| We are asking business owners to purchase items from http://www.cafepress.com/usa4usafrica as giveaways to spread awareness on the formation of a United States of Africa from our coalition website: http://unitedstatesafrica.com Heads of State and Government of the African Union agreed to accelerate the economic and political integration of the African continent, including the formation of a Union Government for Africa with the ultimate objective of creating the United States of Africa. See www.unitedstatesofafrica.blogspot.com When people see you in United States of Africa apparel, engage them on the concept and spread the message. |
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Should a United States of Africa (USA) be a priority policy issue for African governments?
Senegambia News , Senegambia News
Many African leaders echoed the Unity of Africa as the definitive solution in ending conflicts, poverty, diseases and exploitation. Notably among them was Ghana's first post colonial leader Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Libyan leader colonel Muhammad Gaddafi and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, and a few others, are the most recent waves of African leaders calling for a unification of the embattled continent. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who was the architect and the driving force behind a potential unification of the continent was overthrown in a military coup as a result of the global logger-head of political ideologies - Western liberal democracy vs. Communism. The overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah consequently forced the remaining African leaders to either tighten their grip over respective authorities or kept a close nit on a potential unification agenda. What even jeopardized the umbrella organization; Organization of African Unity (OAU) , was its categorization as a dictators club and the closer ties that most of the continents leaders had with the former Union Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). The OAU shift from a unification agenda to conflict resolution. With the cold war era at its apex, the agenda for the Organization of African Unity (OAU) shifted from unification to tackling political conflicts across the continent. Military coups and popular uprisings became the building block for political instability across the continent. For example the crisis of South Sudan, apartheid in South Africa, and the liberation struggles in Southern Africa were the major agenda's of the Organization of African Unity as the umbrella organization. Most of the post-colonial leaders who envisioned a United States of Africa also felt victims of military coups and popular uprisings. By the end of the cold war, "the emergence of the miltariat as a major contender for power in Africa highlights some of the pitfalls of clientelism as a mechanism of political domination." (J. kandeh). According to Michael Braton , "the first half of the 1990's in Africa saw widespread political turbulence across the continent", which he asserted could be summarized as "transitions away from one-party and military regimes through liberalization reforms often culminating to competitive elections, the resultant effect of which are, new forms of regimes." The military coups of Mali (1991) and Sierra -Leone (1991) and The Gambia (1994), were unique examples to that reality In cases were the transition process failed to effectively embed democratic institutions, the rupture of endemic civil wars took shape. For example in Liberia, Sierra - Leone, Ivory - Coast and Chad the failure of the military leaders to build effective institutions of democracy contributed largely to instability across the political landscape. According to McGowan "Coups and conflicts have been a massive humanitarian and developmental disaster for West Africa and its 238 million people: at least over 200, 000 deaths in the Liberian civil war and more than 100, 000 in the Sierra Leone civil wars, with millions more international refugees and internally displaced persons resulting from such conflicts." These were some of the conflicts that further contributed in shifting the Organization of African Unity (OAU) from a unification agenda of the continent to that of conflict resolution. Thanks to the end of the cold war, efforts by the African Union and developmental partners that Africa has undergone a considerable reduction in conflicts. Trouble spots such as Darfur, Sudan, the crisis in Northern Uganda, Chad, Southern Senegal, the roving militias of the great lakes region, Somalia are still abound, and remains to be some of the major concerns of the African Union (AU). Are these troubled spots therefore an impediment to African Unity? This is the very good question many analysts and pundits continue to ponder. However, although there may be a global shift in the balancing of power - with China flexing its influence and a potential emerging Russia that may be keen to exert influence across the continent, democracy, free trade in a liberalized economy under a United Africa, may no doubt forced the liberation movements to join a new era of African leadership and governance. Even Libyan leader Colonel Ghadafi echoed such sentiments across the continent. During the African Union's Summit in both Ghana in 2005 and the Gambia in 2006, colonel Gaddafi in his Marathon Speech clearly emphasized on African Unity as the fundamental prerequisite to ending conflicts, poverty, diseases and exploitation. How about Colonel Gaddafi's call for African Unity? The colonel's call for a United States of Africa must in doubt be seen as an illusion but a well-calculated vision that the continent must explore. This is so because Africa today has more democracies characterized with deeply rooted liberal economies than one could