Impotent Africa? Reflections on Peace and Power – Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy Writes

IMPOTENT AFRICA!

On December 4th, 2025, President Donald Trump hosted the signing of the “Washington Accords” between Rwanda and the DRC, to end a war that had lasted 30 years and by conservative estimates, caused 6 million deaths. President Kagame praised President Trump as an “even-handed leader” who “never takes sides”.

AU Chair, President Joao Lourenco of Angola gave credit for the foundational work done in Luanda, Nairobi and Qatar that finally led to Washington. I had mixed feelings as I watched the ceremony. That is until President Ruto of Kenya spoke. After thanking Trump, he begged the American President not to forget Sudan.

He said, “As we celebrate progress in DRC, we must not turn away from other crises. I respectfully ask President Trump to support efforts to resolve the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan”. Like Oliver Twist, Africa was asking for more. And President Ruto was right to bring the attention to this war that has caused at least a 100,000 deaths and displaced 11 million people.

That, of course, is only one of 2 Civil wars raging in Sudan! Now, this is not the first time the US has used its prestige to broker peace around the globe. Theodore Roosevelt brokered the Russo-Japanese Peace Accord in 1905 and won a Nobel Prize for it while President Carter brokered the 1978 Camp David Accords. And of course, this year, President Trump has brought significant progress to the effort to end the Gaza crisis and is involved in ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

I bring these up to show that other continents and peoples too have problems that require external help. But it begs the question: Why is Africa so weak? President Kagame once condemned the practice of African leaders converging on external capitals to solve our problems. Why couldn’t Africa solve the Rwanda-DRC crisis? Why can’t it solve the Sudan crisis?

Our Continent boasts of countries with mighty armies–like Egypt’s 1.2 million man army with 1000 aircraft, Algeria’s 610 thousand man army and Nigeria’s 230 thousand man army. And yet, we seem impotent in the face of these conflicts. Cassius said perceptively, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves; Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus “. He, of course was referring to Caesar, not Trump.

We couldn’t solve the Congo crisis–nor Biafra nor Angola nor decide the ANC struggle in South Africa. Yet, we demand respect from the global community. We demanded– not one but 2 permanent seats at the Security Council at the Ezalwini consensus. Do we deserve it? Are we willing to enforce our vetoes with force even on our Continent?

Can we claim our proper place at the seat in the global counsels when we can’t make ” the argument of force” even in our backyard for peace and security? Should we revisit Nkrumah’s idea of an African High Command with a permanent force to back our quest for a permanent seat or seats at the UN?

Too often, we seem like a cowardly people and Continent only interested in big talk. Yet we are the Continent that produced Hannibal and Taharqa and Shaka and Louvertue and Queen Amina and Colin Powell and fought against slavery and colonialism. We can do better for peace on our Continent.

Too often, what matters to Africa happens in foreign cities– like Berlin where we were divided, Manchester where we plotted independence and now Washington. As Madiba said, ” I dream of an Africa, in peace with itself”. Let’s make peace for ourselves so we can respect ourselves and be respected by others. Long live Africa! Arthur Kobina Kennedy ( December 6th, 2025)