Don’t let them shave our heads from behind

Two very important meetings that will fundamentally affect the lives of all Africans, alive and those yet to be born, took place this week. Both meetings took place in South Africa. One in Durban and the other in the affluent suburb of Midrand, near Pretoria.

The first is a meeting of the Executive Council of the African Union, which consists of all the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the 53 Member states. The other is the 7th Session of the Pan African Parliament.

What is most significant about the two meetings is the agenda before them. Foreign Affairs Ministers met for final deliberations on the agenda for the forthcoming Summit of Heads of State and Governments of the Union in the first week of July in Accra, Ghana. The Summit has a one-item agenda: the United States of Africa.

In addition to other items on the agenda of the Pan African Parliament was the only chance it would have to discuss and pronounce itself on the matter before the Summit – namely, the United States of Africa.

But how many Africans know about these meetings? Of those who know how, many care? And among those who care, how many can influence the process?

It is not too late to inform yourself and also to influence the process because, whether we like it or not, their decision or non-decisions will impact on our lives and the future of our children.

There is no longer a debate about the desirability of full integration of Africa. The powerlessness of most of our states, our marginalization in global trade, finance, the shame of our states competing for who is lowest at the bottom of most human development indexes have won the argument in favour of unity.

However, as in the anti-colonial and immediate independence struggles leading to the formation of the OAU, there are disagreements about how far and how fast we should move on the road to unity. One would have thought that these debates were settled in the process leading to the restructuring of the OAU and its transformation into the African Union. But these divisions have continued to rear their heads and undermine the capacity of the states to fast track unity.

What are these positions? The first group is led by Libya and Brother Leader Muammar Gaddafi, who has been the driving force behind the fast tracking of the United States Of Africa project since 1999. This group wants the immediate union of the states with one government, common citizenship, common defence, a standing Army, Foreign Minister and a president for Africa, etc.

The Second group consists of states opposed to what they consider to be Libya’s haste and argue for gradual integration through consolidation of existing regional economic communities as the key building blocs of the Union. Initially they did not have a clear leader (since most of them could not withstand the roller coaster diplomatic, political and economic pressures from Tripoli) but carried out their anti-Libya manoeuvres through bureaucrats, ambassadors, foreign ministers and the committee systems at which Libya’s proposals are watered down and bogged down in procedural politics. And since the Libyans are not known for paying attention to details they often lose out but take consolation in all kinds of phyrhic victories.

A third group consists of those states who share many of the concerns of the cautious path of the second group, but now say that the AU is there and has enough in its Act of Union, enough authority and consensus to fast track therefore let us consolidate it before going further. This ‘AU is enough’ group is now led effectively by President Thabo Mbeki and Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Other important key players like Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria are basically either standing on the fence or trying to hold a dubious half-way house between Gaddafi’s enthusiasm and Mbeki’s cynicism. Other countries are hiding their indecision, ambiguities, hostilities or biases behind the protagonists. But this is an issue that cannot be fudged anymore.

The Durban meeting of Foreign Ministers is basically Thabo Mbeki’s fight back on the road to Accra, juxtaposing his vision directly to Gaddafi’s. The ways in which the South Africans have tabled the matter has already made this clear. Instead of the official UNITED STATES OF AFRICA they are saying AFRICAN UNION GOVERNMENT.

Personally I think we should be more original than just copying USA. But re-branding as Union Government also is neither here nor there. What is it that we expect the government, whether as a Union Government or as a United States of Africa to do?

In spite of the intrigues and manoeuvres by the various camps they share a basic weakness: they are state led and are projecting this vision without the involvement of the broad masses of their own peoples. They do not even involve their own parliaments let alone ordinary citizens. In many cases it is only the Presidency that is involved with Foreign Affairs Ministers playing guessing games.

There are already enough agreements, protocols and statutory instruments to fast track the unity project. What has been lacking is the political will by the leaders to put their money where their mouth is; and what has also been lacking is fully involving the masses. Without both of these, the grand debate will only be another sham executive posturing, which drive our peoples into inertia and cynicism.

It is not too late to reverse this wagon-less executive train threatening to run into each other from Tripoli to Pretoria. The business of Unity is too important to be left to Thabo and Gaddafi, even too important to be left to the 53 heads of state and government the peoples of Africa must have full say in it.

It is not a privilege to demand to be consulted. Rather, it is their democratic right. Otherwise the leaders are engaged in yet another futile attempt to try and shave our heads behind our backs.

In many countries people are organising to have discussions on this matter on Africa day this year: MAY 25. Join one or start one where ever you may be and demand of your president or Foreign affairs minister to debate the options and which side of the debate they are on.

* Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is the Deputy Director for the UN Millennium Campaign in Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He writes this article in his personal capacity as a concerned pan-Africanist.

* Please send comments to or comment online at www.pambazuka.org