The End of an Era
One of our keenest fears and concerns at the GhIIA.org revolves around the question of RECORDS in West Africa. Poor archiving and historical practices mean that a large part of the record of the sub-region and continent is lost or in danger of being lost. Added to this is the fact that the record that exists is not easily accessible, is often tainted by bias and anecdote, often consists of top line summaries only and is not disseminated or popularised. For instance, the detailed record of the negotiations that led to the Ghana- Mali -Guinea Union are not readily charged in the general knowledge of West Africa. There is a keen need to capture the record-recollections, interviews, archives, of the key players in West Africa, lest it’s lost to memory. Alas, our keenest fears have come alive in one for. One of the most pivotal actors in West African affairs, has passed unexpectedly.
Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, Head of State in Ghana from 1982- 2000 was a charismatic, lightening rod figure who charged Ghana and the sub-region for over 2 decades. His impact on Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs in West Africa and Africa for was immense. Indeed, there is extant narrative that his brand of ‘revolution’ created panic in many African capitals, with governments worried over coups with clone Rawlings’.Many a popular insurrection, was inspired by Rawlings and often saw the leaders of such activity turn to Rawlings for advice. Indeed, as recently as a few weeks ago, the military junta in Mali had made a point to visit him, as they negotiated the period post their coup. Indeed, a major repository of the key record of diplomatic and strategic affairs in West Africa has been lost, as outlined in this obituary from the Guardian.
One of the deepest tragedies of this era, in our humble opinion, is that we will not be able to access 1st hand information from the President Rawlings. How will we find out his thought and knowledge on what became known as the Soussoudis Affair? How did he get over the diplomatic and strategic difficulties of the expulsions of Ghanaians from Nigeria in 1983, to forge such strong links with Nigerian leaders like Generals Babaginda and Abacha? What compelled him to keep
Ghanaian peacekeepers in Rwanda, when many others cut and run? Is it true he and President Museiveni planned to airdrop troops into Ougadougou, with Libyan support, to save Captain Sankara? Outside Nkrumah, JJ Rawlings has been the imprimatur on Ghanaian / ECOWAS foreign Policy, and his passing truly marks the end of an era.
We wish his family and loved ones, and the people of Ghana, our deepest sympathies.
