Gaddafi son capture shows dictators have destiny with misery

History has shown us that one thing is certain: When leaders become dictators or fail to read the signs of the times, collapse, misery, regret and hopelessness are the end result.

Put differently, why is it that leaders become tyrannical, after abdicating from democracy and turn into dictators without seeing the inevitable end and consequences before it is too late, or are they in denial?

Many such autocratic leaders have faded away in misery or been killed.

Others have chosen to commit suicide when caught in an inevitable ending moment.

The toppling through a popular uprising and subsequent killing of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, an acknowledged African strongman and self-declared ‘King of Kings’, represents a growing global list of ignominious exits.

Saif al-Islam, Gaddafi’s son, has also just been captured and his fate is predictably out of his hands now.

Unstoppable

Many African leaders who used to pay homage to Gaddafi, including the hundreds of tribal chiefs and kings, were silent when Gaddafi was cornered. Today, these leaders must be worried about what the younger Gaddafi could reveal in their suspect business dealings.

Yet again in Egypt, the situation is no different, with the former long-standing dictator Hosni Mubarak having been toppled through a popular uprising. Nothing illustrates the fate and misery of the former leader than his appearance in court — in a cage and in failing health.

What, then, are the compelling lessons?

First, it must now be clear to any dictators holding on to power against the popular will of the people that nothing — absolutely nothing — can stop or counter a growing aspiration of democratisation by entire populations.

Indeed, we have witnessed regime changes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya due to popular uprisings and now there is mounting pressure in Yemen, Syria and that list is growing. But are leaders drawing any lessons? The answer is no! They remain in denial, thinking their local situations and environment is different.

Yet reality is different — popular uprisings represent entire peoples’ aspirations and when pushed to a corner, they become unstoppable. Yes, no amount of force or power can counter their aspiration for better governance, safeguard of human rights, fairness in distribution of national resources and ending high-level corruption enjoyed at their expense by those in government.

Second, it is evident that the fate of today’s dictators exactly mirrors that which befell those of yesteryear. Truth be told, in the end, it is misery and ignominy that reigns in the hearts of dictators.

We reiterate that when the people choose to pursue their aspirations, the wave and momentum becomes unstoppable and tyranny and dictatorship are swept aside.

In reflecting on the fate of dictators of yesteryears, their characterisation of tyranny while in power are not dissimilar from what we are witnessing today.

Sadism and egotism

In any analysis of dictators, the following would top the list: Adolf Hitler of Germany, Benito Mussolini of Italy, Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Josef Stalin of former USSR, Pol Pot of Cambodia, Idi Amin of Uganda, General Fransisco Franco of Spain, Papa Doc Duvalier of Haiti and Nicolae Ceausescu of Romania.

Apart from tyranny, they exhibit similar characteristics of brutality or sadism and egotism. They can also be said to have pursued lofty ideals of fanaticism or mystical mirages of self-preservation to hold onto power at the expense of everything and possibly everyone else, the consequence being immense human suffering, murder and widespread killings. In the end, they all suffered misery and death.

Third, the toppling of these dictators brings to the people of the world a new beginning full of hope, expanded democratic space, respect for human rights and economic prosperity for everyone to enjoy.

This was our elusive dream yesterday, and remains as much today but it is also our collective and individual hope for a better tomorrow.

Indeed, this is universal and a better tomorrow as yearned by other citizens of the world is also our aspiration as Kenyans.

Finally to our collective leadership, lessons abound with respect to the fate of those who abdicate their responsibility and seek to hold onto power at the expense of everything and everyone.

Good leadership must be about being a national custodian of wider national interests, protection of human rights, fair and equitable distribution of national resources — including positions in the public sector — greater accountability and the fight against corruption.

We are fortunate to have a new Constitution that every leader must remain committed to protecting and respect its ideals, as this is a pillar of our democratisation and justice system.

We must not seek to meddle with or mutilate it for short-term considerations, instead we must remain true to our national allegiance and build on our existing progress in our path towards national prosperity whose end game will be to benefit everyone in a fair and just way, this being a matter of compelling public interest.

—The author is an opinion leader who prefers to remain anonymous.

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