International
Does BBC harbour animosity for the Rwandan government?
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You
have heard them. Creatures of the BBC radio service ostensibly
presented to us for comic relief on Friday evenings. And, indeed, you may take
them at face value and let out guffaws of laughter.
Until
you realise these African employees of the BBC Focus On Africa
programme have been given something not-so-subtly scornful and not-so-covertly
derogative, to deliver.
The
characters’ names say it all: Olushambles and Kibarkingmad.
All
the above is in reference to a sketch played out at the end of
the BBC Focus On Africa news, which is introduced with monkey-like
gibber. It’s dubbed “The Resident Presidents from the BBC”, played by the
two characters whose stage names are as mentioned above.
Needless
to say, Olushambles was created to parody ex-Nigerian president Olusegun
Obasanjo and Kibarkingmad, late ex-Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki. Both
honourable men who led their people with dedicated order and development-focus
but note that “-shambles” and “-barkingmad”. BBC certainly created
the characters to mock and disdain African leaders, past and present.
The
routine last July 10 was probably more hateful than most. It starts with the
apparently pompous and pea-brained Olushambles foaming at the mouth as he rants
over a survey he read. The survey was destined for African youths from age 18
to 24 years and asked if they see any future for themselves on the continent.
(Note: none of the following is quoted verbatim).
The
responses come in fast and furious. Not at all, responded the youths, with its
insecurity, crime, lack of job opportunities, of democracy, of freedoms. He in
turn reacts with salvos of fire at the responses. Who cares? They can pack up
their bags, walk across the Sahara Desert and take a dingy across the
Mediterranean in search of job opportunities. They will probably end up dead at
the seabed.
An
African president so heartless, I wouldn’t like to imagine, much as there is
some truth in what the youths cite. Even then, though, all African governments
and leaders in no way deserve to be lumped together. There are definitely those
on this continent who care about their people (men, women and youth) even
better than those of some so-called advanced countries.
But
Olushambles (Olus) is not done with the survey. The youths, says he, asked if
their country was heading in the right direction, all answered in the negative.
Only Rwandan and Ghanaian youths had positive views about their
countries.
And,
Kibarkingmad (Kiba), apparently created to represent the voice of reason – if
not a sham element to create a semblance of balanced dialogue – reminds his
‘colleague’ of the importance of the youth as the future of Africa. They
represent a better future as they are educated, talented, well-informed, young
and technology savvy. If they leave, suggests he, Africa will be the poorer for
it.
But BBC’s
creature of buffoonery, Olus, will have none of this. He’d rather dispatch his
disloyal youth to Rwanda because, says he, it seems to be the fashionable place
to send unwanted people these days. Interrupts Kiba: Hang on a second, didn’t
you say Rwanda came out on top of most contended youth? Strange, that, muses
Olus, maybe he (ref. President Kagame) has carried out his own loyalty survey.
And you know what happens to disloyal Rwandans. [End of the sketch].
End,
because that’s the punchline that the BBC script-writer intended to
deliver all along. The whole skit was building up to that:
the Rwandan leadership’s forced loyalty on its people!
If
there was forced loyalty in this country, why are dissenting voices in their
multitudes? But the message has passed and the audience’s take-home point is
that disloyalty here is taboo. When any gullible foreigner hears about crimes
like promoting genocide ideology, murder, robbery, corruption, others, being
punished, it will not be precisely that to them. It will be due to disloyalty!
The
message that Rwanda will cooperate with any country (the UK in this case) to
save anybody in disgrace, or even do it on her own, has been lost in
translation. BBC bosses know about cases of Libya, Israel and
Afghanistan but no, that’s not in their interest. They choose to bury them in
disloyalty.
But
Rwandans should not be surprised. They all remember well when a Kinyarwanda
programme was started to supposedly unite Rwandans after the Genocide against
the Tutsi. Who would have guessed that its intention was to actually provide a
platform for the most vociferous of génocidaires in exile?
In
fact, some génocidaires were even paid for making venomous arguments for
genocide denial, trivialisation, for double genocide and mobilising for FDLR
terrorists’ support and membership.
It
was as well that the Rwandan government, after long and patient but
ignored arguments, pulled it off the airwaves. Its aim was to plant division
among Rwandans and animosity against their government. Rwandans
have taken their stand, however, and they are delusional, who think they can
shake their unity and resolve to advance together as one.
BBC authorities,
whatever tricks you try, know that Rwandans are awake to your machinations. Africans,
let’s rise together and fight any misinformation about our countries from any
quarter!
Source:
www.newtimes.co.rw