Group celebrates its anniversary, but the verdict is still out on whether it's meeting the needs of ordinary Africans.http://aje.me/ZkpSJG    | |||
| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The African Union headquarters complex in the capital Addis Ababa stands in stark contrast to its immediate surroundings. The wide planetarium-like-structure sitting comfortably attached to a $100mn lightly glazed tower dominates the city’s skyline. Inside, the combined leadership of 54 nations gather in state of the art conference rooms to contemplate Africa’s future. Outside the complex, taxi cabs jostle for parking space, pedestrians are questioned by security guards, while local residents navigate the grime and dust of urban life, jostling for space in narrow alleys. The continental bloc might be celebrating 50 years on Saturday, but there is an unmistakable cynicism surrounding the nature and value of the union in meeting the needs of ordinary Africans. The AU plans to host commemorative celebrations at a reported cost of $1.3mn, despite ongoing conflicts and insecurity in five countries across the continent, including Sudan, the eastern DRC and Mali. Disarray still reigns in Guinea-Bissau, the Central African Republic and Madagascar. Moreover, despite recent economic growth across the continent, living conditions remain abysmal for many average people, with the UN’s signature index suggesting that 24 of the 25 countries at the bottom of the human development index are African. These types of statistics compel critics to describe the AU as a talk shop, rudderless and crucially disconnected from African citizens like its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). Change of focus Joram Biswaro, Tanzania’s ambassador to Ethiopia believes criticism of the AU is unfair and out of context. Despite its limitations as a continental bloc, the fact that Madagascar, CAR and Guinea-Bissau were banned from attending the summit for ongoing political irregularities signalled the AU was headed in the right direction, he said. "Perhaps had it not been for this organisation, Africa might not have achieved what it has achieved… if you want to assess its performance, one should look at its charter,” Biswaro told Al Jazeera. The original organisation, the OAU, built by 32 African nations originally on May 25, 1963, focused primarily on liberating countries on the continent from the grip of colonialism.
But since the formation of the AU in 2002, with a renewed focus on solving conflicts, engineering socio-economic development and improving governance, hard questions are being asked over the political will of the AU to reignite the lost dream of pan-Africanism. During the Arab Spring of 2011, the AU was an anonymous spectator as a revolutionary fervor that was born in North Africa spread across the Middle East. The AU appeared to be particularly hamstrung in its response to the armed revolt against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. “The crisis in Libya was a very difficult time for the AU’s Peace and Security Council to reach an agreement,” reminisced Yemane Nagish, a political analyst at The Reporter Newspaper, in Addis Ababa. It is this type of accountability, transparency and political will that needs to improve, says Ashebir Woldegeois, the chairperson of the Health, Labour and Social Affairs of the AU’s Pan-African Parliament. Acccountability issues With 60 percent of its annual budget reportedly funded by overseas donors, it remains unclear how much political clout, and independence the African Union can wield in reality. Solomon Dersso, senior researcher at the Institute of Security Studies (ISS) says seeking partnership to solve problems is not the issue. Difficulties on the continent need to be viewed in proper context, he said, as some problems are come from outside sources, rather than from within Africa. “The idea is not that only Africans should do it; the idea is that Africans should be at the centre for the search of solutions,” he told Al Jazeera. Other observers wonder if ordinary Africans are actually at the forefront of the AU’s concerns. With so many Africans living in politically repressive regimes, like Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia and the Gambia with limitations on freedom of expression, and restrictions on opposition parties, the AU is not yet representative of the African people, critics say. “Despite being home to several of the world’s worst performing countries in terms of respect for human rights, the region saw overall if uneven progress toward democratisation during the 1990s and the early 2000s,” Freedom House, a US think-tank, reported in regards to Sub-Saharan Africa. While elections are being held regularly across the continent, these apparent gains towards a culture of democracy are sometimes little more than masterful con jobs. Election issues Votes are scheduled this year for fragile states like Zimbabwe and Madagascar, and scrutiny has fallen on the efforts of the African Union to be an honest broker for democracy. In the past, Human Rights Watch has slammed the AU as an organisation ostensibly created to support democracy and freedom but wary of grassroots social movements.
