Pan-Africanism and African renaissance: More questions than answers as the African Union celebrates 50 years

Antony Otieno Ong’ayo
Pambazuka

INTRODUCTION

The African Union is going to celebrate its 50 years of existence in May 2013 and its Assembly has adopted the theme of the 2013 Summit as ‘Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance’. This celebration is underpinned by the collective African aspirations namely protection of their civilisation, emancipation of the African people to fend off slave conditions, racism and colonialism among other historical injustices that were meted on the continent by global powers. However, the focus of the African Union has shifted from its original goal of 1963, and instead it currently focuses on Africas’ development and integration.

With this shift, the questions that come to mind relate to the AU achievements as a continental body that was expected to uphold the aspirations of the African people through political, economic and social integration. The tenets of Pan-Africanism are its call for African unity both as a continent and a people. It also advocates for political and economic independence and cooperation, as well as cultural integration. In the eyes of many in Africa, the continental body has been expected to promote African identity and facilitate regional integration that would catapult the member states to a relative state of development and prosperity. As captured in its vision, the African Union was envisioned as an institution that would promote an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in global arena.

The Organization of African Unity (OAU)/African Union at 50: The Quest for New Foundations of African Solidarity in the 21st Century

Mehari Taddele Maru

Pambazuka

The AU has now entered the new fifth era of delivery and democracy to avoid uprisings and revolutions and to ensure human security by re-inventing Pan-Africanism for 21st century Africa

INTRODUCTION

The Organization of African Unity (OAU) and later on the African Union (AU) will celebrate its fifty year anniversary on 25 May, 2013 in Addis Ababa. The Golden Jubilee celebration of an institution like the OAU and later the African AU is a special event. For Africans and friends of Africa, it has greater public importance. It offers an occasion for celebration. But more crucially, it presents a unique opportunity for critical introspection and collective reflection on the journey of Africa in the past half-century—which seriously affected the lives of millions of Africans both positively and negatively. Even most vital benefit of such opportunity needs to be seized to set a clear vision for Africa, craft commonly and widely shared mission to realize such a vision and mobilize the necessary commitment and resources to implement the mission. It is fitting for the new leadership of the AU Commission, under Dr Dlamini Zuma to present strategic plan of AU for the next 50 years. [1]

While building on the good Pan-African legacies of OAU, the AU needs to shift focus to new foundations of Pan-Africanism. But what are the good and bad legacies of the OAU/AU? What should be the focus of the AU to build on the good legacies of OAU and address the bad ones?

The West’s war against African development continues

Dan Glazebrook

Pambazuka

Tax havens, rising debt-extortion, loans to African military dictators, capital flight, unfair trade prices, militarization of Africa through AFRICOM are the many ways in which the West’s war against African development continues. The recent crisis in Mali and Algeria are being used by the West to further its domination over Africa.

Africa’s classic depiction in the mainstream media, as a giant basket case full of endless war, famine and helpless children creates an illusion of a continent utterly dependent on Western handouts. In fact, the precise opposite is true – it is the West that is reliant on African handouts. These handouts come in many and varied forms. They include illicit flows of resources, the profits of which invariably