Is Pan- Africanism still relevant today?

The history of "Pan-Africanism" can be traced all the way back to the time of the slave trade and eventual colonization of the African continent. Pan-Africanism was then a reaction against the oppression and exploitation of the black man and the racial doctrines that marked the era of slavery.

This gave rise to the Pan-African movement, which initially served as advocacy machinery against the enslavement of the black people but later evolved into organized forces with cultural and political claims.

After the Second World War, the movement took on a continental dimension and came to represent the quest for continental unity.

The first Pan-African conference to address the problems of African people worldwide was held in 1900, when Mr. Henry Sylvester-Williams convened a conference in London.

The delegates discussed the need to create a movement to campaign for African people's rights. A crucial outcome of the conference was to promote the idea of ‘oneness in experience’ that has vindicated itself time and again throughout the history of the Pan-Africanism.

Following the success of the 1900 Pan-African Conference, Dr. W.E.B DuBois convened and presided over a series of Pan-African Congresses between 1919 and 1945 which laid the ground for later successes.

Seen in retrospect, the 1945 Congress marked a watershed for the eventual decolonization of the African continent through its declaration for an end to racial discrimination and colonial rule.

 The declaration did not only carry forward the hopes and visions for a united Africa, but also injected a dose of militancy which was taken back to Africa and enhanced the struggle for national independence.

Notable among the twenty-six delegates from Africa who attended the Congress were Hastings Banda of Malawi, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Obafemi Awolowo of Nigeria and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya.

Pan-Africanism continued to dominate the realm of ideas long after Ghana, under Kwame Nkrumah, became a sovereign state in 1957.

The liberation of Ghana, followed by a host of other African countries, served to pave the way for closer co-operation among African people. Thus, from 1958 onwards, the notion of Pan -Africanism moved from the realm of ideas to the formulation of practical policies and programmes.

In December 1958, the broadest representation of the numerous political and public organizations in African countries was achieved through the All-African People's Conference that met under a banner "Hands Off Africa! Africa Must Be Free!"

At that Conference, the special contribution of American and West Indians of African origin to the development of Pan-Africanism was noted and appreciated. In his address, Dr. Nkrumah said:

".....Many of them have made no small contribution to the cause of African freedom. Names which spring immediately to mind in this connection are those of Marcus Garvey, and W.E.B. DuBois. Long before many of us were even conscious of our own degradation, these men fought for African national and racial equality.

Long may the links between Africa and the peoples of African descent continue to hold us together in fraternity.

Now that we in Africa are marching towards the complete emancipation of this Continent, our independent status will help in no small measure their efforts to attain full human rights and human dignity as citizens of their country."

An address entitled "The future of Africa" by Dr. DuBois, which was delivered by his wife on his behalf, among others observed that:

"If Africa unites, it will be because each part, each nation, each tribe gives up a part of the heritage for the good of the whole. That is what union means; that is what Pan Africa-means: When the child is born into the tribe the price of his growing up is giving a part of his freedom to the tribe.

This he soon learns or dies. When the tribe becomes a union of tribes, the individual tribe surrenders some part of its freedom to the paramount tribe."

The second gathering of independent African states was held in Tunis in January 1960 and the third in Cairo, Egypt in March 1961.

From conference to conference there was a great desire for unity and on 25th May 1963, 32 African Heads of State and Government came together in Addis Ababa to form the Organization of African Unity (OAU), a crucial step in the movement towards African integration.

The current context

It must be emphasised that, long before the formation of the OAU, a lot of effort had been made to articulate Africa’s aspiration for freedom, equality, justice and progress. The founding of the OAU can therefore be credited to the earlier work of the pan African movement.

As the number of independent African States continued to grow at the turn of the 1960s, the need to preserve their independence, to ensure cooperation among themselves for economic and social development as well as in international affairs, and to support the independence of the rest of the African continent prompted African states to construct a common continental platform for the articulation and defence of their goals and aspirations.

It is important to note that the vision of African integration has played out at two levels. First, at the level of the continental organization where there has been an unequivocal political tone; and, secondly, at sub regional levels, where, essentially, several economic sub-regional arrangements have emerged, eight of them officially recognized by the African Union.

 The sub-regional institutions have predominantly focused on intra-regional trade promotion through preferential arrangements; establishment of common currency areas and harmonization of macroeconomic policies to achieve convergence.

In a few cases, their collective measures have extended to promoting regional public goods such as infrastructure, higher education and combating trans-boundary diseases. The promotion of peace and security has also been a dominant feature with mixed degrees of success as was the case in Burundi, Darfur and more recently in Somalia.

The successful African Union military intervention in Anjouan, Grand Comoros, in 2008 to oust a renegade secessionist was a clear statement about how a new Africa can be born through the vehicle of regional cooperation and integration.

