Former Ghanaian Member of Parliament and journalist Ras Mubarak has delivered a powerful and provocative speech praising the ongoing political shifts in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger as the beginnings of a “psychological awakening” that could spur Africa’s long-overdue liberation from neo-colonial control.
Speaking at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul to mark African Union Day, Mubarak addressed an audience of African students with a rousing call to action. He hailed Burkina Faso’s youthful military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, as a new symbol of resistance and self-determination.
“This Sahelian wave is not instability—it is clarity. It is not a rebellion; it is a rebirth,” Mubarak declared to thunderous applause.
While acknowledging that Traoré is not democratically elected, Mubarak argued that his bold governance contrasts sharply with decades of electoral politics that failed to deliver dignity or development.
“Traoré is using power to serve, not to submit,” he said, framing the young leader’s anti-colonial stance as a wake-up call to all of Africa.
He lauded recent efforts by Sahelian governments to expel foreign troops, reject exploitative trade deals, and challenge international financial institutions that push austerity without prosperity.
Rather than dismissing democracy altogether, m urged a redefinition rooted in African needs, not just electoral rituals.
“Democracy must deliver dignity, political and economic independence—not just regular elections,” he said.
He criticized the prolonged stagnation of regional integration projects like the ECOWAS single currency, saying:
“I was a teenager when talk of the Eco began. I’ll be 46 next month, and we’re still talking.”
Mubarak urged African students, especially those abroad, to be the architects of Africa’s transformation.
“You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the leaders of now. If you don’t lead, others will keep misleading.”
He called for boldness, originality, and a break from outdated trade routes and visa policies that benefit former colonial powers more than African citizens.
The former lawmaker emphasized the need for Africa to turn toward the Global South for equal partnerships, highlighting China, Brazil, and Russia as potential collaborators.
“We must stop looking to the West for solutions and validation,” he said. “Partnership should not mean domination.”
Pan-African Solidarity with Palestine
Mubarak ended his address with a passionate condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Palestine, calling the country a “gangster terrorist entity.”
“Africans, who’ve been through slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism, should understand better the oppression of Palestinians.”
Mubarak’s message was ultimately one of hope and action.
“There is hope, my friends. If we are all Traoré, Nkrumah, Lumumba and Acheampong—we can bring hope to places where there is resignation and despair.”
