Organization_of_African_Union_-_Lessons_for_South_Asia_and_Pakistan

ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY (OAU) LESSONS FOR PAKISTAN / SOUTH ASIA Introduction The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established in 1963 as a Continent wide Organization with the purpose of fostering politico social as well as economic unity and help winning independence for countries of Africa that were still colonized. With a mixed history of performance and at times even being labelled as mere “talking shop” or “trade union of the dictators”, it breathed its last on 9 July 2002, when it was formally disbanded by its last Chairman. The OAU was, however not sacrificed for nothing as after redressing its shortfalls it evolved into African Union i.e. AU. In depth research has led to the conclusion that OAU played a very significant role within its mandate. In its new form and improved mandate, it is likely to be a role model for developing regions or even the continents and amply points to the political wisdom of its pioneers. Aim To brief about origin, organizational structure and effectiveness of OAU / AU. Sequence As under:- a. Origin. b. Aims / Objectives. c. Organizational Structure. d. Challenges. e. Effectiveness - Analytical Conclusions. f. Lessons for South Asian Region / Pakistan. g. Conclusion. Origin Africa and Asia share centuries of a common history of exploitation and perception engineering by the developed world under the façade of “White man’s burden”. These continents despite “Wisdom of ancient Ages”, bounties of resources and bulk of humanity had borne this unjust abuse like a proverbial “Silent Majority”. While Asia led the way in ridding from material exploitation, it goes to the credit of African Wisdom for chartering new course of giving “Voice to the Silence”. I shall quote here Haile Selassie, the late Emperor of Ethiopia, “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph." Soon after achieving independence in early 1950s, a number of African states expressed a growing desire for more unity within the continent. Not everyone was agreed on how this unity could be achieved. Two opinion groups emerged in this respect[1]:- a. The Casablanca Bloc. Led by Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, wanted a federation of all African countries. It comprised also Algeria, Guinea, Morocco, Egypt, Mali and Libya. Its members were described as "progressive states". b. The Monrovian Bloc. Led by Senghor of Senegal, felt that unity should be achieved gradually, through economic cooperation. It did not support the notion of a political federation. Its other members were Nigeria, Liberia, Ethiopia and most of the former French colonies. The dispute was eventually resolved when Haile Selassie, invited the two groups to Addis Ababa in 1963 and charter of OAU was signed. Aims / Objectives[2] From Origin till Disbandment of AOU – 2002 a. Primary Aims 1) To promote the unity and solidarity of the African states and act as a collective voice for the African continent. 2) To secure Africa's long-term economic and political future. 3) To eradicate colonialism or minority-rule. South Africa and Angola were two such countries. Proposed ways were:- a) It would defend the interests of independent countries and help to pursue of those still-colonized. b) Adopt neutrality in world affairs to prevent members being controlled once more by outside powers. c) A Liberation Committee was established. b. Other Aims 1) Ensure that all Africans enjoyed human rights. 2) Raise the living standards of all Africans. 3) Settle arguments and disputes between members –through peaceful and diplomatic negotiation. As AU. AU succeeded the OAU in 2002. Conceived by Muammar Gaddafi, who proposed a "United States of Africa", its structure is loosely modelled on that of the European Union. At the time of the OAU's disbanding, 53 out of the 54 African states were members; Morocco left on 12 November 1984 following the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as the government of Western Sahara[3]. Aims and purposes of the AU were generally the same as that of OAU, with major shift as given in 4th and 5th points below:- a. To accelerate the political and socio-economic integration. b. To promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its people. c. To promote democracy, good governance and human rights. d. To achieve peace and security in Africa. e. The AU believes that conflicts must be settled before there can be a chance of achieving prosperity. Organizational Structure Facts[4] a. Annual budget: $43 million (2004 figure). b. 2000: AU constitution signed in Lome, Togo. c. 2002: AU launched at Durban summit, South Africa. d. Chairman: Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete. e. Commission Chairperson Jean Ping of Gabon. f. President of Pan – African Parliament: Gertude Mongella. g. Area: 29,757,900 Km Sq. h. Population: 850 Million. j. Resources. Rich in terms of mineral resources. Inability to exploit, made it poor. Now in the focus of emerging economies i.e. China and India in a big way and also the developed countries. Africa’s share of world reserves:- 1) 67% of gold. 2) 50% of Manganese. 3) 97% of Chrome. 4) 14% of bronze. 5) 20% of oil. 6) 25% of Uranium. k. GDP (PPP) – 2003 Estimates 1) Total: 1.515 Trillion US $. 2) Per Capita: 1896 US $. l. GDP (Nominal) – 2003 Estimates 1) Total: 514 Billion US $. 