Major Setback of the Africa Union. African

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Yesterday was celebrated worldwide as the African day. This is the date that has been set aside for the commemoration of the foundation day of the Africa union formally known as Organization of Africa Unity (OAU).

This year celebration was under the theme, “Art, Culture and Heritage, Levers for building the Africa we want”.
“Having for a long time been numbed by the effects of colonialism, Africans should dig deep into their cultural and artistic heritage, which hold the keys to their development”, H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat the chairperson in his address to the AU. In his speech he points out the essential fact that as an effect of colonialism, most of Africans culture was wiped out and in order for Africans to truly develop, Africans need to revisit our core values that make us unique and different from the rest of the world.

Today, in my review of the African day, I will like to go vividly through the brief history of the African Union and my opinion why I think it is failing in its' mission.

A REVISIT OF THE CREATION OF AFRICAN UNION

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The Organization for Africa unity had its initial conception by Kwame Nkrumah in 1957 when Ghana had its independence from colonization. The inception of this organizations was to promote decolonization of African countries and it held its’ first ever conference on the 15th of April, 1958 (First Pan African conference), it is for this reason that the 15th of April was enact as the African freedom day. In attendance were 8 countries who at that time were independent namely Ghana, Ethiopia, Sudan, Liberia, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia and representatives from the National Liberation Front of Algeria and the Union of Cameroonian Peoples. South Africa was not in attendance due to the apartheid government that gave restrictions at that time. This conference gave birth to a number of conferences that were held all over Africa from the year 1958-1963, one in Ghana Accra just few months after the 15th April conference called the All Africans peoples conference, followed by another in Tunisia then Egypt.
Five years later, on the 25th of May 1963 the Organization of Africa Unity was founded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia hosted by the then emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie. This conference which saw a significant change in the history of Africa had about 32 independent countries in attendance and as a consequent to the formation of this organization the celebration of the African day was formed. The organization 35 years later saw a change in the name from Organization of Africa Unity (OAU) to African Union (AU). The main functions of the organization were as follows;

1. Achieve unity and Solidarity amongst member states in Africa
2. Defend sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Africa counties.
3. Accelerate political and socio-political integration in Africa.
4. Promote and defend Africa common positions of interest.
5. Encourage international cooperation just to name a few.

Looking at the key functions of the African union, it must be iterated that this organization has had tremendous success in the African continent in fostering the goals and dreams that was in the mind of the initiator Kwame Nkrumah. This organization played a vital rule in the ending of the apartheid government in south Africa amongst many other achievements but like every organization, it has major short comings.

SHORTCOMINGS OF THE AFRICAN UNION.

It should be remembered that in 1957 when Kwame Nkrumah sort to create an organization as this, his main purpose was to see that Africa had a forum where by peace could be forge by Africans, not just the decolonization process of Africa but fostering peace in Africa by Africans.But recent happenings and events over the past years have proven to be contrary to this dream, for example, NATO’s and France interventions in the internal conflicts of Libya and Cote d’Ivoire were indications that the resolutions of the African Union to go on board with more proactive engagement with peace efforts, within the continent. The organization in several situations is unable to forge ahead with peace operations. The continual reliance on Western aid is a big shortcoming to the dreams of the founding father. A more shocking of these instances is the recent crisis in Cameroon and Mozambique. Ever since the crisis started in these countries, there have been no agenda on the peace and security council to discuss the situation talk less of intervention. This to me has been one of the greatest failures of the AU and I am yet to understand the reasons for this quiet nature of the institution which is supposed to be in charge of forging peace on the continent. Some school of taught have it that the shortcomings in this domain is probably due to the weak economic capacity of the AU, that is the AU lacks adequate resources to foster its’ aim and purpose and thereby rely on International organizations like EU, UN etc. But then this just further takes Africa away from its vision of total independence and autonomy.
WAY FORWARD FOR AU AND AFRICA.
Looking at the theme of the African Day celebration, “Arts, culture and Heritage, Levers for building the Africa we want”, it is clear that this is what the continent needs to move forward. The dreams, aspirations, goals, hard works, sacrifices, love for our continent Africa demonstrated by our founding fathers during the creation of the Organization for Africa Unity needs to be revamp. The hope of having a peaceful and independent Africa, an Africa flourishing in its abundance, an Africa with rich culture and heritage.
Truly Africa is one of the richest continent in the world, with diverse and unique heritage that is worth keeping. As mentioned by the Chairperson in this year celebration, it is on these three pillars that the continent is going to reach the top, and so looking back to our rich background as a way of looking forward is of the utmost important.
Africa rise, Rise to the higher heights,
Rise to higher standards,
Rise to the challenge of building a new and peaceful Africa for all Africans.
Rise and fight against the challenges face by our continent.
Let us come together and fight against the climate change and drought that is coming so hard on our nations, fight against corruption and bribery, fight against modern colonization, fight for a truly independent Africa, the Africa Nkrumah Envisage during the creation of this organization.
Africans, we need to rise to the occasional, look to our culture and heritage, build on them to get the development we truly want in Africa. In Barack Obamas' voice "Yes we can "

Thank you for reading. @ebuahsang1