Greetings!

Firstly, I must say I believe the premise on which this African Union is built is FALSE: copied, as it is, after Western institutions … Hopefully, all these fake things will evolve to better things in days to come.

[I think the citizens of Afrika should be more analytical or critical of important decision- and policy-making institutions like the AU; …or aren’t they? I really don’t know!]

Nevertheless, I’m a layman here, but I think the African Union is (still) more of a ‘lame duck’ than anything else we may choose to call it. But there is hope, and new hope. It used to be called the OAU before of course, but is now the ‘African Union’ -- what that really means or whether that really makes a difference is yet to be seen. The OAU was ‘too bureaucratic’ and both under-funded and over-spending, they said. Therefore, the AU should be something more promising.

I think I can say our own political leaders -- (and the ordinary bureaucrats in the ‘defunct’ OAU itself, who used to ‘man’ that organisation’s business affairs, but even we: the ordinary Afrikan citizenry, that is, especially the educated “class”) -- are still heavily to blame for that, for the organisation’s numerous bitter failures to date, for its ultimate ‘crippledness’. Nevertheless, there is now still at least a faint ray of hope on the horizon, since the Union has been reorganised and assigned (itself) a New Agenda, with a wider scope (of looking at Things), new policies. At least that is what we are told.

All the same, I think the African Union has so far -- (i.e. since the official inception of its ‘New Agenda’, about a year ago now, I think) -- been successful only on the diplomatic and political ‘home front’; e.g. in the prevention of home-brewed coups … (Its successes still appear to be limited) … It still fails, for example, to unequivocally explain its position on foreign-funded coups and infiltrations in Afrika, those of a political, economic or also of clandestine nature; which, I think, points to an even more important aspect of its failures: on the ‘economic front’ (or the Union’s heavy reliance on foreign ideas and investments).

However, we must also realise that not everything is discussed in the open, especially concerning such issues as the West’s ‘cloak-and-dagger’ activities in Afrika: since the days of old! … (I hope we’ll now be wise and do our work).

Nevertheless, judging from recent disturbances & crises in Afrika, such as the escalated Darfur crisis in Sudan and the French military showdown in the Ivory coast, I would say I’ve become doubtful of just how effective the AU is, or can be, at least at the present moment. But perhaps our politicians need time to re-think. Most of them say they need money, though. Personally, I’m yet to see an AU representative stand alone in criticizing the developed world’s perpetual “double” habit of speaking through the two corners of their mouths in addressing the natural and many man-made disasters plaguing Afrika.

My suspicion, therefore, is that it may well be the same ‘game’ yet again, the old ‘divisions’ being played out within the AU … Guided by FEAR, among many other things … My own fear is that there is actually more division within the AU than most of us ordinary Afrikans may believe. I think of the Darfur crisis -- (or that Christian-versus-Moslem animosity) -- and my mind can really imagine how secretly divided the House may be, which would then end up into being an ‘Arab-against-Black-Afrikan’ racial thing; then, in the end, it would even end up into being, for example, ‘Blacks versus Blacks’ … the usual thing … at least when those (‘very black Afrikan’) Muslim representatives -- (from ‘Muslim and half-Muslim countries’ such as Nigeria or Mauritania or Guinea-Conakry etc) -- “abstain” from censuring the ‘half-Arab but fellow Muslim strongmen’ from ‘Arab Black Afrika’, thereby siding with their ‘religious cousins’ -- maybe, only maybe …

Seriously, I think the AU still lacks a united voice on many important issues, but I think this is mainly because most people sitting there judge by their religion, instead of by their conscience; again: FEAR. It would appear to me that the weaker and poorer (mainly black Afrikan) nations -- (with the probable exception of South Africa) -- have a weaker voice within the AU; just as the weak nations in the UN have ABSOLUTELY no voice, either! South Africa is an absolute exception, perhaps …, but we need to realise that South Africa is ‘hardly’ a black nation: its economy is largely “owned” by whites; and he who has the money seems to have the real power in the end, to own the whole wide world! That’s why it may not be so easy for South Africa to financially commit itself to solving some of these crises, though it remains the richest country in Afrika. We can think of the storm of controversy Thabo Mbeki raised when he sent those arms to help Aristide (earlier this year), and even now, Aristide’s exile in South Afrika has been criticised as “unnecessary” by many political fundamentalists in the white opposition parties …

The AU’s power is limited. There is still little money -- but so much will -- to make the member countries’ policies felt and effective, it seems. They need money, or resources, they say. Maybe they still expect that to come from the West, in form of debts, but I don't think so ... Many member states still have to clear up their arrears, I hear; and the OAU was known to be lax and “forgiving” to those member states that never met the payment of membership arrears in time, even after previous deadlines had been repeatedly skipped or ignored. Such member states then said they were too poor to pay, and I think what that usually meant was that they were still waiting for a next loan from the West to allow them to pay … I hope the AU is different!

What do ordinary Afrikans say about all that today? Generally, I don’t know …

But fortunately, things are changing in some parts of Afrika, though there may still be problems raised by this new ‘material culture’ … I would say Afrikans are slowly ‘waking up’ in their countries. The lessons learned from colonialism, the trickery played out by foreign religions to subdue Afrikans, the general poverty, the rampant AIDS, ignorance, unchecked corruption (in the past & present), politicians’ greed for more power and even more money, the current neo-colonialism, the bad education, countered by better education and, indeed, a better understanding of such issues in this interdependent world (through the usage of many new technologies) are, I think, all helping in rousing Afrikans from their apathy and sleep. Afrikans -- at least SOME of the “enlightened” ones -- now realise that they’ve all along mainly been used: for the extraction of raw materials from their countries, carting them to build up Europe & to feed Europe & European factories & etc. Afrikans have also come to know the developed World and White Culture … They, I hope, also realise that most of the so-called civilised world really built their magnificent cities from “booty” expropriated -- by hook and by crook -- from our own countries, over centuries of dedicated work; … and that not only did slavery and colonialism lay the foundation-stone of the modern ‘civilised city’, but that civilization itself actually started in Afrika and was started by Afrikans(!); that most other things we were made to believe could, (more) appropriately, be termed ‘barbarism’ …

These are all very powerful “weapons” in the minds of Afrikans! … (at least those who know how to “use” them, since some still appear to be ‘asleep’, including many so-called “educated” ones, but especially those who think they’re materially comfortable!)

I’m not just “ranting” here, but that’s the impression I’ve been getting from my visits to Afrika and also thru my communications with Afrika, with family and friends over there. Honestly, I never imagined I could see such self-confidence in Afrika in my lifetime! About 2 decades ago, Afrika seemed to be getting more and more hopeless; and that’s the time when I myself first discovered the fiery self-confidence voiced thru Reggae: Bob & The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Mutabaruka, Third World, Culture etc. Now, many people LOVE Reggae in Afrika!

Anyway, I hope the AU will be more down-to-earth and realistic and does not forget The People!

Regards & Thanks!