AU can strengthen regional blocs - Museveni
Jun 01, 2008
THE Africa Liberation Day, marking 45 years of independence for most African countries, was celebrated on May 25. Below is a speech President Yoweri Museveni made to mark the event at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
THE Africa Liberation Day, marking 45 years of independence for most African countries, was celebrated on May 25. Below is a speech President Yoweri Museveni made to mark the event at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
On May 25, 1963, the leaders of the then independent African countries made history and gave significant impetus to the continent’s collective, but then incomplete struggle for independence, by establishing the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
Thanks to the foresight and vision of Africa’s founding fathers like Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere and Abdul Nasser. Nearly four decades followed in which African states stood united in the framework of the OAU, while making efforts to give depth and meaning to their political independence and striving for socio-economic development of their peoples. Those efforts yielded positive results, culminating in the establishment of the African Union (AU) in 2002. Every May 25 is commemorated as Africa Day.
The AU consolidating gains of OAU
The African Union (AU), unlike the OAU, has a wider mandate in trying to consolidate all the gains of independent Africa. Unlike the OAU which united Africa in the various struggles for independence, the AU has to unite Africa to achieve economic, political and socio-cultural development, to consolidate the gains of independence. It also has the challenge of trying to get rid of the numerous conflicts on the continent. To do this, the AU needs strong institutions, financial and human resources. Despite challenges in the last six years of its existence, the AU has also achieved some successes:
Uniting Africans
In its Constitutive Act, preamble paragraph 7, the AU is guided by ‘Our common vision of a united and strong Africa and by the need to build a partnership between governments and segments of civil society, in particular women, youth and the private sector in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion among our peoples’. This vision has almost been realised, with the ultimate, long-term goal of an AU government being one of the top most items on the AU Agenda currently.
A union government has been discussed at the Executive Council level of the AU in Arusha between May 6 to 7, and will be further discussed by the AU Assembly of Heads of State during their 11th Ordinary Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt at the end of this month. Recently, the committee of 12, under president Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, discussed this in Arusha. Our recommendations will be presented to the AU Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt.
The first objective of the AU in Article 3 of the Constitutive Act is to ‘achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa.’ My position has always been that we should use the already existing regional economic blocs like the East African Community, SADC and ECOWAS as the building blocks for this event and the United States of Africa. This should be a long-term project after we have removed the obstacles and contradictions. These include language barriers and poor communication.
In the meantime, we, in East Africa, are working for the federation of East Africa. In the medium term, it is viable and correct to work for regional political integration where possible. West Germany united with East Germany to form one Germany state. This united Germany state is now a member of the Economic Community of Europe (EU). Similarly, one East Africa will be a stronger member of the AU compared to the present individual countries of East Africa. At the AU level, we need to fast-track economic integration –economic community, rail and road transport.
Strengthening the AU Organs
A lot of effort has also been put into strengthening the AU organs to enable the AU serve its people better. This includes the historic Audit of the AU by an independent high-level panel of distinguished people led by Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, the former UN under-secretary general and the executive secretary of UN Economic Commission for Africa.
Setting up of an independent high-level panel of the audit of the AU by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU to undertake an audit review of the state of the union is a most historic initiative. It demonstrates the vision, courage and foresight of African leaders. Its wide and comprehensive terms of reference are symptomatic of the psychological paradigm shift that has occurred as far as achieving the political and socio-economic unification of Africa is concerned.
This is also in line with the AU Constitutive Act - Preamble paragraph 10 - where the AU expresses its further determination ‘to take all necessary measures to strengthen our common institutions and provide them with the necessary powers and resources to enable them discharge their respective mandates effectively.’
The recommendations that have emerged from this historic audit are intended to revamp the organs and institutions of the AU so as to foster African unity and fast-track the political and economic process. They have now been discussed by the committee of 12 which has, in turn made recommendations to the AU Summit in Sharm -El-Sheikh, in Egypt.
Self-monitoring mechanism
In its bid for self assessment and better performance, the AU, unlike the OAU, also set up the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) umbrella. The APRM process is a tool voluntarily acceded to by member states of the AU as an African self-monitoring mechanism.
The review focuses on four thematic areas namely democracy and political governance, Economic governance and management, corporate governance and socio-economic development.
Uganda adopted the NEPAD and acceded to the APRM in 2003 after which an APRM National Commission was formed. The Commission has just concluded Uganda’s self assessment report and the attendant programme of action. The report was a culmination of investigative and transparent methods supervised and approved by a robust commission comprising of 21 people; four from the Government, three from Parliament, 14 from civil society and private sector and two ex-officials. Uganda will present her APRM report at the 11th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Egypt at the end of this month together with a number of other African countries.
