UNION OF AFRICA HAS BEEN FAILED BY THE WESTERN INTERFERENCE by Activist Without Borders-Godfrey Mfiti
Throughout its five decades of existence, the Organization of African Unity was criticized for its unwavering commitment to state sovereignty, regardless of the actions taken by ruthless dictators like Uganda’s Idi Amin and Zaire’s Mobutu Sese Seko among the few dictators who have butchered their own citizens.
Upon efforts to prove unity the organisation attempted to form the United States of Africa with a single head of state in 2002.A proposal was made to have a supreme law for all African states.The significance of the Constitutive Act as the supreme law of the Continent, approved by all parliaments of the people of Africa, in meeting the challenges facing Africa today was emphasized at the public launch of the AU.
" This Act represented a moment of hope for our Continent and its peoples, an unequivocal commitment to African Unity."Thambo Mbeko-Former President of South Africa wrote on his website.
Indeed if the African Union was to adopt a supreme law,respected by all its member states and ratified in their respective parliaments a dream would be realized. However in their respective states,African member governments have failed to respect their own constitutions and the rule of law.
As the African Union celebrates its 50th anniversary ,Mugabe, 88, warned that Africans are not as united as was expected by the founders of the AU's predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity, half a century ago.To echo his words,Pan-Africanism is crucial for our development on the continent and for the restoration of the dignity of Africa.
The founding father of the AU,Kwame Nkrumah said: "as long as we are divided by nation states, we will be faced with internal conflicts, we will be threatened with economic marginalization as we are now, and most importantly we will be threatened with lack of self-confidence and belief, and lack of the ability to solve our own problems." In 1963, expounding his vision regarding the Organisation of African Unity Kwame Nkrumah declared, “Independence is only the prelude to a new and more involved struggle for the right to conduct our own economic and social affairs; to construct our society according to our aspirations, unhampered by crushing and humiliating neo-colonial controls and interference".
Kwame Nkrumah had a vision of a United Africa,self reliant,independent from any western or eastern influence into its internal affairs.As we cerebrate the Golden Jubilee let us take stock of the developments in the last five decades.Some observers think the interference of western countries into African affairs is failing the Union of Africa.
President Mugabe,a veteran leader of Zimbabwe argues that:"We really have not become integrated as an African people into a real union," he said. "And this is the worry, which my brother has, and the worry I have; the worry perhaps others also have. That we are not yet at that stage which was foretold by our fathers when they created this organisation."
Imagine a United States of Africa (USA)spanning Cape Town and Cairo as was proposed by Gaddafi in 1999 as a way of ending the continent's conflicts and defying the west.The idea failed to secure enough support from his African counterparts. Colonel Gaddafi had a dream of a single railway line from Capetown to Cairo where African citizens would travel without a passport into any African country using a single currency backed by gold.
One wonders whether,western powers were happy with this proposed unification of African states. Colonel Gaddafi invested in Africa more than any other leader in the recent history of Africa's coming into political independence.This angered Americans and Europeans who need access to the mineral resources in Africa for them to remain viable powers in the 21st century.Observers say implementing that vision would change the world power equation and threaten Western hegemony. In response, the United States and its NATO partners determined “Gadhafi must go,” and assumed the role of judge, jury and executioner.
In February,2009,Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi vowed to pursue his vision of a United States of Africa, in his inaugural address as the new chairman of the African Union.
Col Gaddafi was elected by the heads of state of the 53-member union behind closed doors at a summit in Ethiopia.Wearing a golden brocade robe and cap, Col Gaddafi sat with the traditional African leaders who accompanied him at the front of the room, rather than in the seat for the Libyan delegate.
"I shall continue to insist that our sovereign countries work to achieve the United States of Africa," he said in his inaugural speech.
The AU normally relies on consensus in reaching decisions, but Col Gaddafi introduced what he described as the Islamic concept that "silence is approval,"Under this principle, at least two-thirds of AU leaders would have to actively oppose Col Gaddafi's proposals, rather than simply ignoring his ideas.
On 29th August,2008,prior to the summit he had invited a group of 200 traditional leaders name him the "king of kings" of Africa.
This notion of Gaddafi towards the leadership of the African Union became a threat to other African leaders who later opposed the idea of unification of Africa.South Africa made it clear that formation of United States of Africa was not their focus whereas Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe could not bear having a supreme authority over his territory.
Efforts by Colonnel Gaddafi to form the United States of Africa dates back to 1999.The fact that between 1999 and 2002 the Constitutive Act of the African Union was written and ratified is now history, and Gaddafi deserves credit for his leadership on this.
Upon his death,the AU lost its most avid financial backer. It is estimated that roughly 15 percent of the AU operating budget provided by member states came from Libya, in addition to Tripoli’s covering of dues for a number of smaller African countries in arrears.
However, serving as chairman of the African Union, Gaddafi contravened the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. There was the execution of African migrants in Libya, and putting many on death row in Libya. Indeed, Gaddafi’s tenure as chair of the AU represented a low period for African progressives. His rambling and undisciplined presentation at the United Nations in 2009 was a poor reflection on Africa. But his presence in the USA was a result of a new alliance between the oil barons in the USA and the Libyan government. After the French government mooted the establishment of the Mediterranean Union to counter the United States in Africa, sections of the US ruling circles started to court Gaddafi. Since the visit of Condoleezza Rice to Tripoli, Gaddafi had been silent in his opposition to AFRICOM. In May 2006 Time Magazine said that George W. Bush and Gaddafi see ‘eye to eye'.
