African elite have failed us; AU made irrelevant – author

A prolific writer, Kinna Likimani has descended heavily on the continent’s elite whom she accuses of undermining the progress of Africa, and by extension making nonsense of the continental body - the African Union (AU).

“African class of Africa has undermined Africa, and so I bear responsibility for that as well. We have left ourselves here. Our leaders are to blame but our educated Africans have failed Africa. We have undermined ourselves and we should think about how we really get ourselves out of the mess we are in.”

The African Union turns 50 years today (Saturday). Already heads of state representing the over one billion Africans have gathered in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for the commemoration of the day. Ghana’s President John Mahama is expected to deliver the keynote address for which he is expected to sell to the African continent the progress of Ghana as a model for the continent.

Nothing to celebrate

But Kinna Likimani, who is also the programs coordinator for youth and women rights NGO, Mbaasem Foundation, is questioning the basis for the Union’s existence, arguing that the Union has little or nothing to show.

She told Joy FM’s Top Story on Friday that “there is nothing to celebrate” after 50 years of the AU. She reiterated that African leaders in particular and Africans in general have failed the continent, observing how the unity underpinning the formation of the African Union has been left wobbling.

She remarked that after 50 years of existence, the Union cannot even boast of total emancipation; indicating that many so-called sovereign countries are indirectly being controlled by colonial masters through imports and donor supports.

She is therefore urging the Union to use this year’s gathering to take stock of what they have been able to achieve over the years and take a firm decision whether they want to move the AU forward.

According to her, many people in the continent, especially the youth and women who form majority of the population have been disenfranchised in decision making.

Irrelevant

Kinna Likimani further chided the Union for not working hard to project pan Africanism to eliminate certain barriers dividing the continent such as language and movement of people across borders.

“The young people have been disenfranchised from what the AU is doing... but the way in which we implemented [Pan Africanism, which is essential to our existence as Africans to be Pan Africanists] has disenfranchised us… It is about unity and we are not unified; couple with that, we are also not free, we are really not free. Any institution like the EU that embodies this our not being free, and actually exacerbate our disunity makes the AU irrelevant.”

Meanwhile, international relations expert, Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso does not share the idea that the African Union is charting a lost cause just because certain objectives have not been achieved.

He however remarked that without integration, the continent should forget about any development of any individual country.

He implored all to eschew sentimentalism and sloganism, and also charged the leadership of the continent to mobilize their people to move the continent forward.

Dr Antwi Danso also wants a common market for Africa and increase in trade by breaking barriers to it.