So Colonel Gadaffi wants to revive the African Union.
According to the BBC he wants to have a central African government (who would run it colonel?!! You?)
I grew up reading about pan Africanism. The idealism of Kwame Nkrumah wishing to unite the varied countries of Africa under an umbrella which stood in the face of colonialism and apartheid and worked at advancing the economic and social ambitions of the representative countries. Restoring in esssence a sense of lost pride and identity suffered from the fallout of slavery, colonialism and post colonialism. In principle I think this great, but the practical is eons away from the principle.
You see for me, whilst I admire the moves of the European Union(EU) or the Union of South American Nations (UNASUL) to combine resources and have freedom of movement, a united currency, central bank, etc. even they have less countries and wranglings than the continent of Africa. For example the EU which comprises 27 member countries is still dominated by the big four (Germany, France, UK and Spain) how would this replicate it Africa. Or the UNASUL with its twelve members has it economic policy managed by Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Urugay and Venezuela. Again how would that replicate.
Whilst I admire efforts for pan Africanism I think with the 53 countries with their varied cultural, ethnic and politic differences stretching for years to the present day, this would be no mean feat. The countries and cultures of Africa are far too different. Even with my recent trip to Tanzania I picked up regional differences and mentalities that would take mountains to climb before they were resolved. Can it work? Of course it can. Do I think the continent is ready for such a thing…..no, not yet. (It’s my blog. Am allowed to be opinionated!!)
One the upside, I personally think that an African Central Bank would be remarkable. A great start for non partisan investment into the infrastructure of macro and micro investment in many of the continents poorer and more politically fragile nations. A pegged currency could certainly remove the slavish dependence many countries have on say the US dollar and counter some of the hyper inflation in countries like Zimbabwe. But bearing in mind that last point what would the Union be able to do to deal with the socio economic policies of member states like Sudan, Sierra Leone, DR Congo and Zimbabwe.
Maybe I am being to pessimistic but I think that many of the issues that need addressing in various African countries need to be kind of resolved locally first. Again I think the need for a central bank is a big step in the right direction but as for the future of the Union, well I think that Emeka sums it up best here.
I’d like to see how the policy makers would pull off a unified currency.
I shouldn’t laugh, but it would probably end up being the US Dollar!!
“…too different…”
The pundits say the same about CARICOM…
[...] Read more [...]
Africans, the naysayers can just keep on saying nay. Judging by the folowing statement, I would say that actual Unification is about to happen. It’s On.
The following was shared from: http://forum.visitsierraleone.org/forum_posts.asp?TID=2130&PID=24640#24640. It is a renering of a speech delivered by Brother Muamar Qaddafi in Free Town, Siera Leone enroute fromn the African Union Summit in Accra, Ghana, 2007. It has been edited for clarity by Sheik Abdurrahman Tommy Nelson.
The Leader addressed the huge masses of Sierra Leone at a rally (in Free Town). Speaking in English at the beginning of his speech saying:
“Most people of this country are Muslims, Islam spread here without arms, without terrorism and without explosions.
Islam spread here in West Africa as it did in Indonesia peacefully, by culture, by understanding. Islam will continue to expand in the world peacefully and without terrorism or arms.
We thank Allah that the majority here are Muslims living in peace with their Christian brothers and affiliates of other religions.
We encourage your merger and inter-marriages between Muslims and Christians, because the Religion belongs to Allah, and Sierra Leone belongs to all Sierra Leoneans.”
The Leader pursued his speech in the Arabic Language, he said:
“I am happy and thank you for the warm popular reception at a late hour of last night. I am sorry( I apologize) that I was late and you have been waiting for me since morning till night.
I am here in Sierra Leone in my country and among my brothers. I am African and this is Africa.
I would like to tell you that these days we are standing at a cross road. Before us is a dangerous historical turning point. Africa: to be or not to be.
These are decisive hours that will decide the fate of the African continent.
Now is the time for the real mobilization of the African people, youth, women and men.
In Accra, after two or three days, the voice of the African people must be heard; not the voice of rulers in Africa.
