Of 9th, 11th, and 21st September, or Unleashing the AUfrican Lion to the World

“The Accidental Ecowas & AU Citizen”:

Of 9^th, 11^th, and 21^st September, or Unleashing the AU-frican Lion to the World

By E.K.Bensah Jr

I am not surprised much of the Ghanaian media missed it; I could not have expected anything less. It was always going to be obvious that they would remember the much-publicised 10^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the US and be totally oblivious to developments on the continent. If we had a media more sensitized to what was going on in Africa and its regional economic communities, we might have had more column inches on one major anniversary and a conference that ended on that all-important anniversary.

9^th September is “Sirte Declaration Day”…

The all-important anniversary is that of 9^th September. This day is ineluctably etched in African integration history as a day when the Sirte Declaration was mooted in Libya. The significance of this declaration has to do with the fact that it is the resolution adopted by the-then Organisation of African Unity on 9 September 1999, at the fourth Extraordinary Session of the OAU Assembly of African Heads of State and Government held at Sirte, Libya. Policy-makers and aficionados of African unity remember Sirte to be blazing the trail on where Africa needs to go. If we can remember the importance of the Abuja Treaty of 1991 setting the blueprint for continental integration, then we can accept Sirte to be the engine for that integration. With it, three major things happened.

First, it set the tone for the establishment of the African Union as we know it today; second,  it speeded up the implementation of the provisions of the Abuja Treaty, to create an African Economic Community, and its attendant Pan-African institutions of the Nigeria-based African Central Bank; Cameroon-based African Monetary Fund; the African Court of Justice; ( Libya-based African Investment Bank ) and Pan-African Parliament, with the Parliament to be established by 2000. Third, it prepared a Constitutive Act of the African Union that would be ratified by 31 December 2000 and become effective the following year in 2001. 

…and the “real” African Union day

Also unbeknownst to the Ghanaian media was the highly-important fifth edition of the Conference of African Ministers of Integration (COMAI V). Held in Kenya from 5-9 September, the objective of the meeting was three-fold: to consider the report of the “Status of Integration in Africa 2011”; and a report on the “implementation of Recommendations from COMAI IV”; and review a study on “the quantification of scenarios of rationalization of RECs”. 

Simply put, the rationalization of RECs refers to AU member states deciding to stick to one regional economic community – instead of the two or three some of them belong to. Policy-makers at the UNECA and AU Commission see this as pivotal to achieving the African Economic Community by 2034. Of equal importance, also, is the Continental Integration Fund for supporting the UNECA-sponsored “Minimum Integration Programme” that will help RECs deliver on harmonization of programmes consistent with the Abuja Treaty. On that, the African Development Bank is ready to support ways of resourcing this facility that will complement existing alternative financing mechanisms identified by the AU for unity.

Truth be told, if there is anything we can say about 9 September, it is that it is the veritable “African union” day. That the unfortunate events of  9/11 took place two days after one of the most important and significant events of African integration is perhaps a harbinger/metaphor of how African integration was doomed to run on the back of the so-called War on Terror.

Terrorism, 9/11, and 21 September

Not that this does not matter, but in Africa, the almost over-kill of September 11 is only as poignant as African countries choose to make it. Few can forget that East Africa experienced a spate of terrorist attacks during the “War on Terror” decade. It is also regrettable that the decade would “close” with attacks in West Africa with the bombing of the UN building in Abuja allegedly by Boko Haram. But can we honestly say that a 30-member “Global Counterterrorism Forum”—comprising the AU member countries of Nigeria; South Africa; Egypt; Algeria; and Mauritania – would be the solution to countering violent extremism in the problem of the Sahel; Horn of Africa; and South East Asia. To have Algeria in that group is encouraging as that country has given vent to what observers of the AU in some quarters call the “maghrebization of peace and security” of the AU. 

