Challenges Confronting the African Continent Today
Published: 26 May 2013 By Abiodun Giwa
Kwame Nkrumah
African head of states have just concluded a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, marking the 50 anniversary of the continent’s formation of the Organization of African Unity, known today as the African Union. The meeting was a reminder of the history of Africa’s struggle as a continent.
The leaders who gathered in Addis Ababa in 1963 for the formation of the union were propelled by historical factors. They aimed to promote the unity and solidarity of the African states as a collective voice toward addressing politcal, social and economic problems that confronted the continent.
Some of such problems were the evils of colonialism and attendant woes.
At the time the organization was formed, most countries in the West and North Africa had gained independence, in comparison to some of their Eastern and Southern counterparts. But sooner after the Addis Ababa 1963 formation of the union, all the countries south and east of the continent began to pull away from the vestiges of colonialism. Kenya gained independence in 1963; Malawi and Zambia in 1964; Lesotho in 1965; Botswana in 1966; Equitorial Guinea and Swaziland in 1968; Sam Tome Principe, Mozambique and Angola in 1975; Djibouti in 1977; Eriteria in 1993 and South Africa threw off the yoke of apartheid in 1994.
There is no way a meeting like the one held in Addis Ababa this past weekend would not remind the continent of the struggle began by Pan African leaders like Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana; the struggle against British, Spanish, French and Belgian rule across the continent. It was Selassie who first alerted the world at the league of nations conference in 1936 what Ethiopia was subjected by Italy's under Benito Mussolini. Selassie's cry and challenging speech to the league of nations was the first act that brought Africa's problem to the world's attention. Nkrumah's arrival on the scene from studies in the United States brought to the fore and accelerated the struggle for independence by African countries.
The continent has also been free from military usurpation of political power. Two major problems facing Africa today are tribal conflicts and widespread corruption. Nigeria had fought and survived a civil war and immersed in a war against corruption like many other African countries. The world has witnessed events in Rwanda between two different tribes over the control of governance in the country. The events in Congo seems fresh despite having started long time ago. Sudan has survived an internal imbroglo. Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, are marooned in politcal problems. Kenya has a president and vice-presient facing cases in the Hague for their alleged role in the country's political suicidal experience. Aside from Congo, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, most countries South of the continent have enjoyed relative peace after independepce.
The Niger's president, Mahamadou Issoufou, in a recent report in the BBC online reminded the world of the danger of Islamic fundamentalism to peace in the continent. He spoke about how militants had infiltrated his country from South Libya and bombed two spots with enormous human casualties. His statement was a reminder of what Mali and Nigeria had suffered before France came to Mali's aid; Nigeria took the bull by the horn and went after the militants. Somali cannot be forgotten for its fate with Al-Quida connected terrorists.
As children, some of us who are adults today cannot forget the song about Patrice Lumumba’s death in Congo, submerged by Mobutu Sese-Seko, said to be the traitor. The continent will never forget about the struggle between Idi Amin Dada and those he said were in Uganda to deprive Ugandas access to the control of the country’s resources. Ngugi wa Thiong'o’s The River Between captures events in the struggle between two major tribes in Kenya, and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart tells a story of a man who took his own life to maintain his dignity in the face of abuse by invading colonists. The voice of men and women sold into slavery and shipped across the Atlantic, (some were lucky to have remained alive) and continued as slaves in sugar cane plantation, can never be forgotten. It was partly the memory of those voices, their cruel ordeal and their impact on the world music; that is vividly portrayed in Music Appreciation as a subject of learning all over the world,that a music like jazz emanated from Africa may have prompted the Pan African fathers for the 1963 meeting that gave birth to the AU, believing that a miracle was possible to an almost crushed soul still capable of songs.
When all are said and done, the continent will always return to the issue of tribal conflict as a product of colonialism, and the most dangerous element confronting Africa today. Incidentally, it is from the tribal conflict that corruption has sprouted. Tribes struggling over position of leadership; leaders allegedly given undue attention to ensuring their tribesmen are appointed to positions of authority more than other tribes, and every tribe struggling to have a shot at power to enrich themselves and careless about the general health of the land. Ironically, this leads to under development, neglect of economic and social development; leaving young men and women marooned and left to wander seeking survival in any way they can. It is this that has made corruption a king in Africa.
Was not it a great height of corruption that compelled tribal leaders who waged wars, captured men and women sold to equally corrupted slave traders? This same acts of corruption and inhumanity have refused to abate from the continent. The negative impact of tribal conflict and corruption explains why the African leaders need to work hard to tame these elements; if they don't want own sacrifice today and those of leaders past, result in vain. What was expected of them at their just concluded meeting in Addis Ababa was serious deliberation on the continent's problems and not extravagant spending on a celebration.
