It was a day that not many people believed would ever dawn. In February 1990, over two decades ago, Nelson Mandela was released from prison. His release signalled the beginning of the end of Apartheid, the racist political system that entrenched white minority rule in South Africa. Although it would take four years of bloody, civilian violence and warfare before Apartheid officially ended, that fateful day when Mandela walked free beckoned a new day in Africa.
21 years later, another seemingly ordinary February day has come, and with it, another new beginning for Africa. On Monday 7th February, 98.83 per cent of people from South Sudan voted to secede from the central government in the north. This independence vote comes after a two decade civil war between the government of Khartoum and the people of the south. The path to independence has, quite literally, been paved with blood; nearly one million people have lost their lives in fighting and the ensuing drought and starvation. Notwithstanding, of course, the death of John Garang, the charismatic leader of the Sudanese People's Liberation Army, whose passing very nearly destroyed the negotiated peace deal in 2005. As in South Africa, the road was rocky, and it promises to get rockier. But for the mean time, the people of South Sudan can celebrate their truly hard won independence.
To the north
The new year not only brought independence to the people of South Sudan, it also brought a wave of mass uprisings in north Africa. Across Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, ordinary citizens protested against their governments, some of them self-immolating in protest. It began in Tunisia, when Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor, set himself on fire to protest police brutality. What happened could not have been properly foreseen, as Bouazizi's simple act set off many more protests and brutal riots throughout the country, eventually resulting in President Zine El Abidine stepping down after 23 years in power. The unrest did not stop in Tunisia, it spilled over into Algeria and, most notably, Egypt. Not only were protests in Egypt marked by self-immolation, similar to Tunisia, but Egyptian citizens took to the streets in demonstrations and rallies, most of which were organised on Facebook and Twitter (leading to the government in Cairo shutting down Internet access) and violent clashes with the security forces, all protesting police brutality, corruption and economic mismanagement. Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president for the last three decades, agreed to loosen his iron grip on the state by agreeing to step down by the next elections, which are due in September. Clearly, the Egyptian people are not happy, as they are still protesting. They have clearly had enough of Mubarak, and want him to go now.
To the north
The new year not only brought independence to the people of South Sudan, it also brought a wave of mass uprisings in north Africa. Across Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, ordinary citizens protested against their governments, some of them self-immolating in protest. It began in Tunisia, when Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor, set himself on fire to protest police brutality. What happened could not have been properly foreseen, as Bouazizi's simple act set off many more protests and brutal riots throughout the country, eventually resulting in President Zine El Abidine stepping down after 23 years in power. The unrest did not stop in Tunisia, it spilled over into Algeria and, most notably, Egypt. Not only were protests in Egypt marked by self-immolation, similar to Tunisia, but Egyptian citizens took to the streets in demonstrations and rallies, most of which were organised on Facebook and Twitter (leading to the government in Cairo shutting down Internet access) and violent clashes with the security forces, all protesting police brutality, corruption and economic mismanagement. Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president for the last three decades, agreed to loosen his iron grip on the state by agreeing to step down by the next elections, which are due in September. Clearly, the Egyptian people are not happy, as they are still protesting. They have clearly had enough of Mubarak, and want him to go now.
Power to the people
The people of South Sudan, Tunisia and Egypt have effectively managed to take control of their own destinies. They have demonstrated that power ultimately belongs to the people, even in the case of an autocrat in the mould of Mubarak, who has suppressed political opposition for three decades. It truly is a new day in Africa, when ordinary men, women and even teenagers and children help to bring down their governments, or vote on their right to govern themselves. The next few months will be interesting, in that they will give us a greater idea of the direction this situation is heading. Mubarak could be forced to step down earlier, but he has agreed to step down, and that may be enough for the powers that be, even if it is not to the satisfaction of the Egyptian people. Whatever happens, the protests and secession should be taken as warnings by other African leaders, some of whom may be similar in style and rule to Mubarak and his counterpart in Sudan, Omar al-Bashir. For the ordinary people of Africa, it is a new dawn. And it is certainly not a false dawn. Rather it is a dawn that brings with it that very rare, but very potent emotion - hope.
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