Feb 1, 2022
Africa Must Unite
Africa Must Unite –Tesfaye Beljige Dara
An Agenda beyond the United States of Africa –
AFRICA MUST UNITE!!!
From the outset, ‘the people of Africa have shared interests and should be united around common goals is the main idea behind Pan-Africanism. With this understanding, our forefathers strived for the unity of Africa. Julius Nyerere echoed: “without unity, there is no future for Africa.” Kwame Nkrumah repeatedly vowed for the unity of Africa. Emperor Haile Selassie’s effort in this regard is also commendable. We can say that the quest for united Africa resulted from pan-African desires for collective self-reliance, solidarity, development, peace, and unity. It was not a mere desire to achieve a political entity called the United States of Africa. Instead, it has also been a means to end the sufferings of generations of Africa under slavery, colonial oppression, and neo-colonial exploitations.
Despite the continued zeal, the unification efforts have thus far failed to deliver a satisfactory result. There are many factors that halted the implementation of pan-Africanist concepts around the continent.
As of today, intra-regional trade accounts for not more than 20% of Africa’s total trade. Infrastructural integration is deficient. Many countries in Africa still have very rigid borders, which makes the free movement of people difficult. Likewise, in many countries, African currencies are less convertible in the face of no common currency. Nonetheless, all hope is not lost for African unity.
The need to reinvigorate African unity with a new vision was addressed during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2013, AU set Agenda 2063, a pan-African vision and action plan with the ultimate goal of securing unity, prosperity, peace for all its citizens. Consequently, the agenda for unity of Africa once again emerged as both an end by itself and a means to achieve more vital goals: peace, prosperity, and complete independence. Yes “without Unity, there is no future for Africa. It is a matter of survival.
We all Africans and it’s institutions should fight together to realize African unity. Political leaders, scholars, media institutions, activists, civil societies, elders, and all African brothers and sisters should cooperate to see a prosperous and united Africa.
Proud to be African!!
Africa must unite!
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