Africa is one of the continents striving for peace as there are wars and conflicts here and there. A large number of people imagine achieving peace in this earthily life is impossible. Others believe that unless there is the will of the lord, it is unthinkable to bring lasting peace. If we see it from religious perspectives the later sounds well. But what if we realize it from secular way of life?
There are also people who think America or any other country could bring peace to us. On the other hand, other people also argue that it should be the government that has brought peace to the people. In fact, one of the duties of any government is to bring peace and maintain order. But who is central to the thrive of lasting peace in any country?
The festering question is who could really offer the people a lasting peace? This is a crucial question of many Africans. But the answer is so simple if every one of us looks inwards; just looking at our own daily activities in connection to peace.
In other words, it seems appropriate to realize who could take the risk in causing conflicts and wars? Who is responsible for the severe actions that destabilize the people?
If it is possible for people to instigate conflicts and wars, why do they fail to bring lasting peace and stability? I think the answer is quite simple, just we ourselves could offer peace to ourselves. If we are powerful enough to instigate havoc, war and conflict among people in this earthily life, why will it be difficult for Africans to ensure peace to this demanding continent?
The efforts exerted at international, continental and national levels rarely managed to bring an enduring peace to the world. The people in any corner of the globe couldn’t get some conducive atmosphere to enjoy peace.
They have been crying for freedom, justice and peace. If we are to create and maintain world peace and hand over stable planet to the posterity, we have to have a world free of wars and conflicts.
No matter how challenging it might be, Africans should stop singing war songs and stick on how to ensure peace to the world. Politicians, head of states of world nations, religious leaders, and scholars, the youth and women should work, being hand in glove, for this very noble responsibility.
It is only on the top of guaranteeing peace that people all over the world enjoy their healthy day to day activities as it is impossible to think about economic development and prosperity without peace and stability.
Many African countries took a lesson from the wars and conflicts in the past century. The entire people realized how war and its consequences devastated the life of the people. Loss of life, displacement and destruction of property were the only consequences.
It proved that the continent on which Africans live has become inconvenient to its people, the burning world allowed only the fittest to survive absolutely failing to guarantee its people to breathe peaceful air.
There are a considerable number of civil and country cross wars in every corner of the continent despite efforts to end wars.
The people were dying and displacing from their very villages due to instability and conflicts. According to recent studies the number of Africans displaced from their villages due to unnecessary and irresponsible wars has ever been increasing.
Which African country is instable? Which one is free of conflicts and terrorist threats? Is there any guarantee to the very right of the people to live peacefully? In fact, it differs from country to country but as a general understanding these questions remained unanswered for centuries. The self centered groups who under the pretext of various reasons exacerbate conflicts among the people.
The consequence of the wars in Sudan, in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and other countries was lose of lives and destruction of properties.
All wars took the lives of millions of work force and destroyed trillions of wealth as the same time displaced millions of citizens from their very village and put them in miserable life. If we consider what has been happening by terrorist groups in the continent, the continent only provides its citizens injustice. It deprived the people of their rights to live peacefully.
Therefore, there is miss link in valuing peace. What do the international laws contributed in this regard? The answer is obviously nothing. For instance, the United Nations Security Council has put a sanction on the rogue state in Eritrea for escalating the conflict in Somalia via supporting al-Shabab that has link to the international terrorist group al-Qaida.
As a result there is no peace. Every morning whatever you browse, read, watch or listen to the media, you only encounter with wars and conflicts. When will the media, supposed to be dogwatch of the people, cover peace news? Should they wait until peace is thrived? Or should they work for the thrive of peace in collaboration with the peace loving people all over the world. But only the people of Africa could do this.
It is evident that the people in every corner of the world love peace. But politicians and other groups of different interest, like accumulating wealth and taking power, have been exerting unreserved effort to maintain destabilized world in general and Africa in particular.
There should be a fundamental change in enhancing peace to the world. A change that could give power to cessations of war and achieving world peace as the past experiences have failed to ensure peace in countries in Africa.
There is need to all countries and states to work for peace in collaboration. In this regard, there is a controversial experience.
Lack of peace in the continent has direct or indirect impact to the livelihood of the people and their development efforts. There must be a new ways to think about the approach. The African countries have been utilizing so far.
All African countries should cooperate for a binding law that could bring all peace stakeholders: religious people, the youth, women and others, together for the same vision. No one could offer peace to Africa unless all people in the continent come together and work being hand in glove to enhance peace in the continent.