Libyan president Muammar el-Qaddafi who has repeatedly proposed immediate unity and the establishment of a single currency, army and passport for the entire continent of Africa, was named chairman of the African Union on Monday, wresting control of a body he helped found and has long wanted to remake in his pan-African image.
His installation as the new head of the 53-member body resembled more of a coronation than a democratic transfer of power. Colonel Qaddafi was dressed in flowing gold robes and surrounded by traditional African leaders who hailed him as the “king of kings.”
The choice of Colonel Qaddafi was not a surprise – he was the leading candidate – but the prospect of his election to lead the African Union caused some unease among some of the group’s member nations, who were meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as well as among diplomats and analysts. Colonel Qaddafi, who has ruled Libya with an iron hand for decades, is a stark change from the succession of recent leaders from democratic countries like Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria.
PIC: Col Gadaffi gave up trying to unite the Arab world and is concentrating on Africa instead. On Monday he was named Africa’s “king of kings” by a gathering of traditional rulers.
Colonel Qaddafi is an ardent supporter of a long-held dream of transforming Africa, a collection of post-colonial fragments divided by borders that were drawn arbitrarily by Western powers, into a vast, unified state that could play a powerful role in global affairs. He has repeatedly proposed immediate unity and the establishment of a single currency, army and passport for the entire continent. He pledged Monday to bring up the issue for a vote at the African Union’s next summit meeting, in July.
While a few African leaders share his passion and his timetable for this pan-African vision, most prefer a go-slow approach, given the political realities that have emerged in the half-century since most of Africa became independent.
“In principle, we said the ultimate is the United States of Africa,” said Tanzania’s president, Jakaya Kikwete, the previous African Union chairman, according to the BBC. “How we proceed to that ultimate – there are building blocks.” — [ MORE ]
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Special Read: Reviewed By “doc peterson” of (Portland, Oregon USA)
In “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa,” Walter Rodney convincingly Several points are made in his argument. Among them are the arbitrary borders established by the colonial powers for their convenience, with utter disregard for the indigenous people, their histories or past animosities. (The result? Violence in places like Rwanda, for example.) Rodney also points out that with the European conquest of Africa, the vast natural resources of the continent were – and still are being – plundered, from West African oil, to South African diamonds, to minerals like bauxite and copper on the interior. With this in mind, the infrastructures the European created (roads, ports, cities, transportation and power grids) were designed exclusively for the removal of these resources in as quick and efficient manner as possible. For me the most significant argument Rodney made, however, was the political legacy of European colonialism – that Africans, after nearly 100 years of economic exploitation and political repression (they had no say in the political dealings of their homeland, mind you), the Europeans up and left with little preparation or training for the maintenance of the economic and political infrastructure. No wonder there is so much political unrest, economic uncertainty, wide spread poverty and disease. I give it 4 stars because of the strength and oblivious passion Rodney had for his subject matter, and for making an excellent argument. I cannot give it 5, however, because the book is not without its flaws. For example, the Africans are not held accountable for THEIR role in the continuing underdevelopment of the continent – Africa remains tremendously rich in resources; only now are the Africans beginning to manage and control the export of these to their advantage. Still, a highly recommended book. | Read All Reviews | |
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