African cities sitting on ‘keg of gunpowder’ as growing youth anger fuels unrest

CNN — In some of Africa’s major cities, young people are experiencing a summer of discontent as anger and frustration erupt over corruption, the soaring cost of living, and widespread unemployment. President Yoweri Museveni, 79, who has ruled Uganda with an iron fist for nearly four decades, warned the protesters they were “playing with fire,” and later praised the security forces for “foiling” the protests, and claiming without evidence that they were orchestrated with “funding from foreign sources.” ‘Reality check for African leaders’ In Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, young people are also planning an “end bad governance” march on August 1. “The context of this planned protest is to shadow what is happening in Kenya … and … what is happening in Kenya … is violent … and remains unresolved,” spokesman Edward Buba said at a press conference, adding that “the military will not stand by and allow anarchy to befall our nation.” For Gift Mugano, an adjunct professor of economics at South Africa’s Durban University of Technology, the youth uprisings are “a reality check for African leaders.” “It’s like a protest contagion because the Kenya Gen Z movement is stimulating the momentum in other African countries,” Mugano told CNN. He added that “as long as there are no economic opportunities, and governance and rule of law are not at their best, we will not have stability in the continent.” Mugano advised African governments against cracking down on protesters, telling them to instead “attend to issues affecting the continent, create economic opportunities and improve governance.” A ‘growing discontent’ Senegalese political analyst Mamadou Thior echoed this sentiment, telling CNN that the rising dissatisfaction among Africa’s youth could lead to unrest across the continent. He added that “young people are impatient, and they want things to change at a very rapid pace.” According to Thior, who leads the Senegalese media ethics organization CORED, youth activists across the continent are connected through social media, “and that’s why what is happening in Kenya can affect people in Uganda and even here in West Africa.” Youth-led uprisings against corruption and bad governance have also erupted in other parts of Africa, including Senegal and Ghana, in recent months.