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WEB POSTED 03-26-2001

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Moving Towards The United States Of Africa
-BlackElectorate.com 03/06/2001

Working toward a United States of Africa
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An African Union Leaders take step toward Nkrumah's dream of One Africa

SIRTE (FinalCall.com)� The establishment of an African Union that will keep the continent viable, even thriving, in the face of mounting challenges from globalization and a united European community was reaffirmed here March 1-2 by more than 44 representatives of African governments, including many heads of state.

The 5th Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), or Sirte II, ended with solid support from the OAU�s 53 member states for the Constitutive Act of the African Union, a document that establishes the various institutions of the African Union. The remaining holdout countries put their signatures to the document during the summit, meaning that the establishment of an African Union has support from all OAU member states. At Final Call press time, 31 nations had officially ratified the Constitutive Act. Thirty-six member states must ratify before the Constitutive Act can be enacted, calling into existence a Pan-African Parliament; a Court of Justice; an African Central Bank with a common currency; African Monetary Fund; and an African Investment Bank.

"Here we re-establish the balance that was lost in the world � that can�t be restituted by weapons of mass destruction or hegemony and dominion, but rather by the people�s will," said Libya�s Col. Muammar Gadhafi, the summit�s host, during the closing session.

"Africa has no intercontinental ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons, but Africa today is stronger than those who possess cruise missiles. We created this day based on a sea of tears and sweat and blood and martyrs. Glory to African men and women in the struggle," he said.

The latest call for a United States of Africa came from Col. Gadhafi several years ago during a July 1999 meeting of the OAU in Algeria. That clarion call resulted in the signing of the Sirte Declaration here on Sept. 9, 1999, a document setting the pace for establishing such an African Union.

In Lome last July, the Constitutive Act for an African Union was signed by many of the leaders, with the remaining signing here. It was hoped that a majority of nations ratifying the document would be reached here.

Once ratification is reached, now expected to happen during the annual OAU meeting in Lusaka in July, movement toward establishing the five institutions will begin.

It is hoped that these institutions�a Pan-African Parliament, a Court of Justice, Central Bank, Monetary Fund, and Investment Bank�will help to:

  • achieve greater unity between countries,

  • defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states,

  • promote democratic principles, institutions and good governance,

  • promote and protect human and peoples� rights, and

  • help the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy, among other objectives.

The Pan African Parliament initially will have consultative and advisory powers only, while its ultimate goal is to evolve into an institution with full legislative powers, whose members are elected. As currently written, the Parliament will consist of five members from each state, at least one being a female.

As the African Union progresses, a common currency will be introduced for the continent and a common defense force ultimately will be established.

"I call this the second liberation of Africa," Zakaria M. Abdi, Somalia�s minister of information, told The Final Call, explaining that independence brought Africa freedom from colonialism. Today the struggle is for political, economic and social liberation, he said.

Throughout Ouagadougou Hall, references to the Founding Fathers of the African liberation movement�names like Nkrumah, Nasser, Lumumba, Sekou Toure, and those who founded the OAU with the idea of a United States of Africa�were never far from anyone�s lips.

"When the OAU started in �63, the environment was different in Africa and the world, but despite this the founding fathers did teach the thought of a common currency, a common parliament and common market. All these ideas were enshrined in the �63 summit establishing the OAU," said Ibrahim Dagash, former OAU spokesman who now is special advisor to the Pan African News Agency.

He said the OAU is a one-of-a-kind continental organization of heads of state whose task now is to transform itself into the African Union, an organization that will bring the group closer to ordinary citizens of Africa.

It is the day-to-day concerns of the average citizen that Bernard Ngwa, a journalist from Cameroon, talked to The Final Call about. He said he�s seen an upsurge in support for the African Union among leaders since the OAU meeting in Lome, Togo. But the discussion about a United States of Africa is not something on the lips of the man on the street.

"They�re more concerned about bread and butter issues," he said. "Given what I see day to day, the misery and suffering, the abject poverty, especially south of the Sahara, if this movement becomes a reality, I see it having a positive impact on the lives of men, women and children.

"My children should be able to grow up in a society where there is lots of opportunity and prosperity, good education and income," he said. "If being together in a union can help the different states, especially those having conflicts, if it could enable them to speak rather than fight, then having an African Union certainly has more advantages than disadvantages."

Min. Akbar Muhammad, Nation of Islam international representative, who has closely observed and attended OAU meetings to establish the African Union, told The Final Call that an African Union will mean freedom of movement of goods and people.

He questioned why an Algerian should need a visa to go to Zambia, or why a Ghanaian has to fly to Europe to get a flight into Tripoli. Or even a phone call going from Nigeria to Ethiopia must oftentimes first go through Europe.

"The Europeans, in building the EU, see the necessity of not only the freedom of movement of goods, but the freedom of movement of human beings. So they call it a Europe without borders," he said, also noting Africa�s need to develop its infrastructure. "It means freeing Africans to move freely, to consolidate the small amount of wealth they have and to be able to give a better quality of life to their people. It allows the government to save money instead of trying to live as a small, independent government in a world that is vastly becoming smaller."

And how should the west greet the United States of Africa?

"They should stand up and applaud what happened at the Sirte II conference, but the west is not happy," Min. Akbar continued. "The west loves a balkanized Africa, because it�s easier to control and they can continue to rob Africa of her rich natural resources." (See interview on page 6.)

Dr. Mohammad Somorra, Sierra Leone�s ambassador to Libya, agrees. He cites the sabotaging and destabilizing that took place during the founding OAU charter.

He noted that some of the delays in the Sirte II meeting were because "everybody in Africa wants to be a president or a prime minister and rule each other�s state." Also, the disparity among African countries was a major concern, he said.

Regarding the persistent question asked by mostly European journalists concerning Mr. Gadhafi�s role in the African Union, Mr. Somorra responded as most African leaders have:

"We don�t have to be like the colonialists or our detractors in the west who want to see Africa as between Arab and Black Africa. We�re all Africans," he said.

"Colonel Gadhafi is one of Africa�s leaders who has lived before his time. He�s a Nkrumah or an Abdel Nasser resurrected. This is our last chance," he said.

President Charles Taylor of Liberia told The Final Call that Africa could no longer afford to have decisions for the continent made outside of Africa. He noted the "200 years of trial and error" before the United States became a stable country, and that establishing an African Union will take time and patience.

"When you have people who are hungry, naked, dying of different diseases, it�s impossible to have the type of stability the west is enjoying. We must begin to use Africa�s resources in the generation of finance and capital to begin to move the poverty bar," he said. "The problem is you are either poor or rich in Africa. The development of a middle class will bring about stability."

Blacks in the diaspora play an important role, observers commented, by bringing talent, technology and capital to the table. Also, Blacks in the diaspora can be influential in their countries to render aid or keep their governments from creating mischief in the union process.

Finally, observers say Blacks abroad can keep pressure on the African leaders to come to the table of unity and stay there.

OAU chair Gnasingbe Eyadema, president of Togo, concluded the conference on a note of urging African leaders to stay true to the goal of an African Union.

"No obstacle should prevent us from making headway," he said. "No blackmail should stop us. No initiative should blunt our courage. Our will to make headway must not become weaker."

Photos:
#1-(L-R): OAU Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim, Col. Gadhafi and OAU Chair Pres. Eyadema of Togo raise hands in victory at conclusion of Sirte II Summit.
#2-Pres. Frederic Chiluba of Zambia gives closing comments during Sirte II.

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