African leaders discuss the United State of Africa
February 1, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — The heads of state and government have begun the African Union (AU) 12th summit on Sunday in Addis Ababa with a special session on the establishment of the United States of African.
The summit that brought together to some 50 heads of African states including Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir in its 3 day long summit which runs under the theme “infrastructure development in Africa” has put issues of economic infrastructure development, and continent’s internal and regional conflicts such as Darfur, Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo high on its agenda.
The African representatives today have heard to a report presented by the African Union commission concerning on ideas that could lead to the formation of United States of Africa based on initiation which arise in previous summit in Egypt.
All 53 African Union members agree in principle with the need of continental integration to defend African interests in the tough global economic environment. But a group led by South Africa, say it must be a “gradual process” while Libya pushes for a swift announcement of the union.
The general estimation of the formation of United States of Africa lies between 17 to 25 years.
A.E. Abu Zeid, Ambassador of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Eastern Africa to the AU said that he hoped the attending heads of state and government would reach consensus and walk a step further on Africa’s integration at this meeting.
Talking about the two approaches of forming a union government within Africa: the immediate announcement of the union government, or a gradual integration, Zeid said that he is in favor of the gradualists, as “we have so many difficulties and differences in Africa, an immediate integration is not feasible”, he said.
The summit is also expected to discuss on the negative impacts of the current international financial crunch on the continent.
Furthermore the summit of heads of states and government will elect a new chairman of the African union. There are high expectations that Libys’s president, Muammor Gaddaffi will be the next successor.
The newly elect, Somali president has also arrived in Addis Ababa this morning to take part on the AU assembly.
President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed was elected as Somalia’s new president, after he comfortably won a majority in a second round of voting in a secret ballot of members of parliament yesterday in Djibouti.
The Ethiopian Radio and Television Agency (ERTA) ahead of the opening of the AU summit on Saturday has announced to freely air the opening and closing of the summit to all AU member states.
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Wiyual
African leaders discuss the United State of Africa
United State of Africa? Wow! Sounds funny but indeed would be the way to unite heavily divided continental of Africa as it was a tactics by colonial powers, which implanted that division among our societies. The idea would be the milestone for consolidating those countries to one country so that African Unity could bring stability to such a devastated nation whose leaders are felt with jalousies. But who will accept such an idea because some richest country like South Africa and Libya would think that this is a redistribution of their wealth to poor nations like Somalia and Kenya, Sudan and like.
Ajang Aguer Pageer
African leaders discuss the United State of Africa
I guess African leaders are too confused,weak and useless to handle any difficult situations for the welfare of all Africans if not for themselves only.In fact there are bright guys who can transform Africa but they are blocked by these old crooked guys who keep to presidency until they die in power.
If they fail to resolve their own conflicts,but instead they simply create more problems and then wait for other people’s initiatives before they pretend to have been preparing for the same initiaves,how will they manage to handle complex problems that will emerge from this unity?Just to back up my statement,what did they do for Sudanese wars for the last 50 plus years and now Darfur or were they not there?what did they do to curb the chronic wars in Uganda,Congo,Burundi and many others!!Did they do anything to solve Kenyan crisis or have they succeeded in Zambabwe or Somalia?What did they do for the 2008 coups in Mauritania, Guinea or the Madagascar issue?The list is endless by the way including the potential case of Al Bashir of Sudan.
If they are really serious,then they should not cling to power and grab land and public property,instead they should be willing to hold elections fairly and hand over power when they lose!!In fact,80% of them are having power struggle or fighting rebels within their own countries.
And of course,the fresh example for their weakness will be when they elect a terrorist like Muamar Gadhafi who was just removed from the list of terrorist in 2008.Are they really sure he has reformed completely?
I don’t think that unity will succeed when Africa countries have different levels of developments ,food security and governance.
Nuer
African leaders discuss the United State of Africa
Help!!Help!!! Africa under military coup by Ghadafi. He has been dictator for almost a quarter century and now he wants to declare military coup on the whole of Africa?