The leaders who gathered in Addis Ababa in 1963 for the formation of the union were propelled by historical factors. They aimed to promote the unity and solidarity of the African states as a collective voice toward addressing politcal, social and economic problems that confronted the continent.
Some of such problems were the evils of colonialism and attendant woes.
At the time the organization was formed, most countries in the West and North Africa had gained independence, in comparison to some of their Eastern and Southern counterparts. But sooner after the Addis Ababa 1963 formation of the union, all the countries south and east of the continent began to pull away from the vestiges of colonialism. Kenya gained independence in 1963; Malawi and Zambia in 1964; Lesotho in 1965; Botswana in 1966; Equitorial Guinea and Swaziland in 1968; Sam Tome Principe, Mozambique and Angola in 1975; Djibouti in 1977; Eriteria in 1993 and South Africa threw off the yoke of apartheid in 1994.
There is no way a meeting like the one held in Addis Ababa this past weekend would not remind the continent of the struggle began by Pan African leaders like Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana; the struggle against British, Spanish, French and Belgian rule across the continent. It was Selassie who first alerted the world at the league of nations conference in 1936 what Ethiopia was subjected by Italy's under Benito Mussolini. Selassie's cry and challenging speech to the league of nations was the first act that brought Africa's problem to the world's attention. Nkrumah's arrival on the scene from studies in the United States brought to the fore and accelerated the struggle for independence by African countries.
The continent has also been free from military usurpation of political power. Two major problems facing Africa today are tribal conflicts and widespread corruption. Nigeria had fought and survived a civil war and immersed in a war against corruption like many other African countries. The world has witnessed events in Rwanda between two different tribes over the control of governance in the country. The events in Congo seems fresh despite having started long time ago. Sudan has survived an internal imbroglo. Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, are marooned in politcal problems. Kenya has a president and vice-presient facing cases in the Hague for their alleged role in the country's political suicidal experience. Aside from Congo, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, most countries South of the continent have enjoyed relative peace after independepce.
The Niger's president, Mahamadou Issoufou, in a recent report in the BBC online reminded the world of the danger of Islamic fundamentalism to peace in the continent. He spoke about how militants had infiltrated his country from South Libya and bombed two spots with enormous human casualties. His statement was a reminder of what Mali and Nigeria had suffered before France came to Mali's aid; Nigeria took the bull by the horn and went after the militants. Somali cannot be forgotten for its fate with Al-Quida connected terrorists.
As children, some of us who are adults today cannot forget the song about Patrice Lumumba’s death in Congo, submerged by Mobutu Sese-Seko, said to be the traitor. The continent will never forget about the struggle between Idi Amin Dada and those he said were in Uganda to deprive Ugandas access to the control of the country’s resources. Ngugi wa Thiong'o’s The River Between captures events in the struggle between two major tribes in Kenya, and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart tells a story of a man who took his own life to maintain his dignity in the face of abuse by invading colonists. The voice of men and women sold into slavery and shipped across the Atlantic, (some were lucky to have remained alive) and continued as slaves in sugar cane plantation, can never be forgotten. It was partly the memory of those voices, their cruel ordeal and their impact on the world music; that is vividly portrayed in Music Appreciation as a subject of learning all over the world,that a music like jazz emanated from Africa may have prompted the Pan African fathers for the 1963 meeting that gave birth to the AU, believing that a miracle was possible to an almost crushed soul still capable of songs.
When all are said and done, the continent will always return to the issue of tribal conflict as a product of colonialism, and the most dangerous element confronting Africa today. Incidentally, it is from the tribal conflict that corruption has sprouted. Tribes struggling over position of leadership; leaders allegedly given undue attention to ensuring their tribesmen are appointed to positions of authority more than other tribes, and every tribe struggling to have a shot at power to enrich themselves and careless about the general health of the land. Ironically, this leads to under development, neglect of economic and social development; leaving young men and women marooned and left to wander seeking survival in any way they can. It is this that has made corruption a king in Africa.
Was not it a great height of corruption that compelled tribal leaders who waged wars, captured men and women sold to equally corrupted slave traders? This same acts of corruption and inhumanity have refused to abate from the continent. The negative impact of tribal conflict and corruption explains why the African leaders need to work hard to tame these elements; if they don't want own sacrifice today and those of leaders past, result in vain. What was expected of them at their just concluded meeting in Addis Ababa was serious deliberation on the continent's problems and not extravagant spending on a celebration.
