Alpha Blondy questions AU's role amidst rising violence in Africa

Legendary Ivorian reggae musician, Alpha Blondy, known in private life as Seydou Kone may appear to have gone off the radar a bit, especially after the release of his 2015 studio album, Positive Energy.

The 12-track album, is his seventeenth studio release since he bust onto the music scene in the early 1980s.

He sings about “Rainbow in the Sky”, a promise of better days to come as well as “Freedom”, themes ever present in the works of the 63-year-old singer / songwriter.

Currently in the United States where he’s been performing, the Cocody Rock hit maker who is also a UN Ambassador for Peace for his native Ivory Coast, shared his thoughts on recent happenings in Africa and around the world with Africanews.

He questioned the proactiveness of the African Union in the midst of raging battles in parts of the continent.

“I am very disappointed by the fact that the African Union allowed Colonel Gaddafi to be killed,” he said.

He was also unhappy about foreign intervention in conflicts on the continent, something he expects the AU to handle.

“The African Union exists but it is France that has to protect Mali. What is the role of the the African Union if the African Union is not capable of defending the African interest? What is their role?

Alpha Blondy also took a swipe at the United States and France whose war on terror outside their sovereign territories he said, was causing the spread of what he termed revenge terrorism.

“There are two types of terrorism. Terrorism by the state and revenge terrorism,” he said.

Terrorism by the state he said included acts by countries like the United States of America’s involvement in the Syrian war. This he said gives way to ‘revenge terrorism’ perpetrated by groups like the Islamic State.

“I want to ask the United States and France to stop trying to be the universal police. They should also respect human rights. They say Bashar al Assad of Syria is making life difficult for his people yet they go and bomb the same people.Why the double standards? They say Gaddafi was making his people suffer so they go and attack Libya. They cannot decide what should make the people happy,” he said.

Alpha Blondy’s next stop on the tour will be France in October and Belgium in November.