Solving Problems In The Distance - Timeless Lessons In Political Leadership

The date is 15th March, 44 BC, and the great Julius Caesar lies helplessly on the floor of the Roman Senate, soaked in his own blood. He gasps for his life after 60 Roman senators after conspiring against him had stabbed him 23 times during a Senate session. One might ask how such a well-respected icon could meet such an awful death. Bewildered, one might think again: How could a man, scratch that, how could Caesar, who is so revered across the world and loved by his own people, die in such a cruel way? To understand the context, one should recall the reference to Jesus of Nazareth when he said, "Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar."

Caesar was an indomitable force. He had won eight major military campaigns, including the Gallic War, where, with an out-of-the-box strategy, 40,000 Roman soldiers defeated their 250,000 adversaries at the Battle of Alesia. He went on to conquer Egypt, a world power at the time, and installed Cleopatra as their Queen. These and many more conquests by Caesar cemented Rome as a world power.

Fast forward to 20th October 2011, and a similar story unfolds in modern history, specifically in Northern Africa, particularly Libya. Muammar Mohammed Gaddafi is seen begging for his life from Libyan militias who are ready to kill him. Helplessly, he asks them, "What have I done to you?". He is subsequently mutilated and dies a disgraceful death.

How did these two people find themselves in such situations? Initially, while Caesar was busy winning wars and expanding Roman territory, the Roman senators at home were becoming terrified of the power the young Julius Caesar was amassing through the people's support resulting from his numerous conquests. They sought to "check" him, which ultimately led to their conspiracy and his assassination. Gaddafi, among other things, was fighting for the unification of Africa and contributing to its advancement by donating to the AU and other initiatives. Simply put, he was perceived as a threat to the West. NATO viewed his power as a threat, and a series of events led to the enactment of Resolution 1973, deploying NATO forces into Libya to support the militias and ultimately bringing down the dictator.

The aftermath of these events was significant. Rome descended into a deep civil war, marking the beginning of the end of the empire. Libya, even a decade later, remained a shadow of its former self, transformed into a war zone with several unresolved civil unrests. Many have observed that Libya was far better off under Gaddafi's leadership than it is now, twelve years after. Matter of factly, President Barrack Obama post-presidency admitted that Libya was his greatest mistake while in office.

The lesson in history is simple: Leaders must mind their own business and refrain from pursuing temporary wins that may temporarily elevate ideals at the wrongest of times. Most of the time, the issues that we are we are so eager to fix can be resolved in the long run. Many lasting damages can be avoided if leaders steer clear of jealousy, envy, and superficial gains. Libya remains unstable today and may take many years to regain its balance. Rome, once a powerful empire, was lost forever. Leaders must play the game for the greater good of the people only. The well-being of the people must be the ultimate litmus test always. Every other issue can be solved in the distance.

NB: As I write this, Niger is currently in a political crisis similar to these and decisions that will be made during this period can determine the fate of the West Africa sub-region for the coming decades. It is therefore important that dialogue is embraced instead of military action as force used wrongly can have lasting damaging effects. Also popular media made us to see that the Nigerien people are not necessarily opposed to the coup (democracy hasn't really yielded it's dividends anyway). So I say again that the deposition of the current military leadership must be deprioritised and issues resolved in the distance.