Editor's Choice
African Union
Try, try again
Jul 11th 2002 | JOHANNESBURG
From
The Economist print edition
The continent's new union should have more teeth than its predecessor
THIS week, Africa's leaders threw a party
in Durban, South Africa, to bury the Organisation of African Unity (OAU)
and praise a new African Union (AU). Swirling
parachutists, Senegalese footballers, Zulu dancers and gospel choirs
created a carnival mood. Libya's president, Muammar Qaddafi, strutted in
purple robes, calling for a single African country and congratulating
Africans for shrugging off colonial repression. A pride of presidents
said nice things about peace, growth and democracy. Kofi Annan, the
UN secretary-general, wished everyone luck, but
deplored the continent's wars.
Now the fun is over, what has really
changed? The 39-year-old OAU was long dismissed
as ineffective, though it did help preserve the idea of sovereign
borders. It opposed colonialism and observed the end of various wars,
but was too feeble to challenge any of Africa's dictators. One butcher,
Uganda's Idi Amin, was picked as OAU chairman.
The AU is supposed
to do better. Thabo Mbeki, South Africa's president and the
AU's first chairman, says he wants “a continent
of democracy”. The AU's leaders have promised
eventually to create a pan-African parliament, a court of justice, a
central bank and a shared currency. They have also set out common
electoral standards which demand, for example, that independent
observers be welcomed before and during any national vote. Well and
good, but such promises have, in the past, too rarely been kept.
Zimbabwe's election in March fell far short of the proposed electoral
standards, but African leaders quickly approved it.
One proposal, however, shows promise: an
African “peace and security council”, with the authority to send troops
to stop war crimes and genocide. The 15-seat council will have five
semi-permanent members (one from each region), and ten others elected
for two-year terms. To carry out the council's wishes, an African
standby peacekeeping force is also proposed. This is unlikely to be
large or well-equipped, but it might at least show willing, and thereby
encourage UN or other non-African forces to
intervene, too. The hope is that this would prevent future catastrophes
like the 1994 Rwandan genocide, during which 800,000 people were
murdered but outsiders failed to react. If the AU
could make Africa less violent, Africans would really have a reason to
party.
Top
Africa hopes for new beginning
The AU is touted as the face of a new,
democratic Africa
Courtesy: BBC News |
The first summit of the African Union has opened in Durban, South Africa,
amidst flamboyant celebrations and calls for a new beginning for the
troubled continent.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, the first chairman of the AU,
called the new organisation a chance for Africa to take its "rightful
place" in global affairs.
"The time has come that we must end the marginalisation of Africa," he
said in a speech at the spectacular opening ceremony.
"We must end many centuries in which many on our globe despise the
people of our continent."
The new organisation is intended to be people-orientated, in contrast to
the "dictators' club" of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) which
was formally wound up on Monday.
It will also have "teeth" and proper authority, with the first task on
its books the creation of a Peace and Security Council, which, in turn,
will establish an African peacekeeping force.
An ultimate aim is for the organisation to have a single African
parliament, court of justice and central bank, although leaders
acknowledge it will be several years before they are likely to take
shape.
The summit began with a dazzling launch ceremony in Durban's Absa rugby
stadium, with Zulu warriors dressed in traditional costume dancing, a
fighter jet flyover that streaked orange smoke across the sky and a
21-gun salute.
The Senegal football team - Africa's most successful in this year's
World Cup - was also present, along with the South African national team,
Bafana Bafana.
Around 25,000 people are thought to have attended, French news agency
AFP reported.
'Iron will'
The union is the brainchild of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi,
who gave a dramatic, if unscheduled speech, at the launch, where he
pleaded with Africans to renounce racism and become "masters of our
continent".
Former South African President Nelson Mandela also attended the event,
receiving a standing ovation as he entered the stadium.
However, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has urged caution,
saying it will not be easy to achieve the AU's goals of economic
progress and good governance.
Mr Annan said integration was the way to develop Africa's economy but
said that its poor infrastructure, debt burden and many conflicts were
sizeable challenges.
"To build a successful union in such conditions will require great
stamina and iron political will," said Mr Annan.
He also said that Africa must solve its problems before expecting
Western leaders to increase aid or forgive debts.
This is the gist of Africa's latest development plan - the New
Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad).
'Old men's club'
However, despite the celebrations controversy remains over several
issues, notably where the AU should be based.
Colonel Gaddafi wants the AU headquarters to be in Libya but it seems
likely to be in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa - like the OAU.
And while the AU is intended to promote good governance, there has been
criticism of the leaders' acceptance of Robert Mugabe, a more
controversial attendee of the AU's launch ceremony.
Outgoing OAU chairman, Levy Mwanawasa had pointed to the controversial
elections in Zimbabwe as a sign of the spread of democracy across Africa.
However Mr Mwanawasa's own election last December was also criticised by
the opposition and the European Union.
Top |
|
