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DPMF Publications: |
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The Challenges Facing Africa for the Coming Decades. |
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Ato Kifle Wodajo
Chairman of this function
Mr. K.Y. Amoako
The Distinguished Executive Secretary of ECA
Excellencies, Heads of
Diplomatic Missions
Distinguished Invited Guests
Dear Friends and Colleagues
I wish to thank the Chairman and Board members of
the Inter-Africa Group, who on behalf of a network of African Civil Society
Organizations, have organized this farewell dinner in my honour, on the occasion
of the completion of my term of office as Secretary-General of the Organization
of African Unity (OAU). The
symbolism of addressing a gathering of this nature has not been lost to me. This
occasion tonight also affords me the opportunity to speak to friends in the
African civil society networks, as the last major responsibility in my present
capacity as OAU Secretary-General.
By some fortuitous circumstances, I
have, over the years, worked very closely with many of those present here
tonight and others who represent the Civil Society constituency across the
continent. Indeed, I recall that
when I intensified my efforts to get the Civil Society in Africa engaged in the
work of OAU, it was the support and encouragement that I received from friends
like Ato Kifle Wodajo and Abdul Mohammed that finally culminated in the
convening of the first ever OAU-Civil Society Conference here in Addis Ababa
last June. I remain excited over
the prospects and the potentials that collaboration with the Civil Society in
Africa holds for advancing the issues of peace and development on the
continent.
I would like to pay particular tribute to the Civil Society in Ethiopia
and the Ethiopian people as a whole and, of course, to the Ethiopian Government
for their continuing Pan-African disposition that has been demonstrated in
hosting and facilitating the functioning of the two eminent institutions of our
Continent, the OAU and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. For
many of us, working in these institutions we have felt very much at home during
the many years we have been working in Addis Ababa.
I would like, at this juncture,
to recognize the presence in our midst of a very distinguished American, Senator
George McGovern. I particularly
appreciate his presence in our midst for it gives me another occasion to express
our sense of outrage and grief to the criminal and cowardly terrorist attacks
unleashed on his great country on 11 September of this year. I want to express to Senator McGovern and, through him, to
all our American friends that we are all pained by this unprecedented and
vicious attack on the American people with tragic consequences of unprecedented
proportions. This was not just an
attack on the institutions and people in New York and Washington DC but, in many
ways, it is an attack on our common humanity. We share the pain and grief of the American people, and we
emphasize the need for the world at large to work collectively and in a
coordinated manner so that all peoples, irrespective of their nationality,
region, religion, and colour, are spared such monstrosities and evil acts.
Excellencies and dear friends,
This evening, I have been asked to share with you my
vision of the future of our Continent, on the eve of the completion of my tenure
as the Secretary-General of our Continental Organization. Initially, I hesitated
taking up this onerous task for two reasons. First, I did feel that such an
undertaking, which is almost valedictory in nature, is usually done at the end
of a career, normally at retirement. In my case, however, I honestly feel that I
am very far from that. In fact, I
strongly feel that I am in the adolescence of my career for Africa. I should
not, therefore, be so presumptuous as to deliver a valedictory address now!
My second hesitation arose from the task itself - “articulating my vision of
the future of Africa”. I did wonder, whether I could have a personal vision,
which is different from that of the people of Africa, which is different from
that which has been consistently articulated, first by the Founding Fathers of
OAU, and subsequently by our present leaders; the latest being in Lusaka only
two months ago. Am I expected to make a prophecy about the future of Africa by
feigning clairvoyance or some claimed intelligent analysis of the outcome of its
current projection? Or, should I simply state my wishes on what kind of Africa I
would like to see evolving in the future?
In the end, I accepted to speak at this function, not because I have capitulated
to retirement or that I discovered that I can make prophecies, but because I
believe that it is important for all of us frequently to examine our positions,
reflect on our past and the future, and to endeavour to make the appropriate
strategic connections. Short of that we may lose our bearings, and run the risk of not knowing where we are; and we may lose
our direction and fall into the danger of not knowing how to reach our
destination. My understanding of this evening is that you have simply asked me
to read the compass, our collective compass as Africans.
Thirty-eight years ago, to be exact, on 25 May 1963, here in Addis Ababa, about
a kilometer from where we are sitting tonight, leaders of all independent
African countries at that time signed the Charter creating a Pan-African
Organization - the OAU. As other countries became independent they all joined
the Organization to the point now that all countries in our Continent, except
one, are Members of this great African institution.
The significance of the event of 25th
May 1963, which, as it may be recalled, was a culmination of long and intense
deliberations, lay not simply in creating a Pan-African Organization, which was
in itself an important achievement. Even more profoundly, the significance was
in the crystallization of the collective vision and aspirations of the African
People. On that historic day, African leaders articulated through the OAU
Charter not only a vision of the Africa that the people of this Continent desire
to see evolving, but also the means by which that objective can be realized.
