African Union 23rd Summit: Renaissance or continuing dependency?
Meeting in Malabo exemplifies the contradictions in continental affairs
Abayomi Azikiwe
2014-07-10
This year's African Union summit was marked by calls for economic and
political independence from the West. Mutually beneficial relations between
the AU and China as well as internal security are critical to the discussion
around Africa's sovereignty and the ways in which the continent may seize
its rightful place in international affairs.
Equatorial Guinea was the scene of the latest African Union (AU) Summit
convened on June 26-27. This oil-rich nation has become more prominent in
recent years for its rhetorical defiance of the West as it relates to both
the domestic and foreign policy of the 54-member regional body.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema opened the AU 23rd Summit warning that the
continent could no longer look to the West for economic development or
political culture. These words were clearly related to the overall theme of
the meeting which prioritised agricultural production and the need for
increasing inter-continental and South-South trade.
The host of the gathering said 'Africa should not continue to depend on the
economies of developed countries. The continent has to seriously consider
its relations with the world'.
These are axioms that have been articulated by successive generations of
post-colonial African leaders, dating back to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana,
Ahmed Sekou Toure of Guinea-Conakry and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania.
All of them were quite aware of the perils of political independence in the
absence of genuine growth within the fields of heavy and light industry, as
well as the modernisation of farming.
According to Nguema, 'Africa now has 50 years of independence, so we do not
need to suffer neo-colonialism and perpetuate it. We have adopted measures
that have led to the stagnation of parity of our currencies'.
Of course there must be an African path towards the future based upon its
own interests and way of thinking. Nkrumah advanced the concept of the
'African Personality' where the history and struggle for national liberation
and socialism would be imbued in the character of domestic and international
relations.
Nguema went on to say that 'Africa cannot be content to continue with the
current dependence on the economies of the developed world. Africa is
sailing upstream against a dependency that prevents them from moving toward
sustainable development. Africa should rethink its relationship with the
developed world to reduce as far as possible the gap that prevents access to
development'.
AU-CHINA RELATIONS PRAISED
These sets of values are reflected in the role of the Africa-China
partnership and its expansion over the last decade-and-a-half. In 2000, the
Forum on Africa-China Cooperation (FOCAC) was formed and has convened five
subsequent summits., Since then, Beijing has been the largest trading
partner with the AU member-states.
In a press release issued by FOCAC on the occasion of the AU 23rd Summit it
said 'On June 25, 2014, the Special Envoy of the Chinese Government and Vice
Foreign Minister Zhang Ming, during his attendance at the 23rd Summit of the
African Union (AU), met with Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of African
Union Commission (AUC) in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. Zhang
Ming forwarded to Zuma the message of congratulation from President Xi
Jinping on the 23rd Summit of AU'.
Illustrating the importance to Beijing of the China-AU alliance, the current
leader of the world's second largest economy visited several African states
briefly after assuming office in 2013. Although the United States government
has made unfair criticism of the nature of relations between Africa and
China, most informed opinions indicate that it is a partnership that is
proving beneficial to both sides.
This same press release from FOCAC also emphasized that 'Zhang Ming said
President Xi Jinping in his first visit to Africa in March last year after
assuming office and Premier Li Keqiang in his visit to the four African
countries and AU headquarters in May this year reached broad consensuses
with African leaders on further strengthening China-Africa relations and
China-AU relations, and charted the course for the development of bilateral
relations. The AU side is willing to continue to intensify cooperation with
the Chinese side in such fields as infrastructure, agriculture, human
resource development, and peace and security building in Africa, to promote
Africa's industrialisation, modernisation and integration process, and to
achieve mutual benefits and win-win results between Africa and China.'
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SUMMIT
Revolutionary Cuba has played a tremendous role in the struggle for the
national liberation and development of Africa. The politico-military
contributions to the people and governments of Algeria, Ghana,
Guinea-Conakry, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Ethiopia and
others remains a treasured part of African history.
