17,306 People drown!

Seth Odongo

17,306 People!

This list of 17,306 would be African Immigrants who have drowned in the Mediterranean sea while attempting to cross to Europe was laid down in front of the EU parliament so that anti-immigrant MPs can walk on it with the hope that it pricks their human consciences.

The African Immigrant crisis is such an big issue in the western world, especially Europe right now. Several European countries are determined to stop the entry of 'illegal immigrants' fleeing poverty, war, dwindling opportunities and other African ''ailments'' to Europe in search of better life, dignity and prosperity.

The immigrant crisis puts to doubt the much touted 'Africa Rising' cliché by the so called 'Afro-Optimists'.

Africa may be rising in terms of infrastructure -new roads, rails, malls, skyscrapers, etc - but there is also considerable decline in those factors which constitute human development indices: dignity, opportunity, security, health, freedom, peace etc.

The African wealth, symbolized by the above mentioned infrastructure, is also increasingly getting concentrated in very few hands.

And CORRUPTION is still a menace here.

There is need for a new body of knowledge to question whether we were over-optimistic at the turn of this century or, perhaps, we detoured to the very idiosyncrasies which pulled us back in the waning years of the last century.

More focus, in my view, should be dedicated to tackling inequality just as much as most African countries have shown in tackling poverty.

Finally, it is time Africa asks itself what it still teaches her people about Europe and the Global North generally.

Fb