African Union Summit in Libya Discusses Greater Unity

[XXPANTHAXX]

Continental organization adopts positions on Sudan and Somalia

by Abayomi Azikiwe
Editor, Pan-African News Wire
Commentary

Sirte, Libya was host to the 13th African Union Summit held between July
1-3. The AU, an organizations representing all 53 independent states in
Africa, held extensive discussions on how to build unity and cooperation
on the continent.

Chairperson Muammar Khadafi, the leader of the North African state of
Libya, utilized his experience and political clout in advocating
strongly for the formation of a continental government. This goal has
been in existence since the mid-1960s when the early independence
leaders, those of whom were revolutionaries, struggled against the
onslaught of neo-colonialism where the imperialists would seek to
control Africa even after national liberation from colonialism was
attained.

At this year's summit, which came amid a worsening global economic
crisis within world capitalism that has plunged 53 million Africans into
poverty over the last two years, the AU debates reflected the ongoing
struggle for unity and development.

Although the creation of a unified continental government was not
achieved, the AU agreed to transform the Commission, the executive
committte of the organization, into an Authority which will be comprised
of a chair, vice-chair and 10 secretaries with specific portfolios that
will theoretically expand institutional power over defense, diplomacy
and international trade.

The Xinhua press agency reported that during the course of the AU
meeting, Gaddafi "held intensive bilateral and multilateral talks with
African leaders during this summit, to persuade those who take different
views to support the creation of the AU Authority.

"When meeting with South African President Jacob Zuma, the Libyan leader
stressed that Tripoli and Pretoria play significant roles in boosting
the AU development and establishing the new AU executive organ. During
the meeting, Zuma conceded Libya's efforts to set up the United States
of Africa." (Xinhua, July 4)

In the aftermath of the AU Summit, the Libyan leader expressed
satisfaction at the outcome and the efforts made toward greater unity
and cooperation. He was quoted as saying that "With the setting up of
this Authority, Africa will speak through one single voice to take up
challenges," Gaddafi said.

Since the formation of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, which
later was changed to the African Union in 2002, the concept and demand
for continental unity has been an consistent theme among progressive and
revolutionary organizations and leaders. Kwame Nkrumah, the leader of
the Ghana revolution which won national independence in 1957, stated
repeatedly that African unity and socialism were the pre-requisites to
the realization of genuine economic empowerment and political stability.

A co-founder of the OAU, Nkrumah hosted the continental summit in Ghana
in October 1965, just four months prior to his removal from office in a
right-wing military and police coup backed and financed by the United
States under the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. During
this summit, Nkrumah stressed the need to go beyond national
independence towards the unification of Africa which would stand in
opposition to western hegemony.

In Nkrumah's address to the OAU Summit on October 21, 1965, he stated
that "In spite of these resolutions and declarations, in spite of all
good intentions, in spite of our plans, the naked fact, alas, is that
Africa is still an impoverished continent, immobilized by the lack of
political cohesion, harrassed by imperialism and ransacked by
neo-colonialism." (Nkrumah, Revolutionary Path, 1973, pp. 304-5)

The Ghanaian leader later said that "This is so because our unity is
still incomplete and ineffective in the face of grave threats to our
existence. What use is it to us then that our continent is so rich in
material and human resources? Brothers and Colleagues, the fault is in
ourselves, not in our stars.... The OAU must face such a choice now--we
can either move forward to progress through an effective African Union
or step backward into stagnation, instability and confusion--an easy
prey for foreign intervention, interferences and subversion."
(Revolutionary Path, p. 307)

AU Positions on Sudan and Somalia

At the 13th AU Summit, the general consensus among African
heads-of-state was to oppose the International Criminal Court (ICC)
warrants that have been issued against Sudanese President Omar Hassan
al-Bashir and other leaders of this country. At the end of the Summit,
the organization passed a resolution of non-compliance with the ICC and
accused the western states of not taking into consideration repeated
calls by the AU to suspend the warrants against the Sudanese leaders.

Jean Ping of Gabon, who is the Chairperson of the AU Commission, stated
to the media that the resolution of non-compliance affirms that "if you
don't listen to Africa, and take our proposals into account, we are
going to act unilaterally." The AU's decision in relationship to Sudan
created controversy among western-based agencies such as Human Rights
Watch who support the ICC's interference in African affairs.

Also a handful of western-allied states expressed unease about the AU's
defiance toward the ICC and consequently the imperialist countries. Even
though many other states, including the U.S., do not recognize the
authority of the ICC over its citizens, the warrants issued against
Al-Bashir are utilized by these same governments to weaken and pressure
Sudan, which is Africa's largest geographic nation-state and an emerging
oil-producing nation.

In a statement reportedly issued by the Foreign Minister of Botswana,
Phandu Skelemani, his government did not agree with the AU declaration
and cited treaty obligations with the ICC as the reason. Also the
French-backed government of Chad, which neighbors Sudan and is another
oil-producing country, voiced displeasure with the AU position in
support of President Al-Bashir and other officials.