What do African people want? The African people want African unity. We want strength, peace and stability in Africa.
What do you want? You want the unity of Africa. You want a very strong Africa like Europe, like the United States. One African people. One African Unity. One African Army. One African currency. And, one African identity.
After more than 40 years and we are meeting in the summit and nothing has changed in the African reality.
Why? Because Africa’s destiny was in the hands of the rulers, only. Rulers meet in closed halls. They agree and disagree. This reflects on the African reality. And the peoples knew nothing.
This should (must) change.
Now, the voice of the African people should (must) be heard. The youth’s voice. The women’s voice.
Voices of all the men and women, is what should(must) be heard and what should decide Africa’s destiny.
From now on, Africa’s destiny shouldn’t (must not) be decided by a handful of rulers.
This is why African people’s activists began to meet these days in such gatherings.
Activists of more than 40 African countries met in Tripoli about four or five days ago. And a statement was issued at the gathering which gathered all the African activists and decided to immediately establish the unitary government. And from now on, time shouldn’t (must not) be wasted.
And in Bamako, women met and decided the same thing and issued the same statement.
In Conakry, just as you saw, witnessed and heard; there was a huge meeting in a stadium just like this one yesterday. The activists decided the same thing that was decided by Tripoli and Bamako activists.
And, now here in Freetown…
By the grace of Allah, I will meet with other activists in Cote D’Ivoire and Ghana.
And there are other meetings in Kampala, South Africa and Senegal.
This indicates that we Africans have begun to move. We have sensed that time is quickly passing by. Europe is uniting which is a dangerous challenge that confronts us. America is already a great power. South America is uniting. Asia is uniting in several blocs, in ASEAN, the independent countries and south Asia.
And this indicates that the Africans have become conscious. And this is a new and a very important thing.
We were not conscious in the past. We left our destiny to the rulers. And, they knew nothing, they didn’t agree. And dozens of years were wasted. The Organization of African Unity failed in the unity. It was called the Organization of African Unity but it didn’t realize the unity…which means it has failed.
Are we going to allow the African Union to fail just as the Organization of African Unity has failed?
This matter is left to the African people.
Certainly the answer is no. We don’t want the African Union to fail just as the Organization has failed.
We are crawling in Accra’s direction and not like the usual rulers. Now, we are crawling through the masses; through the conscious African masses today.
We don’t want to beg Europe again. We don’t want to become beggars to America. We don’t want to become slaves again.
We want to be free! We want this continent to become strong just like the other continents. This can only be realized by unity. With a genuine effective unitary instrument.
This is the cross road we are in now:
We either succeed or fail: live or die.
Brothers, it hurts me to see African youth cross Libyan coasts in the direction of Europe in rotten boats and they drown in the Mediterranean Sea and become food for the Mediterranean fish.
The European press and other media comment on that saying, “look at the African youth, look at the beggars they are coming to us across the sea.” They enjoy reading the news how a boatload drowned and how youth died and were eaten by fish. They even take enjoyable pictures of them.
This must stop, too.
Do not immigrate to Europe. Live and die in Africa.
Our continent is richer than Europe.
Africa is the richest continent (in the entire world). How come its people become beggars?
How come, we are a rich continent with poor people?
Europe is the poor one. And because of that it occupied Africa in order to take African raw materials. They take African agricultural (produce), fruits and vegetables.
In Europe, they do not have gold and diamonds.
These coasts are called Coasts of Gold and of Ivory. Here in Africa there is gold, diamonds and precious metals. Here there is brass, cobalt, magnesium and all raw materials. But they are not utilized because Africa is not united. We did not make an executive tool to realize this.
You’re rich and the Europeans are poor. How can the rich go to the poor and beg him?.
Listen, my children:
Don’t leave your African continent. Stay here in Africa. Work here in Africa.
How can you leave your continent and go to another continent? This is a shameful thing for the Africans (to do).
They need Africa. They (must) come to us as slaves and workers. It is not us that goes to them either slaves or beggars.