I take issue not so much with the fact that this is an initiative of the Obama administration, but that the UN, regional and sub-regional bodies “would be invited to participate in the appropriate working group and their activities”. As to why they are not a permanent feature remains unclear. In the long run, this forum will be inaugurated on 21 September on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York.

Conclusion

I have no illusions that most of what I write here will be read by a minority of Ghanaians at best, minority of Africans at worst, and inculcated in a way that will help them make viscerally-life-changing decisions about what they can do to help the AU and ECOWAS deliver for citizens. 

What I do know is that someone somewhere will take note and seek to educate themselves about the AU and ECOWAS –despite the absolutely egregious manner in which these two organizations project themselves to African citizens. 

What I also know is that until Ghanaians begin to lose themselves to the rhythm of the African integration march, they will consign their progeny to an inexcusable fate they could have avoided. African integration will not work without a concerted effort by all—citizens and especially media alike—holding the policy-makers of these groupings accountable. 

Much of the time, citizens are keen to work for them because of the good money that is offered, forgetting that the benefits and good salary are the bonus of hard work in helping make a contribution towards the betterment of generations unborn. 

As I write this in the aftermath of another successful GJA Media Awards, I cannot help but also bow my head down in shame on how despite the centrality of Ghana in African integration—thanks to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah—Ghanaian media practitioners seem to be waiting for some external actor to sponsor an AU reporting award before they start writing about the AU or ECOWAS! Where is civil society on this issue? Where, indeed, are the media practitioners who need to be asking why such an award is not part of the categories? 

Ghana is much more than the politicking of the NPP and NDC, and I daresay we do not have to wait for the CPP to emerge as a fully-fledged third force before we start talking, and taking seriously what the AU and ECOWAS do. The triple responsibility that Ghanaians bear of being citizens of Ghana, ECOWAS community citizens and AUfrican citizens ought to awaken them to the imperative and necessity of capitalizing on both the months of May and September to give vent to the AUfrican personality the continent so desperately needs.

 ekbensah AT critiquing-regionalism.org

In 2009, in his capacity as a “Do More Talk Less Ambassador” of the 42^nd Generation—an NGO that promotes and discusses Pan-Africanism--Emmanuel gave a series of lectures on the role of ECOWAS and the AU in facilitating a Pan-African identity. Emmanuel owns "Critiquing Regionalism" (http://www.critiquing-regionalism.org). Established in 2004 as an initiative to respond to the dearth of knowledge on global regional integration initiatives worldwide, this non-profit blog features regional integration initiatives on MERCOSUR/EU/Africa/Asia and many others. You can reach him on ekbensah@ekbensah.net / Mobile: 0268.687.653.

Vacancy Announcement: FES Liaison Officer to the African Union

(thx to AU-Citizens Yahoo list-serv:)

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

Addis Ababa Office

Announcement of Vacancy

FES Liaison Officer to the African Union

Addis Ababa, 25^th September, 2009

Background

Established in 2002, the African Union is becoming an increasingly important actor for African and international politics. Especially security policy has developed into a core area of activity for this continental organization, but other policy areas – such as agricultural or social policy – are gaining influence as they are being discussed on a continental level.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, committed to the global promotion of social democracy, sees the AU as a potential partner to further its mission. The FES Addis Ababa office, established in 1992, has been cooperating with the AU since 2007, in order to promote the democratic potential of the organization in certain policy areas according to the goals of social democracy. It seeks to support the creation of a peaceful, democratic and socially just Africa that can assume its legitimate global responsibility, but also seeks to critically analyze the development of the organization with the input of important democratic and societal actors, such as Parliamentarians, Trade Unionists, Political Party representatives, Civil Society activists, media practioners, and to feed back its analysis into its political framework in Germany and Europe.