Nonetheless, with reference to Somalia, the AU was reported to have
pledged additional support for the U.S.-backed Transitional Federal
Government in Mogadishu. "We welcome the support of the recent AU heads
of states summit in Libya for the government... and we have a firm
pledge for the increase of the AU peacekeepers," Prime Minister Omar
Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke told journalists in Mogadishu on Sunday. (BBC,
July 5)

Yet the presence of AU Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) forces has remained
at 4,300 troops supplied by the U.S.-backed states of Uganda and
Burundi. These troops have been accused of carrying out attacks against
civilians in urban areas resulting in the displacement of 165,000 people
from Mogadishu alone since May. The AMISOM forces are fighting alongside
TFG units to prevent the seizure of power by the Islamic resistance
fighters of Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam, which controls large sections
of the south and central regions of Somalia along with many areas within
the capital.

Although a few other African states have indicated that they would send
reinforcements to AMISOM, none have come forward as of yet. The current
U.S.-backed government in Somalia has made a direct appeal for
intervention from neighboring African states as well as the
"international community."

In response to the announcements by the TFG spokesperson of assurances
of greater AU support, Al-Shabaab rejected the notion of strengthening
the AMISOM mandate. "It is a chance for our mujahideen (holy warriors)
to seize weapons from Amisom soldiers should they come out of their
hideouts,” said Sheikh Ali Dhere, a spokesperson for Al-Shabaab told the
Kenya Daily Nation.

“It will be a great chance for our fighters to test their fighting
skills that will surely lead to the defeat of the foreign soldiers,” he
added.

Al-Shabaab's Sheikh Ali Dhere condemned the AU Summit leaders who met in
Libya for discussing agenda items that work against the Somali people.

“They are there to talk about how to harm the Somali people,” said the
Al-Shabaab spokesman.

More importantly, despite the statements by the TFG government, the
Daily Nation reported that "The AU Summit, however, did not conclude a
resolution allowing the Amisom peacekeepers to directly support the
TFG." (Daily Nation, July 5)

Overshadowing the statements made during the AU, the U.S. pledged
additional military support to the TFG. Undersecretary of State for
African Affairs Johnnie Carson said that "The U.S. is glad that the
Africa Union and IGAD (the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development)
did take up the issue of Somalia at the Summit in Libya and have taken a
strong stance on the issue under their wings for close and careful
consideration," said Carson.

"The U.S. will continue to look for ways of providing support to the TFG
(Transitional Federal Government)... This will include military support
in terms of arms and material resources but not manpower." (Xinhua, July
4)

The Role of U.S. Imperialism in Stifling African Unity

With the constant attempts by the U.S. to both infuence and dominate
African affairs, the efforts aimed at unification will remain elusive.
Although the AU defied the U.S. position on Sudan, it has not been able
to effectively rebuke the Obama administration on the question of
sovereignty and non-interference in the political situation in Somalia.

Since the involvement of the Bush administration in the invasion of
Somalia by Ethiopia between December 2006 and January 2009, the Horn of
Africa region has been further militarized and destabaliized. It has
been estimated that the humanitarian situation in Somalia is the worse
on the continent. At the same time, there is an ever increasing presence
of U.S. and NATO warships, among vessels from other countries, that have
taken up positions in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean off the coasts
of Somalia and Kenya.

Under the guise of fighting piracy, the imperialist states are poised
for direct military involvement inside Somalia. In addition to the
so-called anti-piracy campaign, the Al-Qaeda organization has been
blamed for the advances of the Al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam forces that
have taken over large sections of the country.

However, both Islamic resistance groups have denied affiliations with
Al-Qaeda. There main motivating force has been a desire to rid Somalia
of AMISOM units and the U.S.-backed government in Mogadishu. The pirates
who patrol Somali waters say that imperialist states and multi-national
corporations are responsible for the destruction of the coasts and the
fishing industry through illegal theft of sea life and the dumping of
toxic chemicals. No deaths took place in the seizure of vessels by the
pirates until the U.S. Navy killed three Somali youths who had taken a
ship under their control and was negotiating for its release.

The workers and nationally oppressed in the United States are facing the
worse economic crisis since the Great Depression in the 1930s. In Africa
and other developing or so-called Third World countries, the global
crisis in capitalism has relegated tens of millions more into poverty.

These conditions prevailing internationally provides opportunities for
workers and the oppressed in both Africa and North America to
demonstrate solidarity in opposition to U.S. militarism and imperialism.
Perpetual wars and destabilization efforts in Africa by the U.S. has not
resulted in greater prosperity for workers inside the country. In fact,
resources utilized for imperialist wars contribute significantly to the
decline in living standards among workers in the highly-industrialized
capitalist states.

Therefore, the defeat of world capitalism and imperialism can be
achieved only through greater collaboration among the working and
oppressed peoples throughout the world.

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Abayomi Azikiwe is the editor of the Pan-African News Wire. The author
has traveled extensively in Africa and has followed events related to
the ongoing quest for development and unity on the continent.

[Aragorn]

The last statement sums it right up! This is why, in addition to forming unity within Africa, the A.U. should also ally with other international trade blocs seeking greater autonomy and independence from U.S./western domination and neocolonialism like Latin America's ALBA and MERCOSUR, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and ASEAN blocs unifying Asian nations.

This is what Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has been meaning by his references to "South-South cooperation".