This brings out the dynamic nature of the AU compared with the OAU’s policy of ‘non-interference into other countries’ internal affairs, stretching the idea to the height of “no mutual discussion of each other’s problemsâ€. This policy made it difficult for African countries to help one another in cases where there was widespread abuse of power, collapse of the rule of law, democracy or human rights violations.
Solving conflicts
The AU in its Constitutive Act - preamble paragraph eight - is ‘conscious that the scourge of conflicts in Africa constitutes a major impediment to the socio-economic development of the continent and of the need to promote peace, security and stability as a prerequisite for the implementation of our development and integration agenda’. The issues of conflicts in Africa, especially in the Great Lakes region, have remained a major challenge for the AU.
Thus, the Heads of State and Government of the AU adopted the Protocol establishing the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU at its 1st Ordinary Session of the Assembly in Durban on July 9, 2002. The PSC is a standing decision- making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. It is a collective security and early-warning arrangement to facilitate timely and efficient response to conflicts and crisis situations in Africa.
The PSC is supported by the AU Commission, a panel of the wise, a continental early warning system, an African standby force and a special fund. The PSC has been vigilant in acting or reacting to conflict spots in the continent. They successfully intervened in Burundi and the Comoros, Ivory Coast. They have also intervened in Sudan, Darfur under AMIS – now UNAMID, and in Somalia (AMISOM). The implementation of the African standby force is in final stages and by 2010 it should be operational.
The biggest challenge for the PSC operations has been limited funds, which makes it rely on donor funding, African countries have to devise means of funding more peace support operations and try and rely less on donor funds, lest their activities are compromised. The PSC works closely with the UN Security Council in its peace support activities; this needs to continue, with the PSC asking the Security Council to take on more of the peace support operations in Africa in terms of funding, equipments and logistics since international peace and security is the main mandate of the UN Security Council. Uganda has been re-elected on the Peace and Security Council of the AU for another two-year term.
Furthermore, a Draft Protocol and Statute merging the African Court on Human and People’s Rights and the African Court of Justice was adopted by the African Ministers of Justice and Attorney Generals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between April 14-18. The adopted Draft Protocol will be presented to the Executive Council for final adoption, thus bringing yet another organ of the Union in place. In trying to propagate the protection of basic human rights of individuals, the AU has created other organs, apart from the African Court, like the Pan African Parliament (PAP), composed of five Parliamentarians from each member state.
The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), was established to build a partnership between African Governments and civil society. The latter has been active in linking with civil society organisations, as a means of bringing the AU nearer to the people at the grass roots level. More remains to be done though, as limited funds have tended to limit the activities of ECOSOCC.
Furthermore, since 2004, the AU Commission has taken ownership of the gender mainstreaming programme at the highest level, dedicating a large portion of its Summits of Heads of State’ dialogue on gender equality. The AU has incorporated the African Women Committee on Peace and Development (AWCPD) into its mechanism, in a bid to empower the African woman. Other successes include the creation of the African Investment Bank, African Central Bank and the African Monetary Fund, but these are yet to be rendered fully operational.
Challenges encountered
Despite the many successes, the AU continues to face challenges. They include pandemics like HIV/AIDs, Malaria, TB, lack of adequate research facilities to propel our economies, too many crises and limited resources. There has also been a delay in the establishment of the continental early warning system that would forecast situations. The AU’s biggest challenge remains the economic development of Africa.
Way forward
We need to strengthen the regional economic blocs, our continent’s building blocks, to regional and federal integration. We should do this through providing adequate financial and human resource as well as rationalisation and harmonisation of the blocs. We need to strengthen the AU Commission and NEPAD through implementing the recommendations of the high -level panel of the AU Audit.
We must also nurture strategic partnerships first between ourselves and then with the EU, Asia, North and South America, singling out countries like China, India, Japan and Brazil. Looking around this room and seeing all of you, I know that Africa can rise to the challenge through our concerted and collective efforts. It is only a question of time and application of the right strategy before Africa claims the 21st Century as its own. There is clearly a ‘New Scramble for Africa’ as envisaged in the new interest developed and bigger developing countries have picked in Africa, a new scramble for African untapped resources.
Unlike in the scramble for Africa of the 1880s, this time, Africa is in control of its resources; and can and should get a better bargain from meetings such as the Afro-China Conference, India-Africa Summit, EU-Africa Summit, Africa-Turkey Summit, Africa-France Summit and Africa-South America Summit.
