Group Cautions on Africa Union Government Formation

This Day (Lagos), 5 June 2007, Abimbola Akosile

Various civil society groups in Nigeria have raised the need to look critically at available infrastructure in the African continent before a consensus is reached on the formation of an African Union Government or a United States of Africa.

This was raised at a recent one-day roundtable organised by ActionAid, Nigeria in Abuja. Participants at the roundtable, who were drawn from the civil society organisations, media, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Labour Movement, the academia, ECOWAS, the private sector and other stakeholders, noted that the United States of Africa is a desirable vision.

In a statement issued by Mr. Tunde Aremu, ActionAid’s media relations officer, the group however noted that there are some challenges that need to be addressed, which include: common political and cultural values, identity, citizenship integration, state power.

Speakers at the roundtable also raised concern over “lack of democratic credentials and credibility of the African leaders, inadequate infrastructure, violation of human rights of citizens across the continent, movement of Africans within the continent, context of sovereignty, political instability, travels within the continent and language barriers, immigration, setting up standards and adhering to them.”

Participants at the roundtable observed further that African Governments need to popularise the proposal for the continental government amongst their people through sensitisation meetings, the media, academic discourse, research into past experience such as OAU, AU and its achievement.

In a communiqué released at the end of the roundtable, participants recommended that there is need to analyse the achievement of the African Union and use the lessons to discuss the formation of United States of Africa.

It was recommended further that assessment of the AU performance should hold on the implementation of earlier Charters and gaps identified for improvement.

A look at the existence of relevant institutions and creations of such where they do not exist is also urgently needed. This, the roundtable held, should be in addition to ensuring the involvement of all relevant institutions, governments, CSOs, media, businesses in the process leading to the formation of the USA.

More important, as agreed by participants at the ActionAid organised roundtable is the alertness of the African people as well as the priority African peoples need to give to mobilising for good leaders for effective implementation of the idea.

Top priority it was also agreed should necessarily be given to ensuring that there is no disconnect between leaders and the peoples of Africa towards the implementation of the plan for the proposed United States of Africa.

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