[AU-Monitor] AU trails its eyes on continental unity amidst loud mumurs

[AU-Monitor Analyst/Editor]

The African Union signalled its strongest intention yet to pursue the dream
of a United States of Africa by making the proposal the key focus of its
upcoming summit scheduled for Accra, Ghana, in the second half of 2007. The
idea of a Pan Africa federalism has excited passionate debate amongst AU
Member States with Southern Africa leading a brigade of those lukewarm
towards the idea against a troop of States in favour. Attached is a press
report from the Pan Africa News Agency (PANA) on the matter.


Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – African leaders Tue sday chose the theme, "An
AU
 government: towards the United States of Africa", as the sole agenda item
for the next
 African Union (AU) summit scheduled next July in Accra, Ghana.

 Foreign Affairs minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio of Senegal disclosed the
agenda item to
 journalists here, saying the African heads of States and government agreed
on the
 issue following two hours of deliberations.

 The proposal was referred to the heads of State and government of the
African Union,
 who have been meeting since Monday, by president Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal,
who was
 absent at the summit.

 The Senegalese Foreign minister presented the proposal on behalf of his
president and
 with the support of Nigeria.

 According to Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, "President Wade suggested that the heads
of State
 seize the opportunity offered by their next summit in Accra to devote a
special
 session to the issue of the United States of Africa", while adding that it
is
 necessary to prepare a new roadmap to better determine the next steps to be
taken.

 The Senegalese Foreign minister stressed that the issue of the United
States of Africa
 has been in discussion at the level of the African Union for three years,
without any
 progress being made.

 "It is important to know if we want an organisation of cooperation, such as
the one
 envisaged by the OAU (Organisation of African Unity) founding fathers, who
were in
 favour of a gradual approach or a union which would draw its inspiration
from Kwame
 Nkrumah's federalism", Gadio has said as he paraphrased president Wade, who
considers
 that "nothing is more important than to know where one is heading to".

 The proposal was finally adopted after discussions and if Nigeria and
French-speaking
 countries as a whole were in favour of it, South Africa and the Southern
African
 countries were not convinced of the necessity to root for the United States
of Africa,
 an AU official who took part in the working session revealed.

 The official argued that the African Union is not capable of overcoming its
financial
 and administrative difficulties".

 President Wade's proposal was finally accepted and will be the sole item on
the agenda
 of the Accra summit, a fact described by Cheikh Tidiane Gadio as a real
"historic
 victory", considering that the summit will convene in Kwame Nkrumah's
country, 44
 years after the launch of the continental body (now defunct Organisation of
African
 Unity) in 1963 in Accra.

 In the mean time, President Wade suggested, according to his minister of
External
 Affairs, that non-governmental organisations, women's associations, the
media, among
 others, reflect on the subject so that each country will come to Accra with
clear
 suggestions.

 The issue of the United States of Africa as an item on the agenda of the
seventh
 summit of the African Union heads of State and government, held in July
last year, in
 Banjul, Gambia.

 But a group of experts set up by the AU Commission studied the issue and
finally
 decided to refer it to the Executive Council. The members of the Council
later
 rejected the conclusions by the experts.

 The eighth summit of the African Union heads of State and government ended
Tuesday in
 Addis Ababa.

 Addis Ababa - 30/01/2007






-- 
Gichinga Ndirangu
Consultant Policy Analyst / Editor
AU- Monitor
aumonitor.editor at gmail.com

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