BY SOLOMON DIBABA
Almost 59 years have elapsed since the founding fathers of the OAU have inked the founding of a continental organization that envisioned the acceleration of the African decolonization and continental economic integration.
In the early 1960s and noticeably in 1963, a total of 32 Heads of States and Governments of independent African states signed on the Charter of the OAU which has been in process since 1957 in Addis Ababa. The birth of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) 59 years ago in Addis Ababa emerged from the aspiration towards an ideal of unity advocated by the fathers of independence. From 22 to 25 May 1963, 30 African countries took part in the conference in the Ethiopian capital which set up the OAU, which marked the arrival of the first pan-African organization. A charter defined its objectives, principles and institutions.
The historical foundations of the Organization of African Union originated in the First Congress of independent African States, held in Accra, Ghana, from 15 to 22 April 1958. The conference aimed at forming the Africa Day, to mark the liberation movement each year concerning the willingness of the African people to free themselves from foreign dictatorship, as well as subsequent attempts to unite Africa, including the Organization of African Unity (OAU),
Among the main founders for OAU’s establishment were Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Gamal Abdul Nassir of Egypt, Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal, Milton Obote of Uganda Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Sekou Ture of Guinea and Al Haji Abubakar Tefewa Belewa of Nigeria, Ahmed Ben Bela of Algeria and several other African leaders Soon after achieving independence, several African states expressed a growing desire for more unity within the continent. Not everyone has agreed on how this unity could be achieved, however, and two opinionated groups emerged in this respect:
The Casablanca bloc, led by Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, wanted a federation of all African countries. Aside from Ghana, it comprised also Algeria, Guinea, Morocco, Egypt, Mali and Libya. Founded in 1961, its members were described as “progressive states”.
The Monrovian bloc, led by Senghor of Senegal, felt that unity should be achieved gradually, through economic cooperation. It did not support the notion of a political federation. Its other members were Nigeria, Liberia, Ethiopia, and most of the former French colonies.
Some of the initial discussions took place in Liberia. The dispute was eventually resolved when Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I invited the two groups to Addis Ababa, where the OAU and its headquarters were subsequently established. The Charter of the Organization was signed by 32 independent African states.
According to the Charter signed by the founding member states, the OAU had several objectives which included coordinating and intensifying the cooperation of African states to achieve a better life for the people of Africa. To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of African states.
The OAU was also dedicated to the eradication of all forms of colonialism and white minority rule as, when it was established, several states had not yet won their independence or were white minority-ruled. South Africa and Angola were two such countries. The OAU proposed two ways of ridding the continent of colonialism and white minority rule. First, it would defend the interests of independent countries and help to pursue the independence of those of still-colonized ones. Secondly, it would remain neutral in terms of world affairs, preventing its members from being controlled once more by an outside power.
The OAU was successful in several ways. Many of its members were members of the UN, too, and they stood together within the latter organization to safeguard African interests – especially in respect of lingering colonialism.
The organization played a pivotal role in eradicating colonialism and white minority rule in Africa. It gave weapons, training and military bases to rebel groups fighting white minority and colonial rule. Groups such as the ANC and PAC, fighting apartheid, and ZANU and ZAPU, fighting to topple the government of Rhodesia, were aided in their endeavours by the OAU. African harbours were closed to the South African government, and South African aircraft were prohibited from flying over the rest of the continent. The UN was convinced by the OAU to expel South Africa from bodies such as the World Health Organization.
The OAU also worked with the UN to ease refugee problems. It set up the African Development Bank for economic projects intended to make Africa financially stronger. Although all African countries eventually won their independence, it remained difficult for them to become independent of their former colonizers. There was often continued reliance on the former colonial powers for economic aid, which often came with strings attached: loans had to be paid back at high-interest rates, and goods had to be sold to the aiders at low rates.
Autonomous specialized agencies, working under the auspices of the OAU, were:
Pan-African Telecommunications Union (PATU), Pan African Postal Union (PAPU), Pan African News Agency ( PANA),
Union of African National Television and Radio Organizations ( URTNA), Union of African Railways (UAR), Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU). Supreme Council for Sports in Africa and African Civil Aviation Commission.
Among other things, the OAU formulated the Lagos Plan of Action,( 1980), The African Charter for Human and Peoples Rights, ( 1981), African Priority Program for Economic Recovery, (1990), Treaty on African Economic Community, (1991), and formulation of NEPAD in 2001.