imagine. Although trouble spots remained abound, conflicts across the continent has reduced considerably. The proliferation of regional political and economic blocs across the continent has also become no historical accident. Regional economic and political blocs such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the South African Development Community (SADC), the East African Regional Grouping and the North African Regional groupings are perfect regional economic and political groups that have made positive strides towards regional integration - a prerequisite for a United States of Africa. According to the contemporary scholar of international Political economy, Robert Gilpin, "Liberalization of economies involving openness and integration in global trade, foreign direct investment, and finance, strengthens political unification and the creation of a diverse economy in a unified market." These regional economic and political groupings may become the gateway for a United States of Africa. The Libyan leader's call may therefore not be categorized as off - track. During a most recent meeting with over 150 kings and traditional rulers, who bestowed the title "king of kings" on him, Colonel Gadaffi made such similar economic arguments to be a vehicle for unification of the continent. According to the BBC, Colonel Gadaffi emphasized that 'one African military, a single African currency, one African passport to travel within Africa and a unified government is a prerequisite for ending conflicts, poverty diseases, and exploitation and fostering development.' Pondering the Libyan leader's vision must therefore be a moral obligation upon all African leaders and citizens. Africa has come a long way, and with the help of developmental partners, a lot has been achieved. However, the Westphalia state systems that imposed arbitrary boundaries across the continent remains to be a fundamental colonial legacy that continues to be an obstacle to Unification and Development. Should the Westphalia state systems become an obstacle to African Unification? Taking a careful analysis of the continents history, one could satisfactorily denote that before colonialism, governance was characterized by traditional kingdoms under traditional rulers. Notably among the traditional systems were the Kingdom of Mali, the Kingdom of Ghana, the Kingdom of Dahomey and the Songhai empire. Following the partitioning of the continent, the imposition of the Westphalia state system laid the foundation for conflicts across most parts of Africa. African traditional settings of governments were destroyed as a result of imposed arbitrary boundaries. Such boundaries were imposed along the economic interest of colonial masters with a total disregard of ethno-cultural ties. The entire West African region was for example under the rule of a unique traditional kingdom. In his book titled Topics in West African History, the Ghanaian social scientist and scholar, Dr Adu Boahen argued that "economically, the partitioning of the continent was because of the need for new markets, for surplus manufactured goods caused by the spread of the industrial revolution from France to England, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal." The case of Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea - Bissau and Cape Verde were unique historical realities. 'The entire region of these three countries was under Portuguese domination until 1866 when control over some of the territory was ceded to the British and the French in exchange of territory somewhere else.' Economic motives were largely the driving force behind the Portuguese ceding of these territories. The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra-Leone, Nigeria became subjects of British colonialism, whilst Senegal, Mauretania, Benin, Togo, Mali, Ivory - Coast, Burkina - Faso fell under French colonial domination. The Portuguese also maintained control and domination over Guinea - Bissau and Cape Verde. It was such similar colonial activities that prevailed across other parts of the African continent. Knowing that arbitrary boundaries that imposed the Westphalia state systems are orchestrated colonial machinations deterring a unified African political front, it is imperative for the African Union to carefully consider the Libyan leaders call for a United Africa. Doing so may only become a vehicle in fostering integration along political, economical and social lines. The world in general has evolved through many faces of history. During such evolutions, mankind has undergone numerous political, economical and social trends. Africa is no exception to that. Robbed of her traditional entities and institutions, Africa was exploited of its riches whilst men and women were subjected to slavery. Colonialism that ushered in the Westphalia state system gave some degree of freedom with the granting of independence to what today constitutes the so call modern states of Africa. Will the modern independent states evolve to a United States of Africa? Only time will tell. What is certain is that, unless the so called modern African states give up sovereignty under a unity government, a single currency, a single army, a unique passport and create a diverse economy in a unified market, conflicts, poverty, diseases and exploitation will continue to be deterrents to development. History will therefore judge all current and coming generations of leaders for failing to unify the continent. The author is the editorial editor http://senegambianews.com/. He also published The Sword of Truth at http://sofawarrior.blog.com/. He could be reached at binneh@senegambianews.com or bsm235@nyu.edu. |
Please Tell me honestly in your reply... Prior to my e-mail, or your visit to this website - had you yourself even heard of a movement to create a United States of Africa?