That moment was indeed a point
of reckoning for our Continent. It demonstrated the resilience of our people -
in that after centuries of subjugation, humiliation and of being divided through
the twin historical evils of slavery and colonialism - they could still remain
adamant in their quest for carving a destiny of unity and solidarity.
The conscience of Africa as
manifested in the event of 25 May 1963, underlined the centrality of uniting the
people of this Continent. It was a recognition of the fact that the imperative
of building a strong, united Continent where the people shared a common African
identity compelled us to avoid the inherited path of fragmentation and
separation. In the words of the OAU
Charter, there was “a common determination to promote understanding among our
peoples and cooperation among our states in response to the aspirations for
brotherhood and solidarity, in a larger unity transcending ethnic and national
differences.”
The birth of OAU also underlined
the legitimate aspiration of African people to achieve freedom, equality,
justice and dignity. These central values, articulated in 1963, were not merely
slogans deriving from an imitation of some western constitutions. Rather, these
were the words of a people that have come out of centuries of struggle against
foreign domination. And the fact that these values were being enshrined once
again into the Charter of an institution of independent states was a
reaffirmation of a commitment to work even harder for the realization of these
cardinal values in the post-independence period. The Charter was not merely a
founding legal instrument for an Inter-Governmental Organization, but a living
statement intended to encapsulate the idea of a united Africa people.
Indeed, one is struck when
looking back 38 years ago, by the primacy given to the people, not only in their
being the motive force but more crucially as the essence of development.
It is the aspirations of the people that should dictate Africa’s
destiny, it is their linkage that should provide the power, it is for their
benefit that resources need to be harnessed. It is not structures, it is not
profit or surplus, but it is people who are central in realizing the future of
our Continent.
Peace and security were
considered to be essential preconditions for translating the determination of
achieving unity and progress into a dynamic force. Peaceful settlement of
disputes by negotiation, mediation, conciliation or arbitration, and adherence
to the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights provided a solid foundation for peace ful and positive cooperation among
states. Underlying all these objectives was a realization of the need to ensure
sustainable economic development through coordination and cooperation in the
various sectors.
These essential components
constitute the vision that inspired the founding of our Continental
Organization. It is a vision, which though couched in the perspective of the
realities of the early 1960s, contained a fundamental framework which has
remained valid and relevant till today. Indeed it is this perception of
Africa’s future which provided an inspiration and the dynamism for
mobilization leading to the victory against colonial rule and the apartheid
system and the restoration of the freedom and independence of the people of our
Continent.
At the beginning of the 1990s,
the agenda for action in realizing our vision had to assume a new orientation.
The end of the liberation struggle compelled us to direct all efforts at
tackling the task of socio-economic development particularly in the aftermath of
the devastating crisis of what has been described as the Lost Decade of the
1980s. Compounding that, was the imperative necessity to cope with the
fundamental changes taking place in the world and the end of the Cold War, as
well as the emergence of the process of globalization with its various
opportunities and threats.
On 9 July 1990, almost a year
after I had assumed office as the Secretary-General of our Continental
Organization, I presented to the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and
Government, a comprehensive report on the Fundamental Changes Taking Place in
the World and their Implications for Africa: Proposals for An African Response.
The report provided a review of the political and socio-economic situation in
the Continent and also identified the main elements of change taking place
globally. Africa’s response, it was recommended is to urgently tackle the
political agenda, particularly in the areas of conflict resolution, addressing
the problem of refugees, and promoting human and people’s rights as well as
fostering democratic governance.
Africa’s response also
entailed strengthening the capacity of our Continental Organization so that it
can become more responsive and cope effectively with the new agenda.
Furthermore, the national economic reforms that were being initiated in our
Member States had to be consolidated and the process of economic integration
had to be given the highest priority, and that all sections of society,
particularly women and youth had to be fully involved in the development
process. It was emphasized that while it is essential to seek international
support and solidarity in addressing problems in the Continent, the main
responsibility and leadership role lay in the people of Africa themselves.
In deliberating this report, the
Assembly of Heads of State and Government promulgated the 1990 Declaration on
Fundamental Changes Taking place in the World, which fully endorsed my
recommendations, underscoring a commitment to defining a different era for the
Continent and to have the people of this Continent take full responsibility in
defining their destiny. This Declaration has constituted the main blueprint for
the work of the Organization throughout the last decade of the 20th
Century, a period that coincides with my three terms of office. Indeed, in all
its details which take into account our Continent’s realities in the 1990s,
the Declaration remained consistent and essentially revitalizing the vision
propounded by our Founding Fathers in 1963.