2) Per Capita: 643 US $. Structure[5]. The main administrative capital of the African Union is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the AU Commission is headquartered. Other AU structures are hosted by different member states. The African Union is made up of both political and administrative bodies:- a. Assembly. It is the highest decision-making organ, made up of all the heads of state or government and meets on yearly basis. It takes decisions by consensus or by a two-thirds majority. Members of the assembly elect an AU chairperson on annual basis. b. Pan African Parliament. It consists of 265 members elected by the national parliaments of the AU member states. c. Executive Council. It is made up of foreign ministers and prepares decision proposals for the Assembly. d. Permanent Representatives Committee. It comprises of the ambassadors deputed to Addis Ababa; and the Economic, Social, and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), a civil society consultative body. e. AU Commission. It is secretariat of AU. The administrative branch comprises 10 commissioners. The commission implements AU policies and coordinates the body's activities and meetings. The commission elects its chairperson to a four-year term. f. Peace and Security Council (PSC) and Other Committees / Institutions. Committees have been established in the domain of Justice, human rights and security, etcetera. The greatest initiative is PSC on the lines of UNSC. It is a collective security and early warning arrangement to facilitate timely and effective response to conflict and crises in Africa. Other responsibilities conferred to the PSC include prevention, management and resolution of conflicts, post-conflict peace building and developing common defence policies. The PSC has fifteen members elected on a regional basis by the Assembly. Few other important Committees are:- 1) African Court of Justice. 2) Economic, Social and Cultural Council. 3) Specialised Technical Committees. 4) Financial institutions. African Central Bank, African Investment Bank, African Monetary Fund. These institutions have not yet been established. Eventually, the AU aims to have a single currency (the Afro). 5) Human rights a) The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, in existence since 1986. It is the premier African human rights body, with responsibility for monitoring and promoting compliance with the African Charter. b) The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights was established in 2006 to supplement the work of the Commission. It is planned that the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights will be merged with the African Court of Justice. g. Regional Groupings[6]. These facilitate formulation and implementation of AU agenda within the respective regions. The organizations for five regions (Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western and Central) and a two overlapping regional organization are as under:- 1) Arab Maghreb Union (AMU). 2) Southern African Development Community (SADC). 3) East African Community (EAC). 4) Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 5) Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). 6) Community of Sahel Saharan States (CEN – SAD). 7) Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Challenges Political and Social Challenges a. Diverse Nationalities. b. Political Instability. c. Politics of Exclusion. d. Governance. . e. External Influence. f. Human Rights Abuses. Economic Challenges a. Regional Variation. The temperate northern and southern ends of the continent are wealthier than tropical sub-Saharan Africa. b. Agriculture. Primitive agriculture practices with 60 % of laborers. c. Least industrialized continent. d. Corrupt and unstable local banks. e. Debt Burden. Africa is the worlds most indebted and aid-dependent region with over $200B debt burden. f. Corruption. g. Population Growth and poverty (Above 40 %). h. Under Exploration of Resources. Security Challenges a. Civil – Military Relations. Most of African armed forces are the descendants of colonial establishments and are still seen more as a tool for government control and crucial political actors. b. Gross Variations in Professionalism. The degree of professionalism of the armed forces varies across the continent. c. Arms Proliferation. The continent is awash in arms and traversed by arms merchants. It is impossible to gauge the number of small arms in circulation in Africa accurately. d. Conflicts, Separatist Movements. Since independence, at least 20 African countries have experienced civil strife with ethnic and tribal cleavages. e. Drugs and Human Trafficking. f. Tropical Diseases. Effectiveness – Analytical Conclusions Low Nodes. Performance of OAU in the face of such a complex spectrum of challenges has been less than satisfactory. The nature of challenges in themselves points to the reasons for dismal performance:- a. OAU, with little power struggled to enforce its decisions, and its lack of armed wing made intervention exceedingly difficult. Civil wars in Nigeria and Angola continued unabated for years, and the OAU could do nothing to stop them. b. The policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states also limited the effectiveness of the OAU. OAU did little to protect the rights and liberties of Africans from their own political leaders. Thus, when human rights were violated, as in Uganda under Idi Amin in the 1970s or by Zaire's Dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, the OAU was powerless to stop violations and the detractors never faced serious pressure to safeguard the human rights of their citizens. c. Internal Fissures 1) The OAU was largely divided. The former French colonies, still dependent on France, and there was a further split between those which supported the USA and those which supported the USSR in the Cold War. The pro-Socialist faction was led by Kwame Nkrumah, while Félix Houphouët-Boigny of the Ivory Coast led the pro-capitalists. Because of these divisions, it was difficult for the OAU to take action against states involved in internal conflicts because it could rarely reach an agreement. 