In conclusion, I can confidently say that the AU has played a significant role on the continent despite the challenges. Uganda salutes its vigilant efforts and pledges to continue supporting its vital work. I thank you all and wish you a happy celebration.
On May 25, 1963, the leaders of the then independent African countries made history and gave significant impetus to the continent’s collective, but then incomplete struggle for independence, by establishing the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
Thanks to the foresight and vision of Africa’s founding fathers like Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere and Abdul Nasser. Nearly four decades followed in which African states stood united in the framework of the OAU, while making efforts to give depth and meaning to their political independence and striving for socio-economic development of their peoples. Those efforts yielded positive results, culminating in the establishment of the African Union (AU) in 2002. Every May 25 is commemorated as Africa Day.
The AU consolidating gains of OAU
The African Union (AU), unlike the OAU, has a wider mandate in trying to consolidate all the gains of independent Africa. Unlike the OAU which united Africa in the various struggles for independence, the AU has to unite Africa to achieve economic, political and socio-cultural development, to consolidate the gains of independence. It also has the challenge of trying to get rid of the numerous conflicts on the continent. To do this, the AU needs strong institutions, financial and human resources. Despite challenges in the last six years of its existence, the AU has also achieved some successes:
Uniting Africans
In its Constitutive Act, preamble paragraph 7, the AU is guided by ‘Our common vision of a united and strong Africa and by the need to build a partnership between governments and segments of civil society, in particular women, youth and the private sector in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion among our peoples’. This vision has almost been realised, with the ultimate, long-term goal of an AU government being one of the top most items on the AU Agenda currently.
A union government has been discussed at the Executive Council level of the AU in Arusha between May 6 to 7, and will be further discussed by the AU Assembly of Heads of State during their 11th Ordinary Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt at the end of this month. Recently, the committee of 12, under president Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, discussed this in Arusha. Our recommendations will be presented to the AU Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt.
The first objective of the AU in Article 3 of the Constitutive Act is to ‘achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa.’ My position has always been that we should use the already existing regional economic blocs like the East African Community, SADC and ECOWAS as the building blocks for this event and the United States of Africa. This should be a long-term project after we have removed the obstacles and contradictions. These include language barriers and poor communication.
In the meantime, we, in East Africa, are working for the federation of East Africa. In the medium term, it is viable and correct to work for regional political integration where possible. West Germany united with East Germany to form one Germany state. This united Germany state is now a member of the Economic Community of Europe (EU). Similarly, one East Africa will be a stronger member of the AU compared to the present individual countries of East Africa. At the AU level, we need to fast-track economic integration –economic community, rail and road transport.
Strengthening the AU Organs
A lot of effort has also been put into strengthening the AU organs to enable the AU serve its people better. This includes the historic Audit of the AU by an independent high-level panel of distinguished people led by Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, the former UN under-secretary general and the executive secretary of UN Economic Commission for Africa.
Setting up of an independent high-level panel of the audit of the AU by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU to undertake an audit review of the state of the union is a most historic initiative. It demonstrates the vision, courage and foresight of African leaders. Its wide and comprehensive terms of reference are symptomatic of the psychological paradigm shift that has occurred as far as achieving the political and socio-economic unification of Africa is concerned.
This is also in line with the AU Constitutive Act - Preamble paragraph 10 - where the AU expresses its further determination ‘to take all necessary measures to strengthen our common institutions and provide them with the necessary powers and resources to enable them discharge their respective mandates effectively.’
The recommendations that have emerged from this historic audit are intended to revamp the organs and institutions of the AU so as to foster African unity and fast-track the political and economic process. They have now been discussed by the committee of 12 which has, in turn made recommendations to the AU Summit in Sharm -El-Sheikh, in Egypt.
Self-monitoring mechanism
In its bid for self assessment and better performance, the AU, unlike the OAU, also set up the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) umbrella. The APRM process is a tool voluntarily acceded to by member states of the AU as an African self-monitoring mechanism.
The review focuses on four thematic areas namely democracy and political governance, Economic governance and management, corporate governance and socio-economic development.
Uganda adopted the NEPAD and acceded to the APRM in 2003 after which an APRM National Commission was formed. The Commission has just concluded Uganda’s self assessment report and the attendant programme of action. The report was a culmination of investigative and transparent methods supervised and approved by a robust commission comprising of 21 people; four from the Government, three from Parliament, 14 from civil society and private sector and two ex-officials. Uganda will present her APRM report at the 11th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Egypt at the end of this month together with a number of other African countries.
