While popular uprisings continue to sweep across the Middle East, with protesters clashing with police and military in Bahrain, Libya and Djibouti following the successful uprising in Egypt, one wonders whether this wave of change could reach Sub-Saharan Africa.
Indeed, countries like Gabon, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Angola, all of which have long suffered under the rule of corrupt and violent dictators, are as much in need of a regime change as Egypt, if not more so. So why haven't the flames of rebellion ignited the region in the same manner as the Middle East?
The Globe and Mail's Johannesburg correspondent, Geoffrey York, breaks down the reasons why it seems unlikely that the people in places like Zimbabwe are unlikely to benefit from the storm of popular uprisings set off by Tunisia late last year.
The factors York cites as responsible for the longevity of African dictators like Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and many others are complex, but include education and income levels, Internet access, cultural diversity and infighting, as well as the closeness of Sub-Saharan dictators to their respective militaries -- a key factor in the success of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
While many of us have high hopes that the uprisings across the Middle East will push the region towards democracy and stability, it appears that the rest of Africa will have to wait.
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Indeed, countries like Gabon, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Angola, all of which have long suffered under the rule of corrupt and violent dictators, are as much in need of a regime change as Egypt, if not more so. So why haven't the flames of rebellion ignited the region in the same manner as the Middle East?
The Globe and Mail's Johannesburg correspondent, Geoffrey York, breaks down the reasons why it seems unlikely that the people in places like Zimbabwe are unlikely to benefit from the storm of popular uprisings set off by Tunisia late last year.
The factors York cites as responsible for the longevity of African dictators like Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and many others are complex, but include education and income levels, Internet access, cultural diversity and infighting, as well as the closeness of Sub-Saharan dictators to their respective militaries -- a key factor in the success of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
While many of us have high hopes that the uprisings across the Middle East will push the region towards democracy and stability, it appears that the rest of Africa will have to wait.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