Some observers argue that Colonnel Gaddafi failed the progression of the African Union while others think the term of office for leadership of the African Union is too short to measure meaningful impact of success.
Later ,Gaddafi exposed himself very clearly when he called for the division of Nigeria along religious lines. Progressive Pan-Africanists condemned this statement and joined with the Nigerian people who reject this call for division. Nigerian youths and progressives will work to end religious, regional and ethnic manipulations. Religion, ethnicity and regional ideologies are not in themselves political factors. They become so in circumstances where the people’s forces are weakened. The call by Gaddafi is for the weakening of the people’s forces in Nigeria at precisely a moment when Nigeria should be building unity, peace and reconstruction was a serious set-back.
Such kind of behaviour from Colonnel Gaddafi showed loss of direction in the African Union,since westerners and most African states regarded him as a confusionist.
Africa is noted for its respect of notorious leaders,Gaddafi's defiance dates back more than three decades back when he became the friend of the worst dictators. His relationship with Idi Amin, whose regime murdered more than 300,000, stands out in this regard. The Libyan Arab Bank financed the ventures of Idi Amin’s henchmen and the Libyan army fought alongside Idi Amin’s army when Amin invaded Tanzania in 1978. This attack on Tanzania was an effort by Amin to divert attention from the struggle against apartheid and colonialism in Rhodesia and South Africa.
Some commentators belive Gaddafi is not to blame for the failure of progress in the formation of United States of Africa but western powers failed Africa.
On 31 January 2010, Ngwazi Dr.Bingu wa Mutharika replaced Muammar al-Gaddafi as chairperson of the African Union after Gaddafi's attempt to run as the African Union chairperson for an additional year failed. Mutharika was Malawi's first head of state to assume the position of chairperson. In his acceptance speech he said that "Africa is not a poor continent, but the African population are poor" and called for "Africa to develop Africa".
He shared his vision for the African Food Basket Initiative by making food security a priority in his agenda.
If the term of office at AU was longer some quarters believe that such leaders like Mutharika would have transformed and progressed the African Union's agenda.The American government was happy to see Gaddafi out of the leadership of the African Union.
In congratulating the election of Ngwazi Dr Bingu wa Mutharika as Chairperson of the African Union the USA government released a statement which in part reads:
"The United States will continue to work with the African Union to confront ongoing stability challenges in Guinea, Niger, and Madagascar and to further peace and reconciliation in Somalia, Darfur, Zimbabwe and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. We also hope to work closely with our African partners to confront the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence on the continent and ensure the full participation of Africa’s women in its socio-economic development." Philip J. Crowley,Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Public Affairs (February,2010).
However,President Bingu wa Mutharika failed to meet the expectations of United States of America when he linked up with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of war crimes in Darfur.
Malawi planned to host Mr Bashir in October,2012 in defiance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for him on charges of genocide in Darfur.The plan failed after the death of Mutharika in April of the same year,such that his successor,President of Joyce Banda refused to host Al Bashir in Malawi after being inflenced by the west.The AU summit was then shifted to Addis Ababa,Ethiopia.
Wa Mutharika also mantained close ties with his ally Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe who is on sanctions including a travel ban to the United States of America and Europe.
Some observers,therefore argue that a true African Union Leader would not be respected by member states if he becomes a puppet of the west.
On the other hand conflicts in African countries are not caused by brotherly hatred but the support from external influence from the East and West who supply ammunition in exchange of mineral resources.
This would mean that western countries supporting war in Africa do not want to see it free and self reliant.They believe aid attached with conditions is vital to have Africa a permanent dependent of the west
For instance in 2012,upon successfully mediating for peace in the oil rich horn of Africa in a conflict of Sudan and South Sudan,Former South African President Thabo Mbeki highlighted the need for African sovereignty.
In his words,former South African President Thabo Mbeki said that Africans can solve the numerous problems affecting the continent without giving room for external interference which usually comes with interests."With what we have done in Sudan, we have demonstrated that it is possible for us to solve our problems. If we allow others to come in they will come with their own interest and provide solutions that will serve their own interest," he said.President Mbeki noted that of all internal African efforts to solve problems of the continent, the one in Sudan has attracted respect for African leadership."Now even the UN security council cannot take any decision on this matter without asking the opinion of the African Union. It therefore demonstrates that we have the capacity as Africans to take charge of our own destiny; to refuse to be marginalized or be dictated to," he added.
As we cerebrate the fifty decades of the African Union,our leaders meeting in Addis Ababa-Ethiopia should reflect on the dream of our founding fathers.
The time has come when the Union of Africa can have a meaning when we see peace in DR Congo,peace in Somalia and all other African troubled states.
AFRICA CEREBRATES 50 YEARS OF ANGUISH
One Africa,one destiny is possible and indeed the Union of Africa is slowly getting to its fit by its ability to solve internal conflicts without external interference.WORDPRESS
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