Relevance of AU Day

THE RELEVANCE OF THE AU DAY AND THE WAY FORWARD.

Africa Union Day was once again observed last Saturday 25th May, 2019 reminding the entire citizens of the continent to ponder over critical concerns that impede our progress and threaten our virtual existence.    The Day marked the 56th anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on 25 May 1963 in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

This year’s celebration was under various thematic areas, with the overarching one being “Refugees, Repatriates and Displaced: Towards Sustainable Solutions to Forced Displacements in Africa”.    It thus reflects the undercurrents of conflict, wars, and recurring human rights violations, pushing thousands of Africans out of their homes and countries.

This runs counter to Agenda 2063 that seeks to provide Africa with a blueprint for transforming the continent into a global powerhouse.

The Agenda, besides providing the continent’s strategic framework for inclusive and sustainable development, is also a “concrete manifestation of the pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity”.    However, all these lofty ideas come up against formidable challenges of heart-rending conflicts, acts of terrorism, civil wars, and natural disasters, not to mention the unbridled exploitation of our natural and human resources.

Additionally, the poor performances of our economies and political instability have pushed hundreds of thousands of Africans into forced or induced exile, needless deaths across the deserts and the Mediterranean Sea.    All these developments have cut short the aspirations of a continent aspiring after economic empowerment, quality education, sound health, food self-sufficiency and unhindered access to recreation.    It is against this worrying backdrop that Africa celebrated the Day, which under normal circumstances should not be an occasion to grieve but a time to celebrate our successes since 1963.

The hard truth is that, after yanking off the yoke of slavery and colonial exploitation, Africans still find themselves swimming against a near irreversible tide of want and deprivation, abuse and exploitation, even within our own countries and across the continent and beyond.

According to the 2018 World Slavery Index, some 9.2 million Africans live in servitude, making Africa the continent with the highest rate of modern slavery in the world.

No wonder the 56th edition of AU had the sub-theme “Africans are not for sale: Stop Trafficking in Human Beings and Slavery”, and urging all Africans, civil society organizations, youth groups, and associations to counter this scourge.

Most victims of trafficking, particularly vulnerable groups such as children perform domestic work, while women are kept as unpaid domestic workers or sex slaves. Africans should go back to the drawing board and chart a new path of true liberation that carries with its self-esteem and regard for basic human rights devoid of any interruptions or disruptions.    Our political leaders and traditional rulers must acknowledge their responsibilities and honour their avowed mandate of seeking to restore dignity and basic human rights.

It must rekindle in us self-determination and a rejuvenated will to combat exploitation of our human and natural resources that have the tendency to throw the continent into perpetual conflict and missed opportunities. The devastation caused recently by Cyclone Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, droughts and floods in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, as well as uncontrolled flooding in Accra and other African cities must teach us to act and think constructively in our developmental process. African governments must also abide by the Climate Vulnerable Forum pledge they made in November 2016 to accelerate the transition towards an economy powered by 100 percent renewable energy.

 It no longer serves any useful purpose to berate western or eastern European countries for our past and current woes, as we cannot survive independently of them in a globalized world.    Instead, Africa must strive to deepen inclusive social and economic development, continental and regional integration, true and unadulterated democratic governance, peace and security aimed at repositioning ourselves in a globalized world to give meaning to our independence.    Perhaps, we need a new breed of leadership that will not siphon funds into their pockets but real and selfless leaders who think country before self.

By Ray Ankomah, a Journalist