Lord of the Flies moment: We’re paying dearly for failure to talk
Supporters of Niger's National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland gather for a demonstration in Niamey on August 11, 2023 near a French airbase in Niger. PHOTO | AFP
A little more than 10 years ago, in this very page, I wrote about a Lord of the Flies situation on the African continent, citing William Golding’s 1954 novel about little boys stranded on a tropical island, alone, without the care of parents or teachers, and how they slowly descend into anarchy, murder and mayhem.
The continent was, of course, deep in that state as I wrote, and, alas, has not seen its fortunes improve, as our crises have not only deepened, but they have also become more widespread than they were back then. Today, they look like they could still worsen some more.
