WHY WERE MUSEVENI, RUTO, KAGAME AND MNANGAGWA ABSENT DURING HASSAN’S INAUGURATION?
By Kelly’s Kaunda
Some commentators have suggested that leaders such as Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, William Ruto of Kenya, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Emerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe didn’t attend Tanzania’s inauguration of President Hassan to signal their displeasure with the human rights violations associated with the recent election.
Zambia’s Hichilema, they argue, on the other hand, legitimized the violations by attending.
First, when invited Heads of State decline invitations to a function of another Head of State or send representatives, this could be interpreted in various ways, among them, a deliberate snub intended to communicate some unstated displeasure.
This is often symbolic and could easily be dismissed by the country on the receiving end as inconsequential.
The country on the receiving end could, at some point, choose to retaliate in equal measure.
Regarding the suggestion that the absence of such leaders as Museveni, Ruto, Kagame and Mnangagwa could be linked to human rights violations observed before, during and after the elections in Tanzania, I find this argument incredulous.
Given the human rights record associated with each of the leaders in question (whether proven or not), if they shunned the inauguration to demonstrate their solidarity with the victims, I would say these leaders are bluffing because they are just as guilty as their Tanzanian counterpart.
These leaders, like most of their counterparts in Africa, have no moral authority to preach human rights to Hassan.
To push the narrative that their absence was their protest at what happened in Tanzania, commentators are demonstrating desperation for examples to shore up their analysis.
The human rights culture in Africa is so poor, so bad, it is a mockery to its victims to think that symbolic gestures such as inauguration boycots could ease the pain.
Africa requires deep-seated political and legal reforms along with a revolutionary change in the quality of her leaders if the human rights culture is to change for the better.
Unfortunately, in most countries, governments are becoming increasingly authoritarian and autocratic thereby shrinking whatever small democratic space there has been.
The few voices of protest available are speedily crashed as fear spreads among the rest of the people.
As quickly as the protests begin, they subside followed by silence with only the voices of the ruling party left in the dominated media space.
So, look for another explanation for Museveni’s, Ruto’s, Kagame’s and Mnangagwa’s absence at the inauguration.
This is what happens when you have a poor reading culture. And its not every party that you have to attend.
Museveni and Ruto sent their vice Presidents. There is no report that I have YET read whether the other Presidents send a representitive or not. But surfice to say, salutations were send by many leaders including those mentioned here.
Whats the “big much at do” about who attended and who didnt? How petty.
Please look at the big picture here, Zambia cannot afford not to support Tanzania because Zambia’s economy depends heavily on TAZAMA pipeline & the railway line. Imagine today Tanzania closes TAZAMA and TZ and ZM railway line what will happen these same so-called opposition will be number celebrating. Shame on you
They did not attend in person because they feared to be booed by Gen Z who would rightly or otherwise be accused to come and shore up their” fellow autocrat”
Foolish question, so rhe three are standard of something?
I think Kelly’s Kaunda has done it all and those dunderheads who always want to say negative everytime should agree with this analysis. I find it almost 100% correct. And on our HH attending those who are complaining are not intelligent or ” nikumufulo” only. Hakainde is a brilliant leader and he has confirmed it by attending. He put the interest of Zambia first before his personal interest and there’s nothing better than that. It’s clear that this time it’s when we have a real leader. Most of the opposition leaders are far from reaching the bar raised by HH
Stop boring us with foolish questions. Go and ask them. They are adults who cannot fail to answer for themselves.