Today, 11 years later and only a
few months after our entry into the new millennium and new century, we can look
back and take pride in our achievements. We have overcome many constraints.
Indeed, we are still faced with many challenges, but we also can take comfort in
that we have made successes. We have seen the total eradication of colonialism
as well as the elimination of the apartheid system and the emergence of a
democratic, non-racial and united South Africa.
The signing of the Abuja Treaty
establishing the African Economic Community a year after the promulgation of the
1990 Declaration was a further manifestation of the determination of African
countries to advance our collective destiny, and a reaffirmation of a strong
faith in each other. It marked a resolute effort aimed at consolidating our
political unity by fostering closer economic cooperation and integration among
the peoples of our Continent.
After years of being anguished
and standing indicted by the horror of escalating conflicts in our Continent,
Africa responded by collectively insisting that it is unacceptable, for us, to
be perceived as a continent prone to endemic violence, and where peace,
security, stability and development are but a distant possibility. The creation
of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution by another
solemn Declaration of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Cairo, in
1993, was thus an important
achievement in our quest to ensure the well-being of our people. It is
encouraging to observe that all the initiatives that are currently being
undertaken to resolve conflicts in Africa are being led by Africans themselves.
And as we enter the new century, despite various hurdles to be overcome, there
are positive developments in many of these conflict areas which signal prospects
for peace.
OAU has also seen the steady but
definite contribution in the inculcation and strengthening of the culture of
democracy and the respect of human rights. The rejection of unconstitutional
changes of Government, the willingness of Member States to have their elections
monitored, as well as the reproaches often made on violations of human rights
are some of the gradual steps being taken to institutionalize these values.
We have been able to maintain,
sustain and enhance the Organization’s relevance continentally and
internationally, including developing active and constructive interaction with
external partners as well as with regional and international institutions.
Increasingly, our Member States in particular, and the people of our Continent
in general, are according great importance and extending profound goodwill to
our collective undertakings.
We have committed ourselves
collectively in combating all forms of discrimination and removing barriers to
women’s empowerment. Various initiatives are now being undertaken both
nationally and continentally to provide opportunities to African women as our
most valuable resource and to ensure their effective participation in the
developmental process.
We have also been able to break
the silence and the denial among
the leadership on the devastating HIV-AIDS pandemic. Our leaders and governments
are now fully engaged in combating this disease which is wrecking havoc in our
societies. Indeed, it is now realized that all the efforts being made in
promoting development will be meaningless if the very people whom these efforts
are intended to benefit are being decimated by this cruel disease.
Finally, the seriousness and
determination demonstrated in establishing the African Union takes our Continent
much closer to realizing the vision of the Founding Fathers. The unprecedented
developments that have taken place since the promulgation of the Sirte
Declaration of 9 September 1999 in terms of the rapidity of registering full
consent to the union through signing and ratification of the Constitutive Act of
the African Union, the new spirit articulated during the deliberations on the
establishment of the Union, as well as the concrete identification of the steps
needed to launch the Union, testified to the fact that Africa is now ready to
enter into a new trajectory of united development.
I am convinced, therefore, that
African people are very clear on the future they want. Indeed, the prospects for
attaining this future are increasingly becoming brighter. Nevertheless, there
are challenges to be overcome.
First and foremost is the need
to realize that it is we, the African people ourselves, who can bring about the
future that we desire. The international community can, and should, provide
support through various means. However,
the main responsibility of attaining our goals and objectives lies essentially
on us as Africans including our leadership.
The global scenario as it prevails today is such that every nation,
including our rich friends of the West, gives priority to its own national and
regional preoccupation. Therefore, Africa cannot expect her problems and
concerns to be given priority by nations outside the continent.
Secondly, while significant
progress has been attained in the efforts to resolve conflicts, our capacity to
prevent violent conflicts in the Continent remains limited. Both the Member
States and the Continental Organization have not developed the necessary
institutional capacities to preempt conflicts from becoming violent and
destabilizing. In this regard, success in resolving the prevailing conflicts may
not guarantee sustainable peace, security and stability in the continent. It is
therefore essential to develop effective early warning systems in order to
anticipate the eruption of violence and instability. But more fundamental is the
need to promote political systems within our nations that can be robust enough
to accommodate differences without turning them into sources of antagonism and
causes of confrontation.
Above all, we need to inculcate
or strengthen the culture of peace, democracy and tolerance in our societies.
We must do so by emphasizing the fact that in any society, people can
disagree, and even do so vehemently, without being disagreeable.
