OAU-AU at 50, Africa on the Radar

Poster of President Joseph Kabila in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Reports indicate that there is still enormous instability inside the eastern regions of the DRC., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

OAU/AU at 50, Africa on the radar

FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2013 00:00
EDITOR
Nigerian Guardian

ENDLESS wars and ethnic conflicts, inept leadership, corruption, political instability, poverty and economic mismanagement. The list is endless of the woes that have befallen much of Africa post-independence. These factors have, of course, fueled underdevelopment and aggravated the failed-state status of most of the African nations.

On the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU) therefore, the continental body can be said to have little to its credit on its cardinal objective of “promoting unity, solidarity and cooperation of African States to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa.”

There is hardly unity and cooperation and certainly no better life for Africans. Whatever may be AU/OAU’s achievements in its five decades of existence pale into insignificance compared to the abject state of affairs across Africa. So, the celebrations should appropriately be muted while the occasion is used for sober reflections with a view to changing tack.

There is no doubt that from its inception in 1963, the body contributed immensely towards the liberation of Africa from colonialism, apartheid and racism. Today, virtually all former colonies in Africa are independent. The laurel for AU/OAU, however, seems to end there.

The independent nations have failed on the path of peace, progress and national development, with the welfare of the people now in jeopardy. Many are locked in unending conflicts that have not only bastardised the countries, caused genocide in Rwanda and Burundi, mindless killings in Liberia and Sierra Leone, left the people impoverished, but also left the continent in such a state as to justify its being pigeon-holed as the “heart of darkness.”

From East Africa, where guerrilla warfare is the order, to West Africa where political instability is the norm in many countries; and from North Africa, currently engulfed in chaos to Southern Africa where Zimbabawe’s economy has been destroyed due to insensitive and sit-tight leadership, the AU has been practically hopeless and helpless in the face of all these. The virtual disintegration of Somalia and the unending conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is as old as the continental organisation itself, are also cases in point. At its gatherings, the OAU/AU’s preoccupation has been wars and conflicts with little time to discuss economic growth.

There is democracy, albeit corrupted varieties, in a large number of countries, but no good governance in most.

Individual member countries are weak and therefore lack strong collective power and influence. The western superpowers are practically still in total control of the organisation and instigate most of the conflicts where stooges who serve as leaders readily yield to such advances for selfish interests.

Indeed, the political scramble for Africa that resulted in the warped partitioning of the continent now continues on the economic front. It is on record that about 80 per cent of the world’s diamond is found in Africa. Oil, uranium and plutonium are in large quantities. As a matter of fact, virtually every known mineral resource of economic importance is found in Africa and still the continent remains impoverished. The inroad by the Chinese in particular is generating fears of a new economic colonialism. This is happening because most African countries are economically powerless, too technologically backward and lack the strong-willed, purposeful leadership needed to exploit the resources for Africa’s growth.

The AU has not been, as expected, the driving engine of growth on the continent. Commitment to the union is even undermined by the attitude of many leaders and countries, even to the non-payment of their annual dues to the organisation. The building of the new AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, donated by the Chinese, is symbolic of the beggarly attitude of Africa.

Is there any hope for the continent? The solution to Africa’s underdevelopment quagmire must begin with the leadership. Visionary leadership is what all the countries of Africa need to be strong as individuals before they can aggregate this strength for continent-wide successes. Indeed, Africa has been crippled and the people impoverished solely by bad leadership.

There must be a conscious reassessment of how leadership emerges in Africa, to create a new political order that would reinvigorate economic development within individual countries. The union should begin with building platforms for the aggregation of skills and talents in different areas for continent-wide, mutually beneficial projects.

The AU should also focus on education, food and security. Mass illiteracy is the bane of Africa’s development and nothing can be achieved when the citizens lack capacity to help themselves and the society.

Transportation across Africa by land, sea or air is important as individual countries strive to develop its infrastructure with a view to aiding free or easy movement of goods and services. Ultimately, there is need for a Free Trade Area Agreement to enhance commerce within Africa. This should build upon the successes, though limited, of the regional groupings on the continent.

The calls for AU to be disbanded, understandable in view of its massive failures, may be too drastic. But there is no doubt that the organisation needs a re-orientation. There is a new world economic order. African leaders through the AU should come up with fresh ideas in line with the current global realities. Otherwise, this may be the beginning of another half-century of waste.