Woldegeois, the parliamentary member, said the situation has improved, despite set-backs. "We are getting there, but many opposition parties in Africa are still immature; many are not willing to work hard in the villages, build their constituencies." But other observers said the root problem of representation at the AU can be seen in the group's founding constitution. “Compared to the United Nations charter which starts off with ‘We the people of the United Nations, the AU constitution starts off with ‘We the heads of the state and government," said Solomon Dersso, senior researcher at the Institute of Security Studies (ISS). "Make no mistake, this [the AU] is in many ways still a club of heads of state and government and not necessarily a body that truly represents the African people." Young and restless Almost 65 per cent of Africans are below the age of 35, and many are uninterested in politics of patronage; the face of the continent has changed. The new AU Commission Chairperson, Dr Nkhosozana Dlamini-Zuma, has vowed to frame the next five decades around the themes of African identity, integration, economic development and democratic governance, among others. But without action, analysts warn the continual talk shops at summits can last only so long. “There is a great sense of empowerment on part of the youth, if the actions of leaders are not in sync, of particularly the youth, moving forward, these type of governments have no future in Africa,” Dersso said. As African leaders enjoy the pomp and ceremony in Addis Ababa this weekend, many outside its headquarters still the continental body is adrift from the aspirations of its people. | |||
Saturday, May 25, 2013
African Union: Continental drift? - Features - Al Jazeera English
Africa Day: Extravagant celebration of 50 years of unity | News | Africa | Mail & Guardian
African leaders have opened celebrations for the 50th jubilee of the continental bloc with Africa's problems set aside for a day to mark progress.
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African Union Chairperson and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn told leaders as he opened the celebrations they should seek to "create a continent free from poverty and conflict, and an Africa whose citizens enjoy a middle income status."
Today's 54-member AU is the successor of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), established amid the heady days as independence from colonial rule swept the continent in 1963.
"While our founders met for the formation of the OAU at the dawn of the independence period 50 years ago, it is fitting that we are meeting here today at a time when Africa is rising," Hailemariam added, speaking in the modern Chinese-built AU headquarters.
Leaders said the celebrations would boost the movement to support pan-Africanism.
"When we therefore talk about African solutions to African problems, it is because we know that we can only permanently silence the guns if we act in solidarity and unity," said AU Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Self-reliance
But while speaking optimistically about "the bright future of Africa", she also noted that "the self-reliance and economic independence that our founders spoke of remains a bit elusive and social inequalities remain."
African leaders were joined by UN leader Ban Ki-moon, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and US Secretary of State John Kerry, while French President Francois Hollande and China's Vice Premier Wang Yang were expected to attend celebrations later.
But Hailemariam singled out Beijing, expressing his "deepest appreciation to China for investing billions… to assist our infrastructure endeavours."
Saturday's celebrations will be followed by a two-day AU summit meeting, to tackle the range of crises the continent faces.
Mass dancing troupes are set to perform musical dramas later Saturday to some 10 000 guests in a giant hall in the Ethiopian capital, choreographed by the same team who organised the lavish opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 World Cup and this year's Africa Cup of Nations.
The AU has budgeted $1.27-million for Saturday's celebrations, according to official documents seen by South Africa's Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
Festivities
AU Commission deputy chief Erastus Mwencha said he did not have the exact figure but that some $3-million would be spent on Saturday's festivities and on other events over the coming year.
Musicians playing later include Congolese music legend Papa Wemba, Mali's Salif Keita and British-based reggae band Steel Pulse, with giant screens set up across Addis Ababa also showing the festival.
Development indicators on the continent – including health, education, infant mortality, economic growth and democracy – have improved steadily in the past 50 years.
Africa is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world according to the IMF, and has attracted huge amounts of foreign investment in recent years, with Kerry praising the "economic possibilities, growth and development" on the continent.
At the same time 24 out of the 25 nations at the bottom of UN human development index are in Africa.
Concrete action
The AU took over in 2002, switching its name in a bid to shrug off the OAU's troubled policy of non-interference in member states' affairs, which allowed leaders to shirk democratic elections and abuse human rights without criticism from their neighbours.
