Blessing Ariho

Greetings Natasha, I trust this finds you well. Five things! 1. Protests do not make countries failed states, On the contrary, the ability of citizens to openly protest their government is often a sign that democratic institutions are functioning. People are free to criticize leaders, organize demonstrations, and demand accountability without fear of being branded enemies of the state, abducted or disappeared without trace. 2. The existence of governance challenges in Europe , Asia or even the United States does not expressly erase governance challenges or systemic administrative dysfunction in Africa. Corruption in Paris does not justify corruption in Kampala. Poor service delivery in France does not excuse poor service delivery in Uganda. If anything, citizens everywhere should demand better governance from their leaders. 3. Countries are judged by the strength of their institutions, public services, infrastructure, economic performance, rule of law, and accountability mechanisms, not by whether people are protesting in the streets on a given day or rather by their inability to shoot at sight and maim genuine protesters dissenting or exposing government dysfunction or deliberate underperformance. So Referring to Western countries as “failed states” is a gross exaggeration. 4. genuine African patriotism should not depend on pretending that other regions are collapsing. Africa’s case for self-determination is strong enough on its own. We do not need to celebrate the problems of others to believe in ourselves. Finally, if you @NatashaAhereza is going to encourage us to study history, then history should be studied in full. It teaches us not only about colonial exploitation but also about the dangers of corruption, personality cults, weak institutions, and leaders who remain in power for decades without sufficient accountability. History is most useful when it challenges our biases rather than confirms them. Africa absolutely has the potential to prosper through unity, innovation, and self-reliance. But that prosperity will come from honest self-reflection, strong institutions, rule of law and accountable leadership, not from convincing ourselves that everyone else is failing and singing praises to leaders who are not up to the cause.