This is a statement that continues to be made, albeit against a backdrop of continued external interference, by the AU Security Council that has made it loud and clear that African problems can only be solved by Africans themselves.

 It is important to point out however, that some of the sub-regional economic arrangements have remained loosely structured in their roles with national economies continuing to operate largely autonomously and thus continuing to be subjected to greater manipulation and marginalization by the rich countries.

Indeed, it is this weak and balkanized character of African regional integration that was the dominant feature when most African countries were subjected to the wave of World Bank and IMF- driven economic reforms in the 1980’s and the early 1990s.

 It was thus somewhat inevitable that the structural adjustment programmes that were put in place could only manage to achieve a lacklustre measure of success. The interventions worked for some time in some countries but not for all the countries most of the time.

The net result, overall, was that the African continent continued to lag behind in the development race. In fact, the 1980s are often referred to as the “lost decade” for Africa and other poor countries.

Role of Pan- Africanism

First and foremost is the institutionalization of the principle of “oneness of view”. Africa’s success in the liberation struggle was made possible in large measure by its oneness of view and unity of action on the issue. Africa was united in her resolve to rid the continent of colonialism and racialism.

And whilst there has been the occasional debate on strategy, never has there been the slightest doubt as to our unity of purpose. We should therefore ensure that the same type of unity is preserved and strengthened as we tackle the economic challenges facing us. Some skeptics and detractors of Africa have continually cast doubt about Africa’s ability to sustain unity in economic matters.

Indeed this assertion is based on the misplaced notion that Africans by nature disagree on all other issues except liberation. But the reality is that Africa has demonstrated strong unity.

We have joint negotiating platforms and a common development strategy. We have come to recognize the inherent vulnerability of a fragmented continent which speaks in a multiplicity of voices. Africa needs unity, for only in unity will we be strong and our collective voice heard loud and clear.

Africa needs to get itself organized – at the national, regional and continental levels, to give strength to the reality of our commitment and action for intra-African co-operation.

 Secondly, is the principle of subjugating narrow parochial interest to the greater common good. This principle has enabled compromise to prevail where differences of opinion have emerged.

Third, is the principle of collaboration with like minded institutions. Since the early days of its establishment, the pan-African movement has always worked with like-minded bodies to pursue the quest for Africa’s self-determination.

Today, the AU and the African regional economic blocs have taken a leaf from this early strategy and has evolved strategic partnership with a number of countries and institutions that are interested in the development of Africa, These include collaborative arrangements with China, India, the WTO, The UN agencies etc.

Fourth, is the principle of strategic integration. The Pan-African movement is credited for the pursuit of the strategic interests of the African people. Indeed, the proclamation during the 1945 Birmingham Congress that all territories under colonial rule should become free from alien control, both politically and economically, attest to this strategic outlook.

We need a unified economic planning for Africa. Until the economic power of Africa is in our hands, the masses can have no real concern and no real interest for safeguarding our security, for ensuring the stability of our regimes, and for bending their strength to the fulfilment of our ends.

With our united resources energies and talents, we have the means, as soon as we show the will, to transform the economic structures of our individual states from poverty to that of wealth, from inequality to the satisfaction of popular needs. Only on a continental basis shall we be able to plan the popular utilization of all our resources for the full development of our continent."

The future content

A review of the current African situation as well as the projection of the future must of necessity take into account the international situation and environment. Africa is part of the global community although admittedly not a very equal partner due to the continued inequity in the international system.

The transformation of the world from a multipolar to a unipolar one has had adverse consequences especially for the smaller countries – a considerable number of them being in Africa. The challenges of globalization, if pursued without taking into consideration the legitimate concerns and interests of developing countries especially the least developed, will bear serious repercussions. I should also allude to the old and new threats and how they have negatively impacted the continent.

What are the shortcomings that have faced our countries and are within our means to resolve? What have we done to address them?

What have we done to create the enabling environment for economic and social transformation in the continent by inter alia using the continent’s immense potential both human and material?

 Have we done enough to confound our critics who consider Africa as a continent where conflicts are rampant, human rights abuses tolerated and corruption including in high places the order of the day in some societies; where some of its people are forced to vote with their feet; and where everything that can go wrong has gone wrong?

Evidently, Africa is changing and this change is essentially due to the fact that our people throughout the length and breadth of the continent demand and expect changes.                

I wish to underscore the fact that the foundations that are laid down today are what will determine tomorrow’s Africa. Africa’s success in the liberation struggle was made possible in large measure by its oneness of view and unity of action on the issue.

Africa, in my view, will continue to evolve into a more united continent which, having learnt from its own history and the examples of others will not deviate from the imperative of unity and cooperation in the economic, social and political dimensions.

RT. Hon. Eriya Kategaya 

Frist deputy Premier and Minister of East African Community Affairs