According to a report by Channels TV, on Friday November 21, 2025, Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has strongly criticized external actors who advocate for forceful intervention in troubled regions, dismissing their approach as lacking genuine understanding and respect for local complexities.
The respected playwright and activist questioned the competence of any group proposing violence without a thorough analysis of the underlying issues.
Soyinka condemned the mindset of those who propose intervention with what he termed “poor, almost nonexistent analysis” of the conflict’s complexities. He specifically targeted the language often used by proponents of such swift, violent action.
“You don’t just open your mouth and say I’m coming to help you whether you like it or not,” Soyinka remarked. “And I’m coming with violence from outside with poor almost nonexistent analysis of the complexities of where the problem is. And you say I’m coming to help you.”
He then highlighted the alarming and questionable rhetoric sometimes associated with these plans.
“And I’m coming with guns are blazing. And when we come in, it’s going to be fast, vicious, and sweet,” Soyinka quoted, before asking pointedly, “Now is that a language of somebody whose head is correct?”
While acknowledging the core responsibility of governance to its citizens, Soyinka stressed that this duty must be executed with a measure of respect and dignity for those affected.
“Any government has an obligation to protect to ensure the welfare of his or her citizens. There’s no question about it,” he conceded.
However, the Nobel Laureate firmly insisted that external parties must show courtesy to those involved in finding solutions.
“But at least have some respect for victims and those who are trying to find solution for the unacceptable situation,” he concluded.
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