JOHNNNY
African leaders discuss the United State of Africa
Sound funny, but not guys?
I am happy to hear these news and this is not the first time, they come to table about the United State of Africa? I think this’s a second time.
I don’t think, African Continent can be rule by one man at this time, unless all those who are now ruling die and the new generation take over.
I know, I am very offensive Guys, but let me telling you the truth,
leadership and pocket are not matching.
I trust no president now in Africa, but fews are hard tobe seen.
Associate Professor
African leaders discuss the United State of Africa
Well, I agree more with the South Africa group view point. African continent unification should me gradual. Swift unionization may at higher speculations create more chaos than are presently on African continent. Several African states have internal disagreement and it will be good idea first for African Union to advocate for agreement in various African states. I might as well go ahead and say that, some African states that were form under the colonial rule without consultations to the current African citizens in those states need to be disintegrated into homogeneous sections. To clarify my point, take the case of Nigeria. Nigeria during colonial era existed in two separate entities, i.e Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria. Everyone is well aware of the great religious tension in these regions that make up Africa’s largest producer of oil. Northen Nigeria and Southern Nigeria can be separated then the citizens of these two regions can themselves see and acknowledge the benefits of uniting. This case is not so far from the current state of affair in Sudan, that is between Southern Sudan and Northern Sudan.
It is of paramount important if all African states have intra-country resolutions of colonial dating grievances. Rwanda’s Tutsi minority were favored by French colonizers, a fact that made Tutsis embraced supperiority complex that led to their subsequent massacre in the bloody year of 1994, spanning one and a half decade since then. The same situation of Rwanda exists in Zimbabwe between Shona and Nbembele ethnic groups. Closer to home, this was also perpertuated by the Anlo-Egyptian rule in Sudan, with Northerners being given upper hand in state affair. If I fall away slightly from the truth, these divisions still exist to date, these are some of the facts that keeps African finest minds from contributing in national building for being victimized as from ”bad groups”.
Having mention and explained breifly some of the reasons as to why I’m against this hurried union formation, it should be all responsibility of both victims and victimized during the colonial era to come to a round table and sort out such greivances which have been the main caused of patriotism and loyalty to mother Africa. Today on our continent, many would classify themselves as Pure Africans, Arabs, Mixed race people not because of the heritage pride but with the sole aim of forging unity among themselves to suppress the outside group. The case that quickly comes to mind is the situations of Sudan where Northern Sudanese politicians have been using religion and North being “Arab” just to control the resources of the country of which most come from these regions inhabitated by the unwanted groups. African union should work out all these problems before trying a modell of the United State of America. It should be noted that the United states of America were forged from the individual will of these states which boast educated and enlightened masses that have evaluated why they should come as one single entity called United States of America, this is a total opposite of our continent. Our continent boasts of ignorance and illiteracy of its masses. Eradiction of ignorance and illetracy should be the main focuss of AU atleast for sometimes(years or so). Masses literacy in Africa will be marked by great economics prosperity among the states of Africa and this will foster union formation.
Gadhafi, might have his own selfish intentions in seeing Africa united at this stage. Some of his utterances at some point showed his disloyalty to the African Continent. He associate his country and Northern African Countries with the Arab World more than the sub-saharan Africa. His intention at some pint showed off when he sported Islamic leader of Uganda in the name of Idd Amin Dada and not because he was African but because of one fact that I assume my readers to be well versed with-Idd being muslim. African presidents should not be fooled into making disquised and physically swordless Jihad towards some Africans who are not in any way related to the historical foundation of Islam, which they claim is a ”religion of peace” yet full of hate towards the blackmen. Don’t forget that it was mostly these ”peace lovers” individuals whose ancestors sold of some of our ancestors to Americas and middle east where they suffered intensely and still today.
In summary, African unification will be mature birth whose maturing place will not be far from incubator. It is still earlier!!