"We are not a CNN African country"

Binyavanga Wainaina writing in the Guardian:

On the ICC:

Nobody believes that the international criminal court is serious enough, strong enough or material enough to the political reality in Kenya to make much of a difference. We are not, and have never been, a CNN African country, held together by western pins and glue, pity, bananas and paternal concern.

Screw Western Paternalism:

We have come to see the track record of the ICC and doubt it. Bungled Congo. More bungled Sudan. The ICC came swooping when we were deeply vulnerable – at the lowest point in our history. Now, it seems toothless. More than anything, it seems to want to use the Kenya cases to make itself legitimate as a meaningful global institution. We are not keen at all to be playing that sort of experiment.

We are not Côte-d'Ivoire:

Gone are the days when a bunch of European ambassadors speak in confident voices to the Kenyan public about what we should do, why we should do it. Naughty boys and girls, we are not happy. We look forward to making stronger ties with India, to trading more with China and Brazil. We look forward to being no longer the nice beach-and-safari kind of country we have allowed ourselves to be for too long. The west should expect more defiance from an Uhuru government – and more muscular engagement. That is part of the reason he has won this election. No Côte-d'Ivoireing here thank you. You see what happens to the good-boy countries who do what they are told?

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