Indeed... Less than 2% of Americans have. And your media will not even mention it... Not on NBC,ABC or BET - Because a groundswell emanating from the U.S will catch on worldwide and throughout Africa even faster than it has to this point. |
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Yours in a United Africa,
Mark Wood
BTW: I am available to discuss the matter of a united States of Africa anytime and anywhere. If you have any doubts as to our sincerity or purpose, call or e-mail me.
I live on the Big Island of Hawaii in Kailua-Kona. If you find yourself coming to Hawaii, I publish the most popular online newspaper here, make sure to contact me.
Co-Founder, USA4USAfrica est. 1996
http://unitedstatesafrica.com
Publisher, The Big Island Reporter
www.TheBigIslandReporter.com
808.326-7919 Main
usa4usafrica@gmail.com
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According to Africa Investor magazine, $12.8 billion in foreign investment flowed into Africa in February and March, even as the financial crisis worsened. China, which has become a major investor and trading partner for Africa, continues to invest. The China-Africa Development Fund, which has invested nearly $400 million in projects in Africa, said it planned to raise an additional $2 billion by November. African groups are also continuing to pump money into projects ranging from telecommunications to new oil fields. Emerging Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Washington, announced last week that it was spending more than $26 million to buy controlling stakes in two North African construction companies. In the spring, it bought a minority stake in a Moroccan outsourcing and call-center company and invested $47 million in an insurance company based in Ivory Coast. Over all, the company has $1.6 billion invested across the continent. "We still think the investment climate in Africa is good," said Thomas R. Gibian, the firm's chief executive. "We're looking long term, and the financial crisis has not deterred us from good investments." "For the most part, these are new markets that need everything, and there is little or no competition," said Bruce J. Wrobel, the president of Sithe Global, an energy company that is based in New York and controlled by the Blackstone Group. Africa is ear-marked as the breadbasket of the New World Order that is being put together on a pace far exceeding our efforts to form a United States of Africa. If the people never know, they can never get involved and THAT is how the illuminati and puppet masters that really control the world want to keep it. A united Africa would topple the New World Order's main plan to dominate the world because this is the last opportunity for a "People's Government" on scale of a super power if united, to be formed. Remember the NWO's mandate is that "the people" can never rule themselves, it need's to be carried out by the Illuminati, the enlighten few.... You are one of the few Pan Africans who know of my USAfrica efforts from my earliest days and in the years since then, you clearly see how the United States of Africa has been kept off the major media radar map. My mission is to get black celebrities involved in the fight for a USAfrica because their voices manage to get heard one way or another. * Update: With the death of Michael Jackson, it is clear the enormity of not having him on board as a Vanguard for a United States of Africa and his involvement with USA4USAfrica and what a United States of Africa could have done for him by giving him a laser focus outside of himself on a goal he would have agreed with... HAD HE KNOWN ABOUT IT...Which is my point for the rest who do not know of the efforts for a USAfrica. We have Bono with us on the USAfrica mindset instead of setting up flows of charity but where are OUR major black stars stepping up and in on the matter?
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Bono wants United States of Africa
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