European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 3, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes sunday. November 3. 1985 the Rise of the Warrior class Africa s men in Khaki a Law unto themselves by Clifford d. May new York times a t a Croom conf it n . . I .i.-Il. Irett Ujdur i find Het Long ago Learned thai an automatic weapon and an empty 01 Fum set along a Road mat".1 a  and Piofer Ibie private in much of Alica. It Sec is. The Warnor caste has evolved into a ring class Soldier. Poloci inert and militias have become member u1 a in vile cd elite. Iree to inflict will or whim on the Titi try they Are fed and clothed while Pons its a i Irve and dress in rags they Are issued guns and bullets while Farmers Lack hoes and seeds and in Many countries the military is accountable to no one not to politicians not the press not to the pubic they Are pledged to serve Africa s armies Are one of the few color Nally imposed  that have not Only survived but also have grown and even prospered since Independence. However the discipline and professionalism that the English and French demanded of men in uniform has often been lost. Beyond that the vast majority of african soldiers have never mounted or halted an incas a. Indeed most troops have never fired a shot at .1 Oier of another nationality by and Large. African forces Are deployed Only against their own people in their own countries. During the years his army1 fought insurgents in the lower Triangle. President Milton Obote of Uganda was never really Able to control it. As Many As 300.000 civilians ate estimated to have been killed As result. A military coup this summer replaced Obote. But evidently did not solve the problem. The most recent violence took place while rebel leaders and government representatives were conducting peace talks in Nairobi. For a Young Man in Africa soldiering is one the new steady jobs available and it offers the possibility of upward mobility. After All. It is More common for an african ruler to come from the military than from any other walk of life. A Lew of the soldiers who Nave become Heads of state col. Sheyni Koun tche of niger or example or flight it. Jerry a. Rawlings of Ghana have Given their countries a degree of stability. Almost none have encouraged Freedom or even limited Prosperity for their liberian head of stale and president Samuel Kanyon Doe october elections were  civilian populations. Indeed at a Celebration in Lagos marking Nigeria s 25th anniversary of Independence the nations s Leader maj Gen Ibrahim Baban Gida announced a 15 month state of economic emergency and banned imports of Rice and Corn and the trading of Oil for consumer goods All of us he warned must make hard choices " part of the reason May be that a master sergeant with an 1 Lih Grade education such As Liberia s Samuel k Doe. Or a 35-year-old paratrooper such As Turkina faso s capt. Thomas Sankara May not have a very sophisticated understanding of political science much less Macro economic principles. As it has for the past five years. Liberia s leadership remained in Doe s hands after what were billed in mid october As the country s first free and air National elections nor is it surprising that Africa s uniformed rulers tend to favor obedience and a strictly enforced Chain of command. Such systems Are More in tune with their backgrounds and training than ideologies based on the right of the individual to Challenge authority and the usefulness of Public debate. The predisposition of military men to favor military rather than political solutions and to employ Force rather than Compromise to Settle disputes May also help explain Why a nation such As impoverished Ethiopia led by col. Mengistu Haile Mariam. Maintains the largest army in the sub Sahara and is engaged in chronic warfare on several internal fronts. It is difficult to imagine How the future will be different. Africa s armies receive some of the first world s most advanced technology. Mig fighter planes soar above Fields slowed by oxen. Tanks seem to be More common than tractors. Armed with such weapons the continent s military masters would appear to be unchallengeable by even the most outraged civilians. At Best eruptions of frustration and Ric no May snunupcen9 of ups youn9e sole s move against their superiors and take charge themselves in the name of canal a to h wid Mina e be pie like the 9ifcanary yellow dress