African heads of state and government
currently meeting at the African Union summit in Ethiopia's capital, Addis
Ababa today will discuss ways to strengthen its AU commissions across the
continent. The move, which would be a compromise solution, aims to overcome
what the African Union describes as the problems of sovereignty that weaken its
effectiveness. A participant in the discussion, Professor Okey Onyejekwe, tells
reporter Peter Clottey that if adopted the African Union would be practicable
and would take effect in the near future.
"Today,
the compromise proposal, which would basically accommodate the so-called
gradualists who do not think that Africa is now ready to transition into a one
union government and those who believe that it could be done immediately with a
declaration, will now debate the authentic proposal which was vigorously
offered by President Meles Zenawi and the other members such us President
Yoweri Museveni to now make it an authority which would not basically take away
the sovereign rights of nations, but would be a new body that would be able to
intervene or act more decisively than previously was the case. And the chances
are quite good that this would be adopted," Professor Onyejekwe pointed out.
Professor
Onyejekwe said there seems to be an agreement over the need to strengthen the
AU's commission to make it more effective on the continent.
"In
fact, those who are offering this counter proposal, short of the Union
government, are offering now to transition the AU commission into an
authority. They are basically saying
that the institution would be transformed and capacitated and even reinforced
by setting up specialized departments now headed by secretaries to deal with
issues of defense, issues of foreign policy the issue of international trade.
And that would strengthen the capacity of this new authority. And that would strengthen
the AU to deal decisively with these issues more effectively," Professor
Onyejekwe noted.
He
said there are also discussions about an African Union standby force to ensure
peace and stability on the continent.
"I
think one of the proposals mooted is just that and that would emerge in today's
deliberations. There are also talks about ways to support the African standby
force and of course, there are brigades that have been created. But they are
not capacitated in terms of being effective to address and meet this emerging
crisis," he said.
Today's
discussion follows yesterday's rejection by participating countries of an
all-embracing proposal for union government, a body that would stretch all
across Africa and be modeled loosely after the United States of America and the
European Union.
The AU opened its 12th summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa in special
session, in a heated debate over an African Union government, designed to seek
the integration of the African continent. But due to complexities, the parties
turned down the proposal put forward by Libyan head of State Muammar Gaddafi.
On a more specific issue, Professor Onyejekwe said the African Union has sent a forceful
message to Madagascar rejecting a recent pretext by the opposition mayor of
Antananarivo, Andry
Rajoelina, for taking
over the administration of President Marc Ravalomanana. Rajoelina has accused Ravalomanana of
running a dictatorship.
"The
AU chairman Jean Ping had already issued a statement in which he sent a signal
to the mayor of Antananarivo that any attempt to take over power from the
constitutionally elected president would not be accepted by the AU. And I think
this is the general sentiment. And it is in keeping with the development
recently such as what happened in Guinea, Conakry and previous pronouncements
that non constitutional means of acceding to power will not be accepted," he
said.
Today's opening
ceremony will feature speeches by AU Chairman Ping and UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon, as well as the Secretary General of the League of Arab States Amr
Moussa and several African heads of state and government. Summit delegates are
expected to discuss building Africa's infrastructure during the closing two
days of the three-day meeting, with an emphasis on improving African transport,
energy and investment sectors.