In recent years, the AU's role in combat – such as its mission in Somalia to battle Al-Qaeda linked Islamists – has shown it can take concrete action, even if the funding for that mission comes mainly from Western backers.
But at the same time, the splits revealed by the 2011 conflict in Libya – when members squabbled between those wanting to recognise rebels and those backing Moamer Kadhafi – showed its disunity and lack of global clout.
Kadhafi's death also stripped the AU of a major source of funding. Leaders will discuss finding backers for the cash-strapped body at the summit meeting opening Sunday. Mali is expected to be discussed: it is preparing to receive a UN peacekeeping force to support French soldiers fighting Islamist rebels in the desert north since January.
The agenda will also likely include Madagascar – in political deadlock since a 2009 coup – and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where United Nations-backed government soldiers are struggling to quash rebels. – Sapa-AFP
Today's 54-member AU is the successor of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), established amid the heady days as independence from colonial rule swept the continent in 1963.
"While our founders met for the formation of the OAU at the dawn of the independence period 50 years ago, it is fitting that we are meeting here today at a time when Africa is rising," Hailemariam added, speaking in the modern Chinese-built AU headquarters.
Leaders said the celebrations would boost the movement to support pan-Africanism.
"When we therefore talk about African solutions to African problems, it is because we know that we can only permanently silence the guns if we act in solidarity and unity," said AU Commission chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Self-reliance
But while speaking optimistically about "the bright future of Africa", she also noted that "the self-reliance and economic independence that our founders spoke of remains a bit elusive and social inequalities remain."
African leaders were joined by UN leader Ban Ki-moon, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and US Secretary of State John Kerry, while French President Francois Hollande and China's Vice Premier Wang Yang were expected to attend celebrations later.
But Hailemariam singled out Beijing, expressing his "deepest appreciation to China for investing billions… to assist our infrastructure endeavours."
Saturday's celebrations will be followed by a two-day AU summit meeting, to tackle the range of crises the continent faces.
Mass dancing troupes are set to perform musical dramas later Saturday to some 10 000 guests in a giant hall in the Ethiopian capital, choreographed by the same team who organised the lavish opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 World Cup and this year's Africa Cup of Nations.
The AU has budgeted $1.27-million for Saturday's celebrations, according to official documents seen by South Africa's Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
Festivities
AU Commission deputy chief Erastus Mwencha said he did not have the exact figure but that some $3-million would be spent on Saturday's festivities and on other events over the coming year.
Musicians playing later include Congolese music legend Papa Wemba, Mali's Salif Keita and British-based reggae band Steel Pulse, with giant screens set up across Addis Ababa also showing the festival.
Development indicators on the continent – including health, education, infant mortality, economic growth and democracy – have improved steadily in the past 50 years.
Africa is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world according to the IMF, and has attracted huge amounts of foreign investment in recent years, with Kerry praising the "economic possibilities, growth and development" on the continent.
At the same time 24 out of the 25 nations at the bottom of UN human development index are in Africa.
Concrete action
The AU took over in 2002, switching its name in a bid to shrug off the OAU's troubled policy of non-interference in member states' affairs, which allowed leaders to shirk democratic elections and abuse human rights without criticism from their neighbours.
In recent years, the AU's role in combat – such as its mission in Somalia to battle Al-Qaeda linked Islamists – has shown it can take concrete action, even if the funding for that mission comes mainly from Western backers.
But at the same time, the splits revealed by the 2011 conflict in Libya – when members squabbled between those wanting to recognise rebels and those backing Moamer Kadhafi – showed its disunity and lack of global clout.
Kadhafi's death also stripped the AU of a major source of funding. Leaders will discuss finding backers for the cash-strapped body at the summit meeting opening Sunday. Mali is expected to be discussed: it is preparing to receive a UN peacekeeping force to support French soldiers fighting Islamist rebels in the desert north since January.
The agenda will also likely include Madagascar – in political deadlock since a 2009 coup – and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where United Nations-backed government soldiers are struggling to quash rebels. – Sapa-AFP
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