Although the news is currently focusing on the shooting of over a hundred protesters in Guinea, another side of the story unheard in English language news regards the background of the country’s current president, Moussa Dadis Camara. Prior to overthrowing the government in his native country, he received 18 months of military training in Bremen, Germany (link in German) at the Führungsakadamie der Bundeswehr (link in German). Needless to say, Germany is less than thrilled about the news. However, no one would likely have known had Camara not been speaking German in public. According to reports, several of his closest friends were also sent to Germany for training and thus speak fluent German, very rare in Guinea. Therefore, he has apparently been using it as a ‘secret language.’ Additionally, he apparently talks to the foreign press in German as well.
Most humorous was an exchange between him and the German ambassador in which the ambassador carefully asked about the future return of elections and civilian leadership. Camara began yelling that it was his country and he could do as he liked because he was president and in an Eric Cartman-esque moment, to “Respect my authority.” Whether this turns out to be a domestic issue is unclear at the moment but overall unlikely. With the election Sunday, the economic crisis and many other big fish to fry, this will probably remain an interesting side story. However, as Germany trains more and more foreign students (both police and military) these types of events may come back to haunt them down the road similar to our School of the Americas which had to undergo a name change. Given that the German people are uneasy about all military matters, bad press like this will only serve to further decrease public support for any kind of military engagement whether training foreigners at home or operating abroad.
There’s an almost child like quality in most of today’s tin pot dictators that I find fascinating. Nothing in their bearing, manner of presentation or decision making process suggests any ability to reach the level of political achievement they’ve attained much less hang on for any measured period of time. And yet they do.