They resent political leaders deemed “corrupt,” “incompetent,” “in the pay of the West” (accused of imperialism and neo-colonialism). We have seen them parading in Lagos, Dakar, Nairobi, Libreville, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Bamako, Ouagadougou, Niamey... They will continue to do so, more and more, and it will be impossible for the rulers to escape the disruptive force of this tsunami. Those who have tried to suppress the marches (there are already hundreds of casualties) have done nothing but inflame the protest.

Those who have made the mistake of ignoring the roar of the square have been overwhelmed by riots (sometimes mugged by military coups) or overwhelmed by electoral defeats. Those who avoided a showdown were forced to come to terms with the protesters.

Young Africans -representing 70 percent of sub-Saharan inhabitants- are more determined than ever to make themselves heard, to rebel against bad governance, corruption, and the unacceptable injustices that tear apart the society in which they live. They demand answers and solutions from politics to their daily problems: first and foremost, the lack of jobs, the absence of protections and welfare, rampant insecurity, inadequate schools and universities, and the privatization of an increasingly elitist health care system. They contest an economic model based on indiscriminate exploitation that widens the gap between rich and poor. They demand that the fortunes hidden in their countries be used to promote prosperity and development, not to enrich castes and oligarchies backed by foreign forces.

Nigeria demonstrations

Not yet a true movement, mobilizations appear fragmented, charismatic leaders must emerge from the squares, but the watchwords and origins of the protests are clear and shared. Feeding the resentment of this wounded generation is the social and economic crisis triggered in 2020 by the covid pandemic -which curbed African GDP growth after 15 years of boom- and exacerbated today by international instability: the war in Ukraine hinders the arrival of grain, while the conflict in Gaza penalizes maritime trade in the Red Sea.

The economic consequences are devastating: supply difficulties are causing prices of basic necessities - largely imported - to soar in a geographic area where 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line and where inflation is evaporating the purchasing power of wages.

Making matters worse is the collapse of national currencies (the South African rand and Nigerian naira, currencies of Africa's largest economies, have lost much of their value) combined with soaring sovereign debts (to China, the United States, European countries, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund). To make cash, presidents raise taxes and cut subsidies. But this only increases anger and exasperation, widening the rift between the public square (populated by young people) and the palace (dominated by old people). Africa's children - urbanized and digitized - dream of a better future and want to be protagonists in it. They demand respect, justice and opportunity. They need capable and responsible leaders who can listen to them and satisfy them. New air is needed to sustain their ambitions for redemption. It will be impossible to stifle their irrepressible thirst for liberation.

See, Ancora tanta sete di liberazione

Foto. Kenya unrest against financial system. © GettyImages-2157587094-1170x781