50 years on, Africa awaits long journey ahead
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
May 25, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – African leaders on Saturday gathered at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa where they began a two-day meeting to consult and exchange views on the continent’s future during the coming half century.
Fifty years since the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) – replaced by the African Union (AU) in 2002 – continental leaders said that although Africa has made progress over the past decades, much remains to be done to transform the continent and tackle ongoing challenges.
Opening the anniversary of the golden jubilee, AU chairman and Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that African leaders should strengthen efforts to realise a continent free from poverty and conflict.
The Ethiopian leader called on African countries to work hard towards obtaining middle income status, adding that this could not be achieved without the commitment of Africa leadership and a paradigm shift in political thinking.
“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 said while addressing the heads of state in attendance at the AU headquarters.
The AU Commission’s (AUC) chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, noted that the formation of the OAU/AU marked a turning point when African Leaders began to consider collective ways the continent could move forward and address its shared challenges.
“AFRICAN SOLUTIONS TO AFRICAN PROBLEMS”
“When we 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”, she said.
However, Zuma went on to say that “the self-reliance and economic independence that our founders spoke of remains a bit elusive and social inequalities remain”.
She said that promoting peace and stability through integration, greater unity, democratisation and sustainable development are key areas that would ensure “a peaceful, prosperous and united Africa driven by its own citizens”.
Participants told Sudan Tribune that the celebrations of continental unity would be crucial to garnering increased support for the move towards pan-Africanism.
Despite the strides made in the past five decades, participants said that the continent still had a way to go before becoming self-reliant and free from economic dependence.
“Africans should use all kinds of resources to pull continents from poverty”, Amina Mama, a researcher and writer said, adding that African leaders need to do more to empower women economically.
TOWARDS PAN-AFRICANISM
African leaders were also given the opportunity to express their views and positions during Saturday’s debate on the topic “Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance”.
Panellists said an African renaissance could not be realised unless African leaders put more collective efforts in to encouraging democracy, deepening the rule of law, ending deadly wars and the abuse of power, as well as ensuring sustainable peace and security across the continent.
Economic challenges and opportunities, developmental strategies for Africa, good governance, agriculture, climate change, human rights, and emerging threats to peace and security were among the areas of discussion.
Attendees at the OAU/AU celebrations included UN chief Ban Ki-moon, US secretary of state John Kerry, French president Francois Hollande, China’s vice-premier, Wang Yang, as well as leaders and representatives from Russia, Sweden, France, Iran, Brazil and Cuba.
(ST)