Associated with the issue of
conflict is the whole question of respect for human rights and ensuring good
governance. On the issue of human rights, it is my conviction that Africans
should be in the forefront of the struggle because no other community of nations
can claim to have been more affected as a result of violations of human rights
than Africa – starting from slavery, colonialism to apartheid. When our people
fought for independence, the objective was not only for freedom but equally
important it was to ensure that people regain their dignity as human beings.
Indeed, there have been a lot of
changes, in terms of according a greater respect for human rights in many areas
of our societies. Nonetheless, we still have a long way to go.
We need to build and strengthen institutions that underpin respect of
human rights. The issue of human
rights has to be our own agenda, in Africa, not something that is imposed from
outside.
In the same regard, the Africa
which can make a difference, the Africa which is vibrant, should be a priori the
Africa where there is rule of law, where people can decide how they are
governed, by whom and for how long. We
should also strengthen appropriate institutions to achieve this objective.
Poverty remains the most
recalcitrant challenge in our Continent that has impeded the realization of many
other goals that we have strived to achieve. Pervasive poverty creates a lot of
suffering to our people and undermines the efforts at bringing about
sustainable development. It engenders indignities, fuels corruption and denial
of justice to many, and even generates and compounds conflicts. For as long as
the vicious circle of poverty continues it becomes difficult to realize our
vision.
In our struggle against poverty,
we must recognize certain realities. It
is universally recognized that Africa is clearly one of the richest continents
with tremendous resources in terms
of agriculture, water resources, minerals, forestry, as well as fauna and floral
reserves. Yet, it is also
recognized that it is the continent with the poorest people. How do we, therefore, overcome such anomaly of having the
richest continent with the poorest people?
Indeed, it cannot be denied that there are deficiencies that are due to
our own making; and there are others that are beyond our control.
While we strive for a fairer international system and a more just
economic order, while we campaign for such measures as debt cancellation, we
must also look inwards to see how resources are used to serve our people as a
whole, rather than to serve individuals, through corruption and mismanagement.
In this respect, the initiative
currently being taken by our leaders in developing an African Common Initiative
for Development that addresses the sectoral prerequisites for the progress and
prosperity needs to be actively and effectively supported.
Indeed, the deficiencies in systems of infrastructure in our Continent,
low level of investments in the development of human capital, distortions in the
institutional framework for economic management are some of the critical factors
that have handicapped the harnessing of the rich resource potential in the
continent, and also forestalled
economic development in our societies.
Underlying
the call for the Common Initiative, as it compliments the operationalization of
the African Union, is a recognition that Africa’s strength lies in working
together through cooperation and integration. In order to achieve this objective it is necessary to address the essential priorities and
prerequisites for such an integration. Indeed,
one of the priority areas is transport and communication, a sector whose
importance was recognized by the Founding Fathers as early as 1963.
Yet, today 38 years later, the situation leaves a lot to be desired. You
all know how difficult it is to travel quickly from one African country to
another. Indeed, often times, it is easier to pass through Europe in connecting
between countries in our Continent.
In the same regard, the power
and capacity of the African civil society has not been fully harnessed. Indeed,
this continent has a very rich civil society that is operative in all spheres of
development. For a long time this sector of society was neglected and denied a
space in political and economic governance, even though in many societies it was
dominant in driving the people’s social lives. Some studies that I have come across have estimated that even
in terms of contribution to the Gross Domestic Product, when properly computed
it will be found that this is a sector whose share should not be taken lightly.
Therefore, the current resurgence that the civil society is experiencing
by organizing itself, by building effective capacities, by forging networks and
by modernizing its operations, should supported and strengthened because it
could constitute a key factor in the development of our Continent.
Finally, I should also mention
in terms of the challenges of realizing the African vision, that much as we are
beginning to open up and generally acknowledge the gravity of the HIV-AIDS
pandemic as well as the urgency of taking drastic action, the devastation is
still very much with us. The
disease, just as it attacks the immune system of the human body, now it has
reached a point that it is vigorously attacking the immune systems of our
societies as a whole. Numbers of infected and dying are increasing, agonies are
multiplying, and the trauma continues. Recent information indicates that it is
now attacking vigorously our youths, the very essence of our future, the vision
that we are aspiring for. During the Special African Summit on HIV-AIDS,
Tuberculosis and other Infectious Diseases, earlier this year, it was emphasized
that this is the key moment to take action. We have to work towards prevention
and behaviour change, ensure the provision of affordable drugs, and promote the
search for a vaccine. Otherwise, the vision that we have been aspiring for will
only be a mirage.
Mr. Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For the whole period of my
public life, I have endeavoured to contribute towards its realization, and I
will continue to strive towards its attainment. There are challenges ahead, in
some cases formidable challenges, but it is we, African peoples, who can
surmount this challenges, particularly because there is no other option.
I
thank you!