The initiatives of the organization paved the way for the birth of AU on 9th July 2002 in Durban. Earlier in July 1999, the Assembly decided to convene an extraordinary session to expedite the process of economic and political integration in the continent. Since then, four Summits have been held leading to the official launching of the African Union:
The vision of the African Union is that of: “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”
This vision of a new, forward-looking, dynamic and integrated Africa will be fully realized through relentless struggle on several fronts and as a long-term endeavour. The African Union has shifted focus from supporting liberation movements in the erstwhile African territories under colonialism and apartheid, as envisaged by the OAU since 1963 and the Constitutive Act, to an organization spearheading Africa’s development and integration.
The structure of the AU includes the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the Executive Council, the AU Commission, Permanent Representative Committee, Peace and Security Council, Pan African Parliament, Economic, Social and Cultural Council, Courts of Justice and 7 specialized committees.
Some of the objectives of the AU included achieving greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa; defending the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States; accelerating the political and socio-economic integration of the continent; promoting and defending African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples, encouraging international cooperation, taking due account of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; promoting peace, security, and stability on the continent; promoting democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance; promoting and protecting human and peoples’ rights following the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant human rights instruments;
Although the countries gained political independence, they remained under the economic bondage of their colonizers and served as raw material sources for European industries.
For several decades, the AU member states have failed to come up with a viable economic integration due to several bottlenecks. The leadership of African countries lacked the necessary political leadership, a strong democratic landscape and well developed infrastructural facilities as major preconditions for meaningful economic integration.
Several economic communities including Arab Maghreb Union, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Community of Sahel Sharan States, East African Economic Community, Economic Community of West African States, Economic Community of Central African States, IGAD and SADAC were formed but never came together at African level because these communities were competing among themselves.”
The AU has come up with various plans including the Agenda 2063 but lacked a strong coordinating capacity to ensure the implementation of the Agenda. For instance, the AU itself is dependent on foreign powers for its budget and these countries are trying to influence the decisions of the continental organization towards their vested interests.
The major powers of the world are not interested in African economic integration and want to deal with each country but not on a group basis. Major world powers have greater stakes in financial institutions like AfDB and try to influences decisions by the bank”
African countries are still dependent on major developed countries even for their national budgets and run their economies on aid packages from the western developed countries and therefore lack a viable economic capacity for integration.
After almost 60 years of the existence of OAU and now AU, Africa is still plagued with multiple sets of conflicts, the proliferation of terrorism, natural and man-made calamities, conflict-induced refugee influx, human and arms trafficking which complicate the possibilities of political unity and the ideals of pan Africanism and economic integration.
Over the coming decades, leaders of African countries need to increase their commitment to the vision of their continental organization and pull their resources and economic endowments to integrate their economies to promote the free flow of regional trade which will help to bring peace to the region.
The AU has now managed to establish the core documents and action plans for AfCFTA but the process as mentioned above is far more complicated than it appears. Although it is much closer to the visions of the founding fathers of the continental organization African countries are not on the same pace and desire for its implementation.
Since its foundation, the former OAU and the AU had to grapple with various wars and coups that marred political unity under the auspices of the regional organization. Interference into the internal affairs of AU member countries, the economic damages that conflicts and COVID-19 have inflicted on Africa, poverty issues that still heavily linger on the continent are issued on which African countries need to work under the auspices of the AU.
Based on its Charter and the vision of the founding members of the continental organization, over the last decade, the AU has achieved various successes as it was better organized and staffed.
For instance, the AU initiative of “ Silencing the Guns by 2020” is a landmark effort in ascertaining peace in the continent through the coordination of the Peace and Security Council is noticeable. Moreover, AU exerted relentless efforts in bringing peace in the conflict in the DRC, Central Africa, Somalia, Mali, South Sudan, Burundi, Guinea Bissau and Libya.
Among other things the AU sponsored AMISOM peacekeeping force in Somalia has helped to keep Al-Shabab and other terrorist forces at bay in Somalia as part of sustained peace in the country.
The formation of AU led Conflict Early Warning System to detect and take percussions on possible areas of conflicts is another achievement registered by the organization.
As the 35th Ordinary Assembly of the Heads of States and Governments have now kicked off, more promising and action-oriented resolutions are expected to be issued.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The
The February 6/2022
