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Partiality is a disease that can cause great damage to any organization, country or region. It makes competence cease to exist and if we look back at history, we will find that any leader who used partiality as a guideline for leadership, appointing friends, loyal people and family members to key positions in the government, was doomed to fail. Those who appointed competent and professional people not only built countries, but also empires far beyond their original location and size.
It is often said that many empires, such as the Roman Empire, were large and territorially vast in their final years, but were characterized by growing inequality and corruption that permeated and weakened every aspect of society. Bribery, nepotism, and the embezzlement of government resources and assets all undermined the legitimacy of rule and empire. One of Rome’s greatest stories is the Year of the Six Emperors, which in 238 AD saw the rise of Maximinus Thrace, Gordian I, Gordian II, Balbinus, Pupinus, and Gordian III, which was said to have been caused by internal discord, external threats, corruption, and elitism that ignored the needs of ordinary people.
Alexander’s Greek Empire, the Ancient Indian Empire, the Chinese Kingdoms, the Islamic Empires and Sultanates, the Mongol Empire, Spain, Portugal and many other empires founded by great leaders ultimately perished due to corruption, weak governance, weak judicial systems and moral decay in society which ultimately led to the corruption of the military, which in turn led to an ineffective security system that was unable to protect the empires and kingdoms from internal and external enemies and threats.
Another characteristic of corrupt regimes is the lack of accountability, the absence or neglect of mechanisms, and the inability to hold people accountable for their actions in society. Children, spouses, relatives, and friends of leaders often cause the most damage to the governance of corrupt regimes. When people’s corrupt behavior goes unpunished, it only exacerbates the weakness of the government and its eventual collapse.
Many regimes came to power through corrupt means (civil wars, assassinations, coups and counter-coups, sectarian and tribal warfare), which only weakened the state and its ability to respond to internal and external challenges. The regimes in the Horn of Africa countries all seem to be the product of one or more of these reasons, and therefore appear fragile.
No wonder they are creating more problems not only in their own country but also in the region and allowing outside powers to interfere in the affairs of the region. How to deal with this situation and guide the region towards a better future? This is the subject of this article and it just adds something to the ongoing thought process of many more people who also think that there are indeed problems in the region.
Recognizing that there are indeed problems in the region is in itself the first step in the right direction, which may lead to the next step, which is that the region needs visionary leaders who can get out of the narrow-minded thinking. It does take wisdom and foresight for visionary leaders to lead countries and regions from generation to generation, and not to pit one section against another, one tribe/clan against another. This is what we see in the region today – tribes/clans fighting for power.
A visionary leader will undoubtedly benefit not only his own country, but also the entire region and the world. Such leaders tend to be enthusiastic about life and eager to take on challenges, and will not bring more problems to their countries and regions. In front of such leaders, challenges and obstacles will disappear, while those without vision will do the opposite. Why is this region in such trouble?
“We are referring to the inexplicable failure of major leaders to uphold the values and norms that have long guided the behavior of previous leaders, followed by a loss of citizen confidence in leaders and government, and ultimately a collapse,” said Richard Blanton, professor emeritus of anthropology at Purdue University. “This occurs when a country’s new leaders seek to undermine everything the previous leaders did for the country and embark on new, untested ventures, which ultimately only serve to cause citizens to lose confidence.”
It is often said that well-governed societies last longer, while societies where power is concentrated in one person or a small group of people will decay and collapse more quickly. Effective leadership embodies integrity, honesty and dedication, and at its core is ethical behavior. This is what attracts people to become leaders, and the lack of leadership drives people and citizens away from leaders.
Writing about teacher trees in his book Moral Horizons, moral scientist Maulana Wahiduddin Khan noted that there are as many trees above ground as there are below ground, as one philosopher described them:
“The roots are downward, the fruits are upward. This is the sacred liturgy.”
Only when the roots first penetrate the soil, will the perfect combination of colors, lines and fragrance appear on the tall rose stem. The teacher tree tells us that if we want to build a strong and successful society and country, one must first build within oneself, stand on a solid foundation, and then we can hope to build a good society and achieve progress and development not only in our own country, but also in the region and the world at large.
A leader who is worthy of the title will uphold moral values and consider national, regional and world issues. He or she will set aside personal biases and control his or her own ego, the ego of family and friends, and in the case of the Horn of Africa, the ego of tribes and clans. A leader must always ensure that he or she makes fair decisions on national and even regional issues.
Today, no country is alone, and the actions of a country will affect not only that country, but also the entire region and the world. This is why the United Nations, the African Union and other regional organizations exist. The Horn of Africa region may need such a regional organization, but it does not exist at present. No decision should be based on the personal likes and dislikes of leaders. Every decision related to a country should be based on the needs of that country and ultimately the needs of the region and the world.
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