African Unity: Myth Or Reality?

“We all want a United Africa, united not only in our concept of what unity connotes, but united in our common desire to move forward together in dealing with all the problems that can best be solved only on a continental basis.” Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

Anytime the name Africa is mentioned anywhere in the world, what comes to people’s attention is poverty. Meanwhile, it is the richest continent in terms of resources. It is made up of 53 countries with a population of over 900 million. Africa is a continent with diverse ethnic groups with many languages. Colonialism begun to show its ugly head with the coming of the Europeans and when the continent was finally partitioned in far away Berlin, Germany in 1844 among countries such as Britain, France, Italy, Germany among others. As to whether colonialism has positive impact on Africa over the negative impact will continue to be a subject of debate among intellectuals for many years.

However, the second half of the 20th century marked nationalists’ movement in many African countries. Leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Hastings Banda, inter alia who were all Pan-Africanists fought hard for the attainment of independence in their respective countries. During the declaration of the Independence of Ghana on 6th March, 1957, Kwame Nkrumah declared that, “the independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent”. As a result, he supported many countries in Africa against colonialism and oppression with freedom fighters and financial support. Guinea was no exception.

During the conference of African Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa on 24th May, 1963 which led to the birth of Organization of African Unity, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah said that, “Our objective is African Union now. There is no time to waste. We must unite now or perish…. In the task which is before us of unifying our continent we must fall in with the pace or be left behind. The task cannot be attacked in the tempo of any other age than our own. To tall behind the unprecedented momentum of actions and events in our time will be to court failure and our own undoing”. The organization of African Unity (O.A.U) was renamed African Union (A.U) in 2002. What should be made clear is that, a decorated monkey they say is still a monkey. To me, the unification of Africa was dead even at birth because our leaders were divided among themselves with some wanting a gradual approach and others a radical approach. The Casablanca Group who wanted a continental unity now were led by countries such as Ghana, Egypt, Algeria, Guinea, Mali and Morocco. On the other hand, the Monrovia Group was a gradualist group and included Liberia, Togo, Tunisia, Nigeria among others.

“The Libyan Leader, Col. Maummar Quaddafi, who assumed the chairmanship of the African Union pledges to work towards reforming the Union. Quaddafi is the most serious African leader after Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who is seeking a genuine continental unity now. But how do we know that this is not just another focus for misplace enthusiasm?” (GBC Commentary on A.U 46th Day Celebrations, 26th May, 2009). In my view some of the reasons that have prevented Africa from uniting as one continent are elucidated below.

Of the many languages in Africa, which one should be used as the official language? Do you think non-speaking Arabic countries will want Arabic to be the official language? Will others agree that French should be the official language, English, or Portuguese? These are questions we all need to answer when talking about the unification of the African continent. We all want unity and peace in Africa because Africa stands to gain if we unite.

In addition, African countries tend to have closer ties with their colonial masters than even their neighbours. In the words of the late Omar Bongo of Gabon, Africa without France is like a car without an engine. But France without Africa is like a car without fuel. No wonder that Nicolas Sarcozy, the French president and Jacques Chirac, the immediate former French president were at his funeral in Gabon.

The French speaking countries tend to do everything from politics to trade with France whereas the English speaking countries do same with Britain. How can we ever unite if this continues? How can we trade among ourselves when we impose tariffs and embargoes on our fellow African countries?

Furthermore, all will agree with me that Africa is suffering from leadership crises. Most of the leaders we have in Africa, both past and present are corrupt, selfish, greedy and lack visionary ideas. They do not think about the future of their people. I do not think I will be committing a fallacy of ignorantio elenchi if I say that no African leader would agree to surrender his sovereignty to another. Do you think Col. Quaddafi, Moi Kibaki, Robert Mugabe or Yahaya Jammeh would do that? African Unity in the right sense of the word is rather very superficial or to say the least, unreal. Now is the time for the present generation to take the bull by the horn.

Above all, the many wars and civil unrest across Africa from Somalia to Sudan and from Liberia through Sierra Leone to Cote d’Ivoire and also Congo will not make it possible for Africa to unite. How can we come together as one state when we are killing our fellow brothers and sisters? To unite, Africa must be freed of wars and conflicts. There should be Political freedom, freedom of the Press, freedom of movement and other principles of democracy and good governance.

African democracy is what is needed in each African state before we can start to talk about the unification of Africa. African democracy is one that includes African social and cultural values and not one that is borrowed from the West. “The reality of continental unity is that we do not want the historical and fatal resolution of unity to be hostage to the will of those meeting in a small hall in the so-called African summits which is attended scores of Presidents. Such historic fatal resolutions have to be the will of millions of Africans and not just a score of Presidents”.

In my view, if we are able to unite as a continent, our human as well as natural resources will be put to efficient use for the aspirations of the African people and Africa will not only trade better amongst themselves but will also have one voice and be respected across the globe politically, socially and economically. “No sporadic act or pious resolution can we resolve our present problems. Nothing will be of avail, except the United Africa. The social and economic development of Africa will come only within the political kingdom, not the other way round.”

“If we in Africa can achieve the example of a continent knit together in common policy and common purpose, we shall have made the finest possible contribution to that peace for which all men and women thirst together, and which will lift once and forever the deepening shadow of global destruction from mankind. Africa must Unite” Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

Francis Xavier Tuokuu

National Service Person

University of Ghana

P.O. Box LG 59 Legon – Accra (mactuokuu@yahoo.com).