Africa is a potential world power, says Konare

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 26, 2004 (PANA) — Given good health and
better education for its people, Africa could become
a world power, the African Union (AU) Commission
Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare said in Addis Ababa
Saturday.

“We have everything to make us succeed… raw
materials and land. We represent a large and important
part of the world. We need to build the foundation for
a new Africa,” Konare told the opening session of a
two-day consultation between the AU and the African
Civil Society Forum.

The meeting, being held ahead of the third ordinary
Assembly of the AU, focuses on partnership for unity,
peace and development.

Noting that the situation on the continent had not
improved in spite of the many declarations made over
the last five decades of independence, Konare said
“the lack of political will to change our destiny”
was the stumbling block.

The AU chief called for the creation of African
trade groups specialising in the marketing of
commodities and products in which the continent has
a competitive advantage such as petroleum, cocoa and
coffee.

It is good for Africa to have access to European and
other markets of industrialised countries, he said,
“but …we need to create an internal market for our
goods.”

Konare underlined the importance for Africa to rely on
its own resources for development and make its
policies workable.

“In the United Nations Africa represents 35 percent of
the membership. We therefore have to know our allies
and be able to get better terms for our commodities,”
he stressed.

According to him, African countries do not have a
common position on international trade, adding: “Because
we are not united, we cannot negotiate better terms of
trade. We need to move together, otherwise we are
heading to a precipice of doom.”

Konare also flayed those who regard North Africa as
part of Europe or the Middle East.

“Arabs in North Africa are Africans. We cannot have a
genuine partnership with other regions when North
Africa is viewed as part of another continent. We must
have a partnership based on the fundamental choice to
be masters of our destiny,” he stressed.

Recalling the history of African unity, Konare
explained that the Organisation of African Unity (OAU),
that has been transformed into the AU was an
inter-governmental body for solidarity in the fight
against colonialism and apartheid.

According to him, the OAU was not adequately built to
tackle developmental problems of the continent, while
the AU is an integration organisation based on the
values of the rule of law, peace, and good governance.

While the OAU embraced the policy of non-interference
in internal affairs of member States, Konare said,
“Today we have a new concept of not remaining
indifferent to conflicts within the AU fold. The AU is
assuming the leadership of Africa’s agenda with the
active participation of the people.”

With the majority of the population persistently mired
in poverty while Africa is the only region where life
expectancy and land productivity were declining,
Konare said the only way out is integration.

“We have realised that we cannot depend entirely on
the outside world for progress. That is why full
integration of Africa is a battle we have to win,” he
stressed.

The AU Political Affairs Commissioner Julia Dolly Joiner,
described the Civil Society Forum consultation as a learning
experience on how to stimulate active participation of the
African people in AU affairs.