This is a quote from an incredibly influential musical artist from Côte d’Ivoire named Tiken Jah Fakoly (I strongly recommend a quick read of his wiki page), which means “Africa does not cry, it speaks”. The first time I saw this quote, it was in the form of a giant mural on a storefront in downtown Bamako, Mali.
This quote is relevant because of what is currently transpiring in the negotiations with the African Bloc standing up for themselves. This is a new turn of event as developing countries are forming a front when in the past, their cries of injustices would have been lost in a sea of EU and American delegates negotiating in side meetings.
Some may blame the African Bloc if there is no agreement by Friday but I firmly believe that if something is to be done, let it be done right and more importantly, in a democratic way.
Benoît Rivard
