Fast forward to 2014 and we have very strong indications that if history teaches us nothing else, it has at least made us aware that our refusal to learn from it makes us vulnerable to repeating the worst aspects of humanities past. Today’s playground for the exponents of genocide is the Central African Republic where marauding groups have decided to rid the country of its Muslim population. Force deployments by France and the African Union have disrupted but not halted the barbarism of young men adorned with charms and putting a whole new and terrifying meaning to the term charm offensive. Meanwhile, the global situation shows worrying similarities to that which effectively allowed the 1994 Rwanda genocide to happen.

The United States, as in 1994, once again lacks the appetite for military expeditions as thirteen years in Afghanistan has left its people, leaders and forces rather war wary. Additionally, the United Kingdom’s parliament responded to Prime Minister Cameron’s wish to do something about Syria with a vote that suggested the rewards for batting above own weight were no longer that attractive. Meanwhile, rather belatedly I think, the United Nations decided last week to act on the Central African Republic problem and plans to send 11,800 troops to relieve the struggling 6,000 AU force. Ah… but wait!!!

The UN force is scheduled for a September deployment. What is that all about? Sounds like the ‘haters’ – gosh I hate that word – have been given an extra five months to dish out their wickedness. By the way, if you are only now finding out about the C.A.R. problem and the failure of the international community to step up, don’t be too hard on yourself. The situation is similar to what prevailed in 1994 not just because of the genocidal intent sweeping C.A.R. – as was in Rwanda – or the war wariness and lack of gumption of the USA and UN respectively, but because there is also distraction this time; quite a lot of it actually.

Interestingly, South Africa is a source of distraction as it was in 1994. This time, the Oscar Pistorius Trial has dominated the news channels confirming star struck excesses that even the BBC News Channel has been unable to avoid. Added to the apparent curiosity surrounding the ‘Valentine’s Day Killing’ are the ‘Flight MH370 Mystery’ and Ukraine. So, while the Anti-Balaka go about ridding their country of Muslims fairly unnoticed, Muslim extremists determined to stop western education are committing atrocities in Africa’s most populous country without generating much intakes of breath inside or outside the continent.

Boku Haram have attacked schools, police stations and public transport systems in Nigeria with a stunning audaciousness. More shocking to my mind is that not a lot of noise has come from the African Union. The illogicality of shouting “African solutions for African problems” without being concerned that the most willing military ‘power’ on the continent is getting increasingly forced into concerns and panic about internal security issues is clear enough to be laughable. Nigeria did its bit, albeit with debatable competence, when Liberia and then Sierra Leone looked like disintegrating. Nigeria has also contributed hugely to other peace keeping and peace enforcing missions on the continent. Given these facts, the apparent lack of concern that Nigeria is being put on the back foot by an increasingly bold Boku Haram might be symptomatic of a failure to look at the activities and threats the continent Africa has recently faced. The willingness needed to give meaning or relevance to capacity around the continent should also be a concern – but there are no indications of sleep loss on the part of decision makers on a continent that has not a lot when it comes to military capabilities.

While size doesn’t always matter, it has some relevance in this context. The Egyptian’s have conceptual and physical capabilities but their willingness is more likely to point their turrets eastward over the Sinai Peninsula. Matters south of the Sahara have hardly stirred them in the past and there are no signs of a pending change in that posture. South Africa looks like it has stuff to ruin the other man’s day but chooses to deploy troops more for strategic outcome than tactical effect. Many of the others militaries on the continent, and there is no disrespect meant here, cannot do a lot more than backfill and show willing. So why should this be of concern?

The advance of Al Shabab in Somalia, the daring of Boku Haram in Nigeria, the attacks by (assumed) Al Qaeda proxies in Mali… All these suggest Africa is likely to be where those seeking tolerance and coexistence will get to ‘have it out’ with those seeking a world defined in ways only they understand and accept. It would be interesting to find out whether the near twelve thousand troops headed for C.A.R. will do so with a nod toward the concept of “African solutions for African problems” or with a “that ain’t gonna happen” mindset. Sadly, much of sabre rattling by the AU over the last few years has revealed not a lot in the sheaths and expectations of arrangements using someone else’s armoury. As is the case with individuals, the potency of the continent’s nations are limited by their bank balances. In other words, many of the countries have spent the last fifty years or so making themselves poor and weak, and are suddenly learning that it takes a lot more than a wish to become a long distance runner.

So, while the French effectively sorted Mali and now lead a very ‘French’ force in C.A.R., the inability to be masters of their individual and collective destinies is being embarrassingly revealed to the nations of the world’s resource richest countries. While on resources, the Chinese with more men bearing arms than the whole of Africa cannot be expected to step in as they would rather extract what the continent has than invest in its stability. In fact, they have managed to convince leaders on the continent to collude with them in their exploitative activities.

It all should be totally depressing and frustrating; and it is. Unbelievably, as all this goes on, what has been judged as worthy of staying up at night in various parts of the continent are matters that include the activities of consenting adults in the privacy of their bedrooms. When keeping the people safe becomes less important than very private acts I know that waiting for African solutions to African problems comes with the risk of finding out somewhere down the line that Africa does not quite see the problems.