Of the AU Summit, the Cuban News Agency reported that 'Cuban vice-president
Salvador Valdes, met in Equatorial Guinea with the president (chair) of the
Commission of the African Union, Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma. The Cuban official
who is attending the Summit of the African organisation in the capital
Malabo, conveyed greetings from Revolution leader Fidel Castro and from
President Raul Castro and he reiterated Cuba's permanent commitment to
supporting Africa in all aspects, particularly in human development.' (June
27)
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon attended the meeting in Malabo
where he stressed the importance of the AU in the quest for sustainable
peace and security on the continent. At present the UN is set to deploy a
so-called peacekeeping force of some 12,000 military forces in the Central
African Republic, (CAR) a mineral-rich state which has been plagued by
instability and foreign intervention.
Ban said 'We are committed to your goal of an integrated, prosperous and
peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force
in the global arena. As you develop and implement Agenda 2063, the United
Nations will remain by your side - promoting peace, human rights and
sustainable development.' (UN News Center, June 26)
Jewish delegation attacks Malabo summit
Of all of these positive statements and accolades delivered at the AU 23rd
Summit, a group of Jewish American observers who attended the deliberations
in Malabo came away denouncing the manner in which they were treated by the
continental organisation. The delegation was representing the Conference of
Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and reportedly prompted
protests from members of at least three governments, Egypt, South Africa and
Iran.
Although it was not clear under what circumstances or purpose this US Jewish
delegation was invited to the Malabo Summit, the JNS.org press service
quoted one prominent American representative, Malcolm Hoenlein, the
executive vice chairman of the above-mentioned organisation, as saying that
they were accused of being from the State of Israel and therefore compelled
some officials in attendance to object to their presence. Hoenlein said that
they were invited as an official delegation and 'were initially treated very
well' along with meeting many African leaders.
Nonetheless, in a quote from an Israeli-based organization, it objected to
the American Jewish delegation's treatment in Malabo saying 'If this
despicable lack of hospitality was indeed the result of efforts by the
Egyptian and Iranian delegations, the former should be disciplined according
to the steps available to the African Union under such circumstances, while
the latter should be permanently barred from all future summits,' said
Efraim Zuroff, who is the director of the Jerusalem office of the Simon
Wiesenthal Center." (Jerusalem Post)
'The positive thing is that this is the first time a Jewish delegation was
invited to the AU [summit],' Hoenlein noted. However, if there are AU
member-states and partners of the regional organisation who categorically
oppose the attendance of a pro-Israeli delegation the very existence of such
a grouping will continue to be a source of conflict and division.
IMPERIALIST MILITARISM AND TERRORISM
One major point of discussion was the threat of terrorism in various African
states, with specific reference to the ongoing clashes between the Boko
Haram sect and the Nigerian military. This growing problem of bomb attacks,
abductions and mass killings have provided a further opening for
intelligence and military forces from the US, France and the State of
Israel.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is designated as the largest economy in
Africa, and yet the government in Abuja is exposed as being incapable of
resolving an insurgency in the northeast of the country. Such a situation
represents a profound contradiction in continental political development.
The wealth-gap and deepening class divisions within Nigeria and other
African states will continue to taint the notions of phenomenal economic
growth.
Africa cannot be genuinely independent and sovereign without taking control
of its internal security which is essential for developing its
infrastructural capacity and the raising of the standard of living for the
majority population of workers, farmers and youth. This transformation in
the fields of agriculture, science, education and technological advancements
cannot be carried out within the realm of the present and historical
capitalist divisions of economic power, trade and distribution.
The continent must move toward the socialist organisation of society and the
economy. This will ensure the equal distribution of resources emanating from
the vast mineral, oil and hydro-electric wealth in existence on the
continent.
Empowering the majority of workers, farmers and youth will inevitably
guarantee internal, regional and continental security. The current
involvement of the imperialist states in the economic, intelligence,
military and consequently political affairs of Africa has weakened the
capacity of state institutions and these realities are in evidence from
Egypt to South Africa.
These challenges must be overcome long before the conclusion of the 2063
plan which emerged from the 50 year anniversary AU Summit in Addis Ababa
last year. Neo-colonialism is the final stage of imperialism and if the
continent is to move forward in seizing its rightful status in world affairs
western influence and control must be eradicated.
* Abayomi Azikiwe is Editor, Pan-African News Wire