Israel-Iran war: Thanks to Human Rights Watch for not disrupting this beautiful war with principles and ethics, reserved only for Africa
When a conflict breaks out in Africa, the sirens of NGOs like Human Rights Watch and Western media howl in unison. Alarmist reports, shocking images, fiery op-eds—everything is used to portray a continent in chaos, under the watchful eye of those who proclaim themselves as defenders of human rights. But when Israel and Iran clash in a deadly escalation, causing hundreds of civilian casualties, these same self-proclaimed moral authorities retreat into deafening silence.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and other NGOs so quick to denounce “African crimes” suddenly lose their voice. No loud press releases, no viral campaigns, no calls for international sanctions. Yet bombs are falling, civilians are dying, and atrocities are being committed on both sides. Strangely, though, these conflicts—far deadlier than many African crises—don’t seem to provoke the same selective outrage.
Western media, champions of sensationalism when it comes to Africa, adopt a strange restraint. We don’t see endless loops of unbearable images, biased analyses, or self-proclaimed experts explaining African history to Africans. No—instead, we hear talk of self-defense, complex geopolitics, or regional power struggles. Words so technical, so neutral, that we could almost forget children are dying under the rubble.
The difference in treatment is glaring. When an African country experiences violence, it’s branded as barbarism and proof of an innate inability to embrace democracy. But when Israel and Iran launch missiles at each other, it’s a geopolitical conflict. The same voices that dissect every protest in the Sahel with contempt and condescension suddenly become distinguished diplomats when it’s the Middle East.
Where are the so-called experts who crowd TV studios to explain that Africa is ungovernable? Why don’t we hear their sharp analyses about Netanyahu or Khamenei? Strange. Perhaps, to them, some lives are worth more than others. Perhaps Africa remains the favorite playground of a moralizing neocolonialism, where judgment is handed down without hesitation—unlike in other regions where geopolitical interests dictate… silence.
This double standard is no surprise, but it confirms an unsettling truth: for many, human rights are a weapon of convenience. Africa, always under scrutiny, must bow to the dictates of an “international community” that carefully chooses its battles.
So, the next time a damning report is published about an African country, remember the complicit silence over Israel and Iran, and ask yourself: who really sets the human rights agenda?