From now on, don’t go to Europe.
From now on, no migration from Africa.
Struggle (here), on the African continent. We live in the African continent. Africa is paradise. The rain is here. The rivers are here. The fresh lakes are here. The forests are here. The fertile land is here. Raw materials are here. Humans are here; the mighty humans.
The African is a mighty individual in the world. We have a physical capability that no other race has.
How can we humiliate ourselves now and go Europe like beggars.
One does not starve in Africa. But one can starve in Europe.
Who is your mother? Africa or Europe? We want an answer.
The masses reply with us: Africa.
Of course, Africa.
How can you leave your mother and go to another?
Remain here with your mother, and you either live and die.
Who gives us milk? Our mother? Or another strange woman? It is our mother who gives you milk.
Hence, Africa is who breast feeds us. She gives us milk.
Stay here in Africa. Stay here in Africa. We have all the capabilities. But we lack the tools that makes use of these capabilities.
I listened carefully to a review of some of aid presented to you by your brothers in Libya, in the speech of my brother, Hajj. Ahmed. This is a fraternal duty. But this cannot save Sierra Leone or Libya. Aid cannot make the future of people. What makes the future is work. Here work in agriculture, in industry and in all fields.
I know that this country suffered from many internal problems and civil war. This is the result of African separation because each African country is isolated by itself.
I asked the Head of an African country, why do you leave your country? He told me because my country is a small one and anyone with 30 soldiers can take over power. This is something that makes you laugh and cry at the same time.
If Africa was one nation like the United States of America or like Europe, would it be possible that 30 soldiers to rule this part of Africa? It would be impossible because there is one African Central Government. And there is one African Army of more than 2 million soldiers. In this case, a person feels assured and he can travel and leave this place.
This example shows us the unfortunate state of each African country alone. Nevertheless, we will not ignore the situation we are living in due to partition and without the establishment of African unity. We must treat the wounds now existing in this respect. I highly appreciate the efforts of my dear brother Al-Hajj Ahmed Kabbah who with his sincerity towards you and his strong will and personal ability was able to heal the wounds of Sierra Leone. These are wounds of all of us Africans. Therefore, this effort deserves appreciation and support.
There are wounds in Africa that need loyal men like President Al-Hajj. Ahmed Kabbah.
In order to continue supporting this effort to heal these wounds, especially in Sierra Leone, I will urge the Gathafi Foundation for International Charitable Associations to open an office here in Sierra Leone to work side by side with international charitable associations here. Also, the World Islamic Call Society will do the same thing.
We will work on bringing together the displaced families due to the civil war and to help the victims of this civil war and to rehabilitate them to live the good life.
We will compliment the other international efforts here.
I thank you for this warm, fraternal and cordial reception.
Your brothers in Libya are watching you and applaud you. They are greatly touched by these popular receptions which are transmitted to them live on the air.
Long live Africa!
Long live African Unity !
Long live the United States of Africa!
The struggle is on!
CULLED FROM http://mathaba.net/related.shtml?x=556653
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[...] is not sure if Africa is ready for such a union: Whilst I admire efforts for pan Africanism I think with the 53 countries with their varied [...]
Trying to predict whether Africa is ready for Union is as reliable as trying to predict the moment at which a certain leaf will fall to the ground.
For me as a young African, it seems sad that our continent should accept limitations. We are not of our fathers’ generation and we all have wrongdoing somewhere. Colonel Gadaffi was not speaking total nonsense and our fathers despite their weaknesses and despite ours, have something of value to teach us.
I am positive that in our generation a union will be realised and many who suffer on our continent shall have relief. Yes we have many differences but Africans everywhere are more similar than they are different in terms of spirit. We are citizens of the world first, Africans second and nations third. Forbid that we should all be the same since a celebration of differences and variety means flavour and rhythm. Africans know how to live with rhythms created by variety.
When given the opportunity we will be a blessing to all the earth. Much good will come from Africa in spite of its current state. If it does not come, those of us living to take over leadership from our fathers shall die trying, remaining true to the vision they saw.