Amid the cries of alarm from Joseph Muscat, Matteo Renzi and other European politicians over the deaths of so many African migrants in the Mediterranean, African leaders appear to be far from acknowledging their share of the responsibility.

While the West bears some form of responsibility for these tragic deaths, African leaders, for their part, are standing by in deafening silence before this unprecedented spectacle, which is proof of their absolute failure!

It is their citizens who are drowning in the hundreds, along with Syrians and Afghan people. But amazingly, there has been barely an anguished word from the continent’s excellencies except for Senegal’s president who offered a salute to the memory of the victims.

It is an implicit acknowledgement that life, for the overwhelming majority in these countries, is so miserable that their leaders are not shocked that thousands would rather risk death at sea than endure it in their country.

Poverty and low job creation are the two main reasons why there is such an exodus of illegal migrants. In Senegal, for example, only one in five Senegalese works full time, and almost half of the population remains below the poverty line.

As long as this continent remains under the control of tyrants – whether an immovable septuagenarian, a mad dictator or a general – the number of refugees from these war stricken countries is bound to escalate further.