2) The OAU has also been criticised for doing little or nothing to improve living standards in the world's poorest continent. But like any international institution, it can only be as strong as its member states allow it to be. Those that rule those states have jealously guarded against outside interference that threatens their dominance. 3) The OAU could only play a very limited role in helping to integrate African economies. High Points a. Many of its members were members of the UN, too, and they stood together to safeguard African interests. b. There is general agreement that the OAU's proudest moments came in the fight against colonialism. c. The OAU did play a pivotal role in eradicating colonialism and minority rule in Africa. It gave weapons, training and military bases to colonised nations fighting for independence or majority rule. Groups such as the ANC and PAC, fighting apartheid, and ZANU and ZAPU, fighting for the independence of Southern Rhodesia, were aided in their endeavours by the OAU. African harbours were closed to the South African government, and South African aircraft were prohibited from flying over the rest of the continent. The UN was convinced by the OAU to expel South Africa from bodies such as the World Health Organization. d. In the 1970s, it organised material and moral support for the liberation movements in countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique. e. In the 1980s, the African body pressured the west to impose sanctions on apartheid South Africa. f. The OAU also worked with the UN to ease refugee problems. It set up the African Development Bank for economic projects intended to make Africa financially stronger. Forward Outlook – AU a. There are far-reaching plans to set up a human rights court, a central bank and monetary fund, and by 2023 an African Economic Community with a single currency. b. Setting up of Peace and Security Council in 2004 will give AU the ability to intervene in conflicts, replacing the old OAU principle of non-interference with one of "non-indifference". c. The council can deploy military forces in situations that include genocide and crimes against humanity. It can authorise peacekeeping missions. The council plans to have an African Stand-by Force (ASF) in place by 2010. d. AU peacekeepers have served in Burundi and AU ceasefire monitors have served in the western Sudanese region of Darfur. An AU force is also deployed in Somalia. e. The AU oversees the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), an anti-poverty blueprint which offers a bargain with the West: the promotion of good political and economic practice in return for more aid and investment. Lessons for Pakistan / South Asia Pakistan has sound base to capitalize on big opportunities owing to good socio cultural affinity. But the area remains to get due attention. Regionally also SAARC has a lot to learn from AU as it is far from taking off in earnest owing to strong differences between the Key Players i.e. India and Pakistan. Its charter’s flaws like non-addressal of bilateral issues and consensus approach on all the decision have become prime reason. AU has evolved into advanced stage of pragmatic and realistic approach. Few Highlights of relevance in our scenario are:- a. Pakistan should enhance diplomatic presence to exploit trade / resource opportunities. b. Good official relation be developed with AU to take advantage of its assertive / united voice at UN. c. Lessons for SAARC 1) Decisions on 2/3rd majority or consensus. 2) Organization is not hostage to big brother syndrome. 3) Ceding of state sovereignty for over all good and peace. 4) AU Parliament’s ability to steer the course for disputes resolution, conflict prevention and conflict management, etcetera. 5) Evolving implementation arm in the shape of PSC and African Standby Force. 6) Evolving Continent wide justice mechanism in the shape of African Court of Justice. Conclusion Its critics have questioned whether the AU can be more effective than its predecessor. They point out that many of its leaders are the same people who presided over the OAU. Money is another sticking point. Though time will tell as to how well this organization succeeds in its high objectives, but mere fact of applying a mid course correction to the flaws of AOU points that course has been set and good results are just a matter of time. BIBLIOGRAPHY Arms and conflict in Africa, US Department of State Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Washington DC, July 1999. 2. . Website, http;//www.undp.org/africa. 9. Website, http;//www.globalpolitician.com 10. Website, http;//www .en .wikipedia-org/wiki-africa. 12. website, http;//www.africaaction.org.com. 13. Website, http;//www.bbc.news.co.uk/2/hi/africa. 14. Website, http;//www.defenselink.mil/news 15. Sahrawi Arab Democratic Repub, cited at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahrawi_Arab_Democratic_Republic Organisation of African Unity, cited at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_African_Unity http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa/Regional Grouping ----------------------- [1]Organisation of African Unity, cited at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_African_Unity [2] Ibid. [3]Sahrawi Arab Democratic Repub, cited at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahrawi_Arab_Democratic_Republic [4] African Union, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Union [5] Ibid. [6] http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa/Regional Grouping