Africa: Assoumani Azali, persona non grata in Mali and Burkina Faso
The leaders of Mali and Burkina Faso have canceled the imminent visit of the President of the African Union Mr. Assoumani Azali to Bamako and Ouagadougou. «The lecturer» is now «Persona non grata».
Mr. Assoumani Azali, who orchestrated a coup in 1999 to seize the presidential seat, is a dictator who abolished the constitutional court and the anti-corruption court in his country.
He has been accused of brutal repression in the Comoros. Despite these issues, he assumes the title of the current President of the African Union and attempts to lecture leaders as significant as those of Mali and Burkina Faso.
Assoumani Azali seems to imply, through his refusal to appear in photos with the Presidents of Mali and Burkina, that he possesses a deeper understanding of democratic principles.
However, the Malian and Burkinabé leaders have demonstrated synergy in their actions, and they have made notable democratic, social, economic, and security advancements in their respective countries.
If Mali and Burkina Faso were to receive a lesson, Assoumani Azali is ill-placed to provide it.
As a known dictator who has faced the consequences of his governance missteps, he lacks the legitimacy and dedication to the well-being of his own country.
In contrast, the Malian and Burkinabé Presidents have earned the trust of their people and genuinely focus on the welfare of their nations through noble and beneficial actions.
Assoumani Azali and his allies previously catered to Western powers and failed to prioritize the progress of their countries or uphold their states’ sovereignty.
The speech delivered by the Burkinabé revolution’s President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, during the Russia-Africa summit, serves as a moralizing message that should prompt awareness of the weaknesses plagued by African leaders, which hinder the development of their countries.
The truths spoken by the President of the Burkinabé revolution seem to have wounded the ego of Mr. Assoumani Azali. He appears to have realized his shortcomings and incapacity to govern effectively.
Saiid Baba