The FES therefore seeks a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the African Union. The FES office Addis Ababa will be upgraded to become an AU-FES Liaison Office. The coordination of its work shall be the task of an AU Liaison Officer. According to the (draft) Africa Strategy of the FES Africa Department, the office should “assume the task of a liaison office and take over a service function for other offices, such as support these offices with information and contacts and by feeding issues into the national and regional work that are easily implementable on the respective levels”.

Profile

The FES-AU Liaison Officer should be an expert in African politics with an ability to sustain high-level contacts and to use the common FES instruments (trainings, workshops, conferences, publications) in order to achieve the defined overall objectives. He/she will report to the FES Resident Representative in Addis Ababa and work in a team with two other project managers.

In detail, he/she should:

· Hold an advanced degree (M.A. or equivalent) in social sciences such as political science, international relations, (African) history, international law or other relevant fields;

· Have significant knowledge of African politics, institutions, the development of the AU and the Regional Economic Communities, especially in, but not limited to, the field of security policy;

· Have at least 3-5 years work experience in continental politics, the AU, or related institutions such as research institutions with a focus on Africa, International Organizations etc.;

· Be fluent in English and French, preferably be proficient in (an)other African language/s;

· Be able and ready to gain knowledge in new policy areas (such as social policy/social security systems) within a short timeframe;

· Be committed to the principles of social democracy and the international labor movement, namely peaceful conflict resolution, international solidarity, social justice, individual and collective freedom and democracy;

· Be ready to undertake extensive travelling, mainly on the African continent;

· Be ready to work in a small team in a participatory manner in the FES Addis Ababa as well as to build up networks with similar institutions as well as FES offices worldwide.

Areas of Work

The AU Liaison Officer will be responsible for

· Implementing the MoU between the FES and the AU: supporting the AU in certain policy areas by engaging it in a political dialogue on issues to be defined in the MoU

· Organizing training and dialogue seminars and conferences in Addis Ababa and other African as well as European capitals

· preparing information material for interested stakeholders, building up a website on continental issues together with other FES offices in Africa

· analyzing the overall development and developments of certain policy areas of the AU and preparing regular publications (policy briefs) on issues of interest

· Sustaining dialogue with AU representatives, maintain a network of contacts with the AU, AU partner organizations and donors, but also with representatives of African labor unions and civil society, media on a continental level

Contract

The contract will be for one year on a renewable basis.

Salary is competitive and negotiable on the basis of qualifications and experience.

Local insurance for health and professional accidents will be concluded by FES Addis Ababa.

Application

If you are interested in this position and fulfill the above criteria, please send a motivation letter and CV in French or English to:

fandrych@fes.org.et and florian.daehne@fes.de

until 30^th October, 2009.

Suitable women candidates are encouraged to apply.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

********************************

Désiré Y. Assogbavi (Mr.)

Tel. + 251 (0) 11 661 16 01 (Desk)

+ 251 (0) 911 20 83 32 (Cell.)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Hitting Crime Hard in the African Union / ECOWAS

So there I was thinking about what needed to be done about the spate of drug trafficking in the sub-region of ECOWAS, when I started thinking about what ought to happen at the continental level.

Did you know that the AU has an AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention ? I started looking closer to home, remembering that there was an institution in Senegal--an ECOWAS institution--that is supposed to combat fraud. I'm not too sure about crime. The website is http://www.giaba.org, and is known as the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money-Laundering in West Africa.


Could the AU ever think about establishing an AU equivalent of the FBI? Talk of it in the ECOWAS region has resulted in names like the ECOWAS Criminal Intelligence Bureau.

As far back as 2001/2002, talks had been there for one. It's been a good seven years now, and I don't see anything concrete coming out of that--but, hey, let's not lose hope.

This is the first-ever post, and it is bound to sound a little pessimistic about the whole Pan-African project. I will certainly keep the fire burning, and be blogging more about some of the challenges that exist that we can talk about to bring pressure to bear on our dear AU member states.

I look forward to seeing some comments and [constructive] criticisms. I hope to paste some Facebook queries and concerns every Friday here.