What Obama’s victory means to Africa

‘CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN’ has finally arrived in the Oval Office. Americans on Tuesday rewarded the world’s darling Barack Obama’s two years of grueling yet exciting campaign, with a four-year term at the helm of the strongest nation on the face of the earth. American voters demonstrated to us all that they were long tired of the arrogant politics of the widely unpopular George W. Bush, both at home and abroad, and that their political maturity transcended racial barriers. The half-black Obama, son of a black African man from the neighbouring Kenya, now moves into the White House, following a historic moment in which traditional Republican states or ‘red’ loyalists could not afford to shun the charisma and vision of the youthful African-American lawyer. Very few people, or even nobody, within and without the US, believed that a black American can be elected to the world’s most prestigious presidency, until when the white, vastly experienced and veteran presidential candidate John McCain gave his concession speech. The victory marked the end of a nerve-breaking campaign trail, whose significance went far and beyond the geographical boundaries of the US, and which attracted unprecedented attention from all over the world. Polls showed that overwhelming majority of non-Americans who painfully had no ultimate say in the just concluded presidential race were favouring the former Illinois Senator. Whereas Obama’s fate lied in the hands of American voters, the rest of the world looked on desperately behind him although without votes. But thank God. Gone are the days when it was unthinkable for an African-American or a Hispanic or a Latino, to harbour White House ambitions. Decades after the famous ‘I have a Dream’ speech by Martin Luther Jr, the Americans have handed a black American the 44th presidency. By installing Obama as their president, Americans have sent a strong signal to the rest of the world, particularly Africa that racial and ethnic barriers have no place in modern societies. The people of America have rightly stated that it should be someone’s agenda, and not ethnic background, that should serve as a ticket to positions of influence. And by Obama standing up against all cynical voices and ultimately defying the odds, he has emphasized the same philosophy that has turned Rwanda into what it is today: ‘Yes We Can’. His is a true story that will go down in history books, in no less significant dimensions as the biblical ‘David V Goliath’ story. Typically, that is the essence of the courage and resilience that has characterized the people of Rwanda in the aftermath of the fall of the genocidal regime. Like Obama, President Paul Kagame’s administration has on several occasions silenced its critics, winning the confidence and enviable trust of the real decision-makers: the electorate. From the 1994 ashes, Rwanda has positioned herself as a stable and ICT hub in the region, much to the humiliation of her haters. It is the same bravery that has propelled President-elect Obama to international prominence that brought CHANGE to Kigali. However, there seem to be some people among our own who still do not believe that we can completely rise above our ethnic differences, make poverty history and make our country an economic powerhouse. The ‘Obama night’ is the perfect answer. Looking back at the Obama campaign trail, one also learns that a successful candidature is one that is built upon substance, and not which seeks to appeal to certain individual sentiments among voters. While I must salute McCain for his ability to make the polls close right to the ballot day, he is partially responsible for his political demise. Whereas his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate initially injected momentum into his campaign, their miscalculated decision to repeatedly engage in personal attacks while on the campaign trail certainly cost them a sizeable support. And at a time McCain should have made political gains from the improved security situation in Iraq, the US financial markets plunged into a deep crisis – which Obama campaign was obviously quick to blame on the dangerous policies of the Bush administration. Mr Obama also appeared to be the smarter guy in all the three debates he had with his now former rival, McCain, who, on his side, showed he’s a hot-tempered veteran. As expected, Obama’s resounding victory has sparked jubilations across the world, particularly in Africa. This is not because Africans consider him as their ‘Messiah’ or expect to get more aid from his administration than Bush’s record financial assistance to the continent. Rather, first and foremost, Africans see him as one of their own and therefore identify themselves with him more than with any Head of State outside Africa, and secondly, because they – just like the rest of the world – believe that Obama’s policies will never become worse than Bush’s. Non-Americans do not go to the polls to determine who should become the next US president, but have increasingly had a stake in the outcome of the American election. Bad decisions taken from the White House such as the invasion of Iraq have increasingly affected the whole world. That defines why this election was of a significant importance on both sides of the Atlantic. No doubt, the ‘Obama night’ was a decisive moment for us all; and so let’s party on. The author is WDA Marketing & Communication Specialist.E-mail: james@rwoda.gov.rw