AFRICANEWS

Africa

The United States of Africa plan revived

Muammar Gaddafi is determined to bring the proposed United States of Africa project to reality. At a two-day summit in Libya, African presidents argued that a pan-African body with more institutional reach than the Organisation of African Unity could give the continent greater bargaining power with the West.

The setting was right and so were the delegates. One of Africa's founding fathers and President of Ghana Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was at the podium giving a keynote address. This was an Organisation of African Unity (OAU) meeting way back in the early 60s, which would seek to change the face of the continent. Kwame gave out a 21-point proposal for the creation of the United States of Africa. The meeting ended and Kwame is dead but his dream still lingers on with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi now seeking to accomplish what Kwame started. The idea of African Renaissance is not new, as South African President Thambo Mbeki has been trying against all odds to bring out a better face of the continent, which has been dubbed by the West as the �Dark Continent.�

The OAU has been blamed for inactivity and hence there has been a vacuum with many African Presidents seeking to fill the void by creating regional organisations. That's why the idea of a United States of Africa is appealing to many nations. However, Africans have for long been united though informally. The All Africa games, Africa Cup of Nations, Kola Musical Awards to name a few attest to this unity. African also rallied around the then apartheid South Africa and campaigned for an end to the system and release of Nelson Mandela. Thus, the creation of the United States of Africa is just to formalise this co-operation and take it a step further. The road has however has been rough and bumpy.

Obstacles and divisions surrounded the proposal of an African Union when Gaddafi mooted it. Despite this, on July 12, 1999, 36 African leaders signed a draft treaty set to replace the 37-year-old OAU charter. The draft provides for a council of African heads of state to govern economic, social, political, and health issues. Most significantly, the text of the final document gives the African Union the right to intervene in affairs of member states to restore peace and security in extreme cases, such as if war crimes or genocide have been committed. Many have argued that a pan-African body with more institutional reach than the OAU could give the continent greater bargaining power with the West.

African leaders lauded the draft deal as a significant step, but few publicly endorsed Gaddafi's plan of establishing a "United States of Africa" by 2001. Gaddafi's proposed "African Union" would include the establishment of an African presidency, a continental parliament, and the eventual elimination of boundaries and state sovereignty. Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika said "realism" was necessary for Africa to develop an EU-style organization, while Kofi Annan emphasized that it had taken decades to establish the EU, and that Africa should consider setting up an "oil and diamond community" as a first step to economic unification. South African president Thabo Mbeki also cautioned that the foundation for an African Union must be laid "step by step." Gaddafi however was more optimistic and said it was a victory for Africa. That was then and 2001 has dawned.

The two-day OAU summit in Sirte, Libya, at the beginning of this month, like the first one did not yield promising results as some countries have not ratified the treaty. In a declaration released after the summit, the signatories said they "solemnly declare the creation of an African union by unanimous agreement." However, in order for the declaration to come into effect two-thirds of OAU members, (36 countries) need to ratify the agreement. When the thirty-sixth country ratifies the treaty there will be another extraordinary meeting.

Gaddafi's plans to revive the proposed union are likely to be watered down by conflicting regional and state interests. Some nations fear that the establishment of an African Union would derail regional cooperation initiatives that are already underway. Nigeria, currently head of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), has started a process of West African currency unification and trade liberalisation. Ecowas has also made significant progress in easing travel restrictions in West Africa. Similarly, South Africa enjoys a leadership role in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have now revived the East African Community to boost their trade regionally. But still, most African states trade far more with the rest of the world than they do with each other.

Gaddafi has been called a dreamer by many people but he is working hard to see his dream turn to a reality. All eyes are on him as we wait and see what good comes out of his efforts. Only time will tell whether the creation of a United States of Africa will be realised and what benefit it will bring be to the continent.

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