NAIROBI/LAGOS — Governments in African countries including Nigeria and Uganda are facing growing discontent, with planned protests by youthful demonstrators calling attention to long-standing issues including high unemployment, corruption and economic stagnation.
It comes against the backdrop of massive youth-led protests in Kenya over the past month in opposition to proposed tax hikes and corruption.
In Nigeria, planned nationwide protests against corruption and economic hardship are set to begin on Aug. 1. While asserting that Nigerians had the right to peacefully demonstrate, the military on July 25 promised to intervene to “prevent any violence.” The recent relaunching of a $70 million youth investment fund and the announcement of vacancies in the state-owned oil firm NNPC have been seen as moves to forestall the demonstrations. President Bola Tinubu also met various local leaders and clerics ahead of the planned protests.
Uganda witnessed a heavy police crackdown last week as youth-led campaigners attempted to march to the country’s parliament to protest alleged corruption in government. Over 100 people were arrested even as President Yoweri Museveni claimed the protests were financed by foreign entities.
“It’s a wake up call” to African governments, Dr. Xavier Ichani, an international relations researcher at Kenyatta University, in Nairobi, told Semafor Africa. “Governments need to move with speed and address the grievances of the people,” he said, adding that a failure to do so will see the masses “rise up.”
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