Does the name matter?
By Mulugeta Haile
Why was the 39 years old name
OAU changed to AU? OAU has its credit in the decolonization of Africa, as well as, the sponsorship of Pan-Africanism. This
historic name was changed to AU in Durban,
South Africa,
on July 10, 2002. But! Why? Is this just to imitate the European Community, EC,
which was changed to European Union, EU, in 1993, or is there another tangible
justification?
In 1972, Dr Walter Rodney, in
his famous classic, “How Europe Under developed Africa,” advised what Africa
was up against: as long as Africa doesn’t have
its own rule of game, it will continue to be a source of free labor, and raw
materials. He reminded that African leaders have unfortunately kept forgetting
the Imperialistic nature of the Berlin Club of Colonizers. To
unchain the code of the Berlin and Algeciras, Spain
Clubs, Emperor Haile Selassie on January 25, 1960, three years before the creation
of the OAU at the All-African Peoples’ Conference (AAPC) in Tunis, said:
“We must make bold decisions for intra-Africa co-operation. We must link our roads; we must connect and associate our airlines and indeed think in terms of merging our international services.”
Thirty
one years after this historic speech, OAU, following the adoption of the Lagos
Plan of Action, on the 3rd of July 1991, the Head of States singed a
treaty of the African Economic Community. The intention of this treaty was to
create a common market and sub-regional and regional cooperation through, more
efficient and coordinated use of its resources for the common good.
Thus, the name OAU is no
hindrance to reach the aspired goal of what AU is trying to achieve now. In
other words, what AU has aimed to do has been already envisioned by OAU. For
example, independent specialized agencies, working under the umbrella of the
OAU were:
- Pan-African Telecommunications Union (PATU)
- Pan-African Postal Union (PAPU)
- Pan-African News Agency (PANA)
- Union of African National Television and Radio Organizations (URTNA)
- Union of African Railways (UAR)
- Pan-African Highway (PAH)
- Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU)
- Supreme Council for Sports in Africa
- African Civil Aviation Commission
One can’t help but ask what
it is OAU can not, what AU can do? What was the burning issue or emergency for
the changing of the historic name of the OAU?
In Shakespeare’s play of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet argues the
names of things do not matter, only what things “are”, and said, “A rose by any
other name smells just as sweet”. OAU by any other name sounds just as the Unity
of Africa as already envisioned Pan Africanism.
In spite of emulating the European
Union, EU, the main justification for the creation of the AU is simply an
ambition to appear as the new “Founding Fathers”, who needed their legacy to
emerge as the innovative leaders of Africa. For
years these leaders had lagged behind the charismatic leaders of the OAU’s Founding
Fathers. Even Thabo Mbeki, considered as the architect of the AU, who suffered
under the shadow of the great Nelson Mandela needed also a legacy.
If we examine the incident that
occurred during the creation of the AU in Durban,
South Africa, we
see that there is no unity of purpose. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi who thinks of
himself as a Super Founding Father tried to outshine the others and takes the
driver seat created a great confusion in the assembly. The summit was not
recorded in history as significant as the OAU’s first summit. It was radically
different and ended up with great misunderstanding and division among the leaders.
Specially, the tension created between South
Africa’s and Libya’s security forces exasperated
the situation to a combat zone.
The Johannesburg
newspaper, The Star, and the Nairobi’s, The East African Standard, both had
written in details. The Star quoted
one of the South Africa’s
police officer, who said, “There was almost a war here. There were about 40 of
us against almost 400 of the Libya
security forces. We were totally outnumbered and outgunned, and nobody would
back us.” The East African Standard on its part said, “African leaders who indulged
maverick Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi at summit took risks with the
Continent’s ambitious recovery plans.”
As strange as it was, the first
AU summit had almost came to fall apart in the third day of the summit.
Last month, AU jubilantly celebrated
its predecessor the OAU’s 50th anniversary, golden Jubilee. On the
occasion, speakers tried to pinpoint the contribution of some of the Founding Fathers
such as Kwame Nkrumah, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Jumo Kenyatta etc, however, the
speakers hardly mentioned Emperor HaileSelassie, who was the mid wife of the
OAU.
Strangely enough, the former President
of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, one of the living Founding Fathers of the OAU, who spoke
on the occasion, had never mentioned the Emperor’s name. However, it is a fact that
the Emperor had abolished the three competing blocks: The Casablanca Powers, The
Monrovia States, and The Brazzaville Group, that hindered the Unity of Africa. The
Los Angels Times described a scenario “In the foot steps of King Solomon,
Haile Seassie united Africa.”
In Ethiopia, Pan Africanism is loosely
defined and often used to minimize the legacy of the Emperor and to pay tribute
to Kwame Nkrumah. The big statue of Nkrumah in AU is a direct result of that
notion. In fact, the modern Pan Africanism has evolved out of the Emperor’s legacy.
After all, He is a global statesman, the Lion of Judah, who doesn’t need any
other “isms” to stand tall, but destined to live up to His title.
Pan-Africanism is conceived
out of the role of Ethiopia in the Bible (positively mentioned 42 times), and
nurtured in the 1896 Victory of Adwa and in the 1930 coronation of Emperor
HaileSelassie, which was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Marcus Garvey. The
1936-41 struggle and victory over Fascist Italy, in which the Emperor was the Field
Marshall, further glorified Pan-Africanism. More so, the 1963 establishment of
the OAU has forwarded it until this generation.
Dr Desta Meghoo, who has
presented an Art exhibition on this occasion at OAU/AU, is quoted to have said
that it is impossible to present a Pan African Art exhibition with out
mentioning Emperor Haile Selassie’s contributions, in opposition to a directive given
to her to tone- down the Emperor’s legacy.
Why is this unnecessary
argument that Nkrumah is more Pan Africanist than the Emperor pumped into the
air, and why Pan-Africanism has been wrongly interpreted in Ethiopia? The
answer goes to the nature of the Ethiopian politics that has shot out from the
school of thought of Communism, which is against the Monarchy, a symbol of unconquered
Ethiopia,
which received Christianity during the Apostles’ epoch and offered sanctuary to
the Prophet Mohammed’s direct family. Unlike other monarchies, it is a liberal which
has allowed common people to rise up to the Nation’s top position. More so to
its great achievements it has led Slaves into freedom and has defeated European
Colonialism twice not only on the battle field, but in the field of Diplomacy
as well. It can be called the Pan African Monarchy. In the eyes of the
Ethiopian Communists, it may be, a reactionary, but in mind of the Pan-Africanist, Garveyist, Afro-centrist, and oppressed people, is a symbol of pride
and hope.
In such a grand occasion of
the 50th anniversary, the Emperor and his government officers should
have been applauded for seeding Pan-Africanism into the OAU. Specially, His
young dynamic Minster of Foreign affairs, Ketema Yeferu, the Shuttle Diplomat, deserves
to have a street named after him preferably as the main road that leads to AU.
(The road from Mexico
square to AU)
Of all the good speeches delivered
during the OAU’s 50th anniversary, it was the Prime Minster of
Ethiopia and the Chairman of AU, Haile Mariam Desalegn that is worthy of special
mention. He concluded his closing speech of the 50th anniversary with
an outstanding quotation from the Emperor speech.
This is a radical deviation
from the trend of contemplation of his predecessors who always tried to foul
the Emperor’s good name and contributions.
It was a refreshing at last;
the new generation can hold the Prime Minster Haile Mariam’s quotation as
evidence that the paradigm of the anti Haile Sellasie’s politics has shifted at a
snail's pace. It seems Ethiopia
is finally stretching out her hands unto its history.
Prime Minster Haile Mariam is
from the new generation, he was a nine years old when the Emperor was dethroned.
Regarding the shift of politics, it is interesting to see the young generation of
Ethiopian in Diaspora has lifted up the Emperor’s legacy. A young man named
Nebyat Aklelu, born and brought up and educated in the US, is now collecting
petitions on selassiestandup@gmail.com
requesting support for the erection of the Emperor’s statue in the AU. Already
thousands of people including His Excellence President of Ethiopia, Grima
W/Giorgis have singed.
The positive side of the AU since
its creation is the decision that was made in 2003 to recognize the African
Diaspora as the sixth region of the AU. Without doubt, the talents and material
resources in the Diaspora would boost African’s growth, development and empowerment.
The African in Diaspora can play a big role in promoting Pan-Aficanism and
African Renaissance.
Already a positive
contribution is achieved at this summit as expressed in the speeches of the
delegates of the Diaspora by dynamic speakers: Miss Portia Simpson (Fikerte
Mariam), the Prime Minter of Jamaica, and PJ Paterson, the former Prime Minster
of Jamaica. They re-energized the African leaders and audience with fresh thoughts.
Although, Africa
is on the fast lane of growth; it is not with out its intertwine problems. Unless,
Africa implements Pan-Africanism in its true perspective, and allowing its
people to travel freely from the North to the South and from the East to the
West, the problems which swell up day by day will put Africa
in a very vulnerable position.
The envision of Pan-Africanism, fifty years ago was mainly to protect Africa from its external
enemies, but now it will help to save it from internal enemies as well, such as:
tribalism, radical Islamism, ethnic conflict. It also challenges leaders to
think out side their tribal and religion boxes. Alternatively, it prevents
bright academics from migrate to Europe and North America to serve as second
class Intellectuals, as the same time it will help to bring back those who are
serving in Diaspora.
As it has been said that
Europe was created by History, the US by Philosophy, and we must say Africa will be recreated by Pan Africanism.
In conclusion, the name changing
of the OAU is nothing but a rewriting of the OAU’s amendment of the Lagos treaty. No matter
what name has been given to it, the substance of the OAU will always resonate
in the AU.
During the creation of the OAU,
in May 1963, in Addis Ababa, Emperor
HaileSelassie’s remark is a trial of Africa:
“A century hence, when future generations study the pages of history, seeking to follow and fathom the growth and development of the African continent, what will they find of this Conference?”