Africans are responding to the chaos at the US Capitol with irony, sarcasm and humor. #Trump started trending on Twitter in places like Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya as the the platform blocked the US president.
Africans are astonished at the disarray around the US seat of power — especially those familiar with the playbooks of leaders who refuse to concede defeat, carry out coups or incite political violence.
While the continent’s current leaders stayed mute about Wednesday’s events in Washington, former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan gave a stern rejoinder to Trump.
The average African seemed unable to resist having a little fun at the expense of the outgoing US president.
“Trump should just pull off his mask and tell us which African country he’s from,” a Twitter user in Zambia remarked.
Trump never visited the continent but famously called African nations “sh**hole countries” in 2018. He also made unkind comments about prospective immigrants to the US from Nigeria.
Some Nigerians drew parallels to what has happened in their own country.
“This is a similar episode to what happened in Nigeria during the Buhari transition,” referring to the handover of power from Goodluck Jonathan to current President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Jonathan had to succumb as he got nothing more than to finally agree,” Sam’ana Ilyas told DW Hausa.
Nigerian Salihu Yakubu told DW’s Hausa service that “America’s present democracy is no different to Africa’s.”
In South Africa, Floyd Shivambu, deputy to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party leader Julius Malema, sparked lively discussion after he put his thoughts out on social media.
The EFF is notorious for its spectacular disruptions of proceedings in the halls of power.
“Worth noting that when Zuma made similar noises ahead of being ousted, South Africa’s military very decidedly came out in favor of law and order,” local commentator Verashni Pillay wrote.
For Zimbabwe, the developments at the US Capitol meant the shoe was suddenly on the other foot. The contentious issue of longstanding and crippling US sanctions on the southern African country threw up some irony and provoked much laughter.
The Twitter hashtags #America, #Trump, #TheUS #Democracy were trending for Zimbabwe and jammed WhatsApp traffic within the diaspora.
DW Kiswahili asked people in Kenya and Tanzania for their opinions.
“The current state of affairs in the US elections brings shame on the international community,” Mwenebatu Etabo said in Kigoma, Tanzania. “Please compromise, it’s the best way.”
But in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, Nyaigoti Chacha told DW all is not lost “although Donald Trump had tried so hard to undermine the country’s democracy.”
“I think we can still say that US is still a role model of democracy,” Chacha said. “After today’s riots we have seen the Senate and Congress certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory and therefore he will be sworn in by the 20th.”
Abuu Ali in Tanzania said he believed that Trump’s goal had been to undermine the peace and stability of the US “and to incite hatred between whites and Americans of African descent, in order to gain strength and stay in power.”
Hamad Said called the developments “a great shame for the American nation that calls itself the mother of democracy in the world.”
Romanus Msigala meanwhile appeared perplexed: “Do the security forces not exist?”
In Ghana, citizens are preoccupied with the outcome of their own presidential election. On Thursday, days after the opposition challenged the vote in court, incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo is being sworn in for a second term.
When Trump expressed his disdain for Africa with an expletive, Akufo-Addo famously shot back: “We will not accept such insults, even from a leader of a friendly country, no matter how powerful.”
Ann Wanjiku-Schulte and Muntaqa Ahiwa contributed to this article.