before coming out with a decision. What happened to the first UN investigation that found out that the Syrian rebels have used chemical weapons some months back? As usual, that report has been swept under the carpet as if it never happened.  We now live in a world where rebels are now seen as legitimate governments because the ruling group in a country refused to kowtow to the whims and caprices of a world super power. I guess by now, the Iranians are watching this unfolding threat of military intervention closely. The "Road to Damascus" will surely not be a walk through the park. The oldest capital city in the world, Damascus with its historical sites now lie in ruins. Lets find a political solution to the Syrian Civil War and stop escalating the conflict. God help us all.