Meles Warns against Shortcuts to AU Govt

(Afriquejet)--Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has warned against shortcuts towards an African Union Government, saying Africa cannot form a federal government without building an economic bloc covering the entire continent.

‘The United States of Africa cannot be wished into existence. It has to be built block by block. We together with the majority believe on the regional economic blocs (RECs) and focus on economic integration, ’Zenawi told a news conference Friday. Ethiopia supports plans to increase the sovereign rights enjoyed by the African Union and has proposed that these rights be pushed during the start of global climate change negotiations on a post-Kyoto protocol agreement. ‘We believe we should work together on the basis of subsidiarity on the national level. We proposed during this summit that Africa should negotiate as a single entity. We appreciate a single entity but the United States cannot be declared or wished into existence,’ Meles reiterated.

African leaders tussled on the ever-divisive debate on the planned formation of a United States of Africa, starting with the formation of a Union Government, which they initially agreed to declare in July 2009 during their next meeting in Madagascar. The African leaders, who met here 1-4 February for the regular summit of the African Union (AU), initially agreed on the setting up of the African Union Authority, to replace the current African Union Commission and change its top structures. The new changes would see current Chairperson of the Commission Jean Ping become Africa’s first President, his deputy, Erastus Mwencha would become the Vice-President.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said the African leaders settled for the creation of the Authority to avoid creating confusion about the sovereignty. AU Chairman Muammar Kadhafi said the agreement to set up the Authority was ‘historic’ and said this Authority would enjoy powers equivalent of any government. ‘The Authority is a Government of the Union. The Authority means government. There would be coordinators and secretaries of Defence and Foreign Affairs. They would harmonise Africa’s defence and external affairs policies,’ Kadhafi told journalists.

Kadhafi said African foreign ministers would meet within three months, to discuss the pending matters before the leaders declare the Union Government in 2009. The United States of Africa will be proclaimed in 2017.

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