I suspect that other than those who benefit, arms dealers of all stripes and other bloodthirsty tyrants of the world, those who raise their hands to this question will be a minority.
I also assume that there are no more “warmongers” than “peace peoples” in the world.
The Reality of War
Dead, crippled, wounded, starving, migrations, families torn apart, torture, rape and other heinous crimes: this is the true face of war…
Let’s also think about the negative effects of these conflicts on the prices of raw materials, on food or on the global economic slowdown…
So, like billions of other people living on this planet called “Earth”, I join the camp of those who reject and condemn war…
The invisible conflicts
I speak of all wars, regardless of their form, nature or “theatre” around the world.
If the war in Ukraine currently occupies a prominent place in the media, this can be understood by the fact that there is a global drift potential.
However, such dramatic and deadly conflicts take place elsewhere in the world… They are simply less well known.
On issues such as mining, territorial, ethnic and religious issues, or power struggles, there are at least a dozen armed conflicts outside the heart of Europe.
Some have even been active for decades.
Think of the heavily armed Islamist militias that are destabilizing and trying to take control in various African countries; especially in Somalia, Mozambique, Congo, Mali, Niger or Burkina Faso, where about fifty women were abducted last week.
We commemorate the six Quebecers who died in this country under the bullets of these militias in 2016…
Think of Ethiopia, where almost a million people are starving because of the war there.
Consider Yemen, where the conflict has already killed more than 230,000 people, including 10,000 children. A situation that according to the UN currently represents the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world…
Consider Myanmar, which has been plagued by political and ethnic tensions for years.
Let’s think of Haiti, where violence reigns supreme. A country that is now beyond the control of its own authorities.
Let’s think of Syria and its destroyed cities, its hundreds of thousands dead and missing.
Consider the persistence of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Let’s think of Afghanistan…
And I often think of my home country Cameroon…
In addition to Ukraine, there are other major conflict areas here that should appeal more to reason and be put on the UN agenda.
Let’s think of the innocent victims of all conflicts… Let’s imagine for a moment that they are our children, our spouses, our sisters, our brothers, our mothers or our fathers…