This brings out the dynamic nature of the AU compared with the OAU’s policy of ‘non-interference into other countries’ internal affairs, stretching the idea to the height of “no mutual discussion of each other’s problemsâ€. This policy made it difficult for African countries to help one another in cases where there was widespread abuse of power, collapse of the rule of law, democracy or human rights violations.
Solving conflicts
The AU in its Constitutive Act - preamble paragraph eight - is ‘conscious that the scourge of conflicts in Africa constitutes a major impediment to the socio-economic development of the continent and of the need to promote peace, security and stability as a prerequisite for the implementation of our development and integration agenda’. The issues of conflicts in Africa, especially in the Great Lakes region, have remained a major challenge for the AU.
Thus, the Heads of State and Government of the AU adopted the Protocol establishing the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the AU at its 1st Ordinary Session of the Assembly in Durban on July 9, 2002. The PSC is a standing decision- making organ for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. It is a collective security and early-warning arrangement to facilitate timely and efficient response to conflicts and crisis situations in Africa.
The PSC is supported by the AU Commission, a panel of the wise, a continental early warning system, an African standby force and a special fund. The PSC has been vigilant in acting or reacting to conflict spots in the continent. They successfully intervened in Burundi and the Comoros, Ivory Coast. They have also intervened in Sudan, Darfur under AMIS – now UNAMID, and in Somalia (AMISOM). The implementation of the African standby force is in final stages and by 2010 it should be operational.
The biggest challenge for the PSC operations has been limited funds, which makes it rely on donor funding, African countries have to devise means of funding more peace support operations and try and rely less on donor funds, lest their activities are compromised. The PSC works closely with the UN Security Council in its peace support activities; this needs to continue, with the PSC asking the Security Council to take on more of the peace support operations in Africa in terms of funding, equipments and logistics since international peace and security is the main mandate of the UN Security Council. Uganda has been re-elected on the Peace and Security Council of the AU for another two-year term.
Furthermore, a Draft Protocol and Statute merging the African Court on Human and People’s Rights and the African Court of Justice was adopted by the African Ministers of Justice and Attorney Generals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between April 14-18. The adopted Draft Protocol will be presented to the Executive Council for final adoption, thus bringing yet another organ of the Union in place. In trying to propagate the protection of basic human rights of individuals, the AU has created other organs, apart from the African Court, like the Pan African Parliament (PAP), composed of five Parliamentarians from each member state.
The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), was established to build a partnership between African Governments and civil society. The latter has been active in linking with civil society organisations, as a means of bringing the AU nearer to the people at the grass roots level. More remains to be done though, as limited funds have tended to limit the activities of ECOSOCC.
Furthermore, since 2004, the AU Commission has taken ownership of the gender mainstreaming programme at the highest level, dedicating a large portion of its Summits of Heads of State’ dialogue on gender equality. The AU has incorporated the African Women Committee on Peace and Development (AWCPD) into its mechanism, in a bid to empower the African woman. Other successes include the creation of the African Investment Bank, African Central Bank and the African Monetary Fund, but these are yet to be rendered fully operational.
Challenges encountered
Despite the many successes, the AU continues to face challenges. They include pandemics like HIV/AIDs, Malaria, TB, lack of adequate research facilities to propel our economies, too many crises and limited resources. There has also been a delay in the establishment of the continental early warning system that would forecast situations. The AU’s biggest challenge remains the economic development of Africa.
Way forward
We need to strengthen the regional economic blocs, our continent’s building blocks, to regional and federal integration. We should do this through providing adequate financial and human resource as well as rationalisation and harmonisation of the blocs. We need to strengthen the AU Commission and NEPAD through implementing the recommendations of the high -level panel of the AU Audit.
We must also nurture strategic partnerships first between ourselves and then with the EU, Asia, North and South America, singling out countries like China, India, Japan and Brazil. Looking around this room and seeing all of you, I know that Africa can rise to the challenge through our concerted and collective efforts. It is only a question of time and application of the right strategy before Africa claims the 21st Century as its own. There is clearly a ‘New Scramble for Africa’ as envisaged in the new interest developed and bigger developing countries have picked in Africa, a new scramble for African untapped resources.
Unlike in the scramble for Africa of the 1880s, this time, Africa is in control of its resources; and can and should get a better bargain from meetings such as the Afro-China Conference, India-Africa Summit, EU-Africa Summit, Africa-Turkey Summit, Africa-France Summit and Africa-South America Summit.
In conclusion, I can confidently say that the AU has played a significant role on the continent despite the challenges. Uganda salutes its vigilant efforts and pledges to continue supporting its vital work. I thank you all and wish you a happy celebration.