African Solutions to African Problems ASAP 2014

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Journal on Arica 2014

JOURNALISTS AND

WRITERS FOUNDATION

Education Peace and

Security CultureHealth Economy


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Peace Islands Institute (PII) is a 501(c) non-profit organization dedicated to promotion o unity, educationwelare, and progress worldwide. PII aims to develop original and alternative perspectives on the global and socialphenomena, to present explanations and solutions and support successul practices in order to achieve worldpeace by creating the realms o peaceul coexistence, or peace islands.

Peace Islands Institute (PII) aspires to acilitate a orum o mutual respect and collaboration, both welcoming andaccepting varied viewpoints and voices with the intent to develop original and alternative perspectives on vitalissues that our society is acing, generate solutions to these issues, support successul practices, thus promotingeducation, riendship and harmony and acting as an island o peace or all peoples in a society o different ethniccultural and religious backgrounds. PII envisions a world becoming an island o peace in the ocean o ouruniverse; a community in which people rom all walks o lie interact with each other and cooperate to serve theircommunities, thereby strengthening civil society and promoting the development o human values.

Peace Islands Institute is a US based instituion headquartered in New York, with branches in New Jersey

Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Upstate New York.

Te Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) was established by a group o distinguished writers, scholars, andjournalists in 1994 to contribute to peaceul coexistence and dialogue by bringing together intellectuals rom alpolitical spectrums with different cultural, religious, ethnic and ideological backgrounds that belong to the manydiverse disciplines in science, religion, philosophy, politics, and art. Its mission is to look or ways o building acommon living space based on reconciliation and mutual respect. Currently, there are five different platormsrelied upon to organize the work o the Foundation; each platorm specializes in different aspects o buildingdialogue. Tese include the Abant Platorm, Dialogue Eurasia, the Medialog Platorm, the Intercultural DialoguePlatorm, the Womens Platorm and Research Center.

JWF holds UN ECOSOC General Consultative Status, being the first and only institution to achieve this status inurkey. JWF is based in Istanbul, urkey, with offices in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi and Seoul.

Te AUC & JWF signed MoU

Te Arican Union Commission (AUC) and the Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) signed a Memorandumo Understanding (MoU) or strengthening cooperation between the two parties to acilitate the development andintegration agenda o the Arican Union on February 24, 2015.

Te AUC and JWF will cooperate to explore opportunities or cooperation and non-exclusive partnership in theollowing areas: ostering civil society participation in policy development; promotion o tolerance and Coexistenceas principles o human rights promotion and protection; support the implementation o the AUC Human RightsStrategy or Arica; inormation generation and dissemination on issues related to human rights

Te views expressed in the report do not necessarily represent the views o Peace Islands Institute and the Journalistsand Writers Foundation. Tis issue o the publication contains reports given by the speakers at a series o panelson issues affecting the Arican continent, held between February 12, 2014 and June 18, 2014 in New York, U.S.ATe panels were co-organized by Peace Islands Institute and the Journalists and Writers Foundation, and hadparticipants rom Permanent Missions o several Arican countries to the United Nations and the Arican Union.

Copyright 2014 Peace Islands Institute. All rights reserved.ISBN number: 978-1-939592-06-4

Organizers


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African Solutions to

African Problems

Arican problems are not only Arican problems.Arican problems are global problems.Tereore they need global solutions.

Mehmet Kilic,Director, Center or Global Affairs, PIIMain Representative o JWF to the UN


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Evolution o the Arican Continent ........................1

Peace and Development in Arica............................5

Application o the Principles o Arican

Renaissance in Addressing Arican Problems.......9

Te New Arica Paradigm.......................................15

Development in Arica Post the 2015MDGs.........................................................................19

ContentsPages

ribute: Nelson Mandela............................................i

Preace..........................................................................ii

Acknowledgements................................................... iv

Speakers ......................................................................v

Biographies.................................................................vi

Introduction................................................................x

Rising Economies

Regional Cooperation

Empowerment through Education

Arican Unity.............................................................22

Peace and Security in Arica...................................25

Botswana: Vision 2016.............................................29

Poverty and Conflicts in Arica..............................31

Education: Senegal Post-2015 Development

Agenda.......................................................................33

Reerences..................................................................36


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I dream o an Arica which is in peace with itsel...

A undamental concern or others in our individual and community lives would go along way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt o ...

Education is the most powerul weapon which you can use to change the world...

A leader and a champion.

An Arican nationalist, dedicatedreedom fighter and peace makerwhose selflessness, humility,intellect and spirit o orgiveness

is a beacon o hope or the resto the world. He dedicated mucho his lie - 27 years o whichhe spent in prison - to endapartheid, poverty and inequality

An elder statesman who osteredracial reconciliation and isrespected or his charitable work

A Nobel Peace prize winnerand recipient o over 250 globalawards.

We pay tribute to Nelson

Rolihlahla Mandela

i

In remembrance

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela18 July 1918 5 December 2013


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Preace

Africa is a rising star!

Statistics show that 27 out o 54 Arican states are currently middle-income countries and by 2030, all o them are

expected to become middle and/or high-income countries. Tis unprecedented economic growth with youngeducated, and talented people looking or business opportunities at local, regional and global markets is osteredby Aricas geographical advantage, rich entrepreneurial traditions and recent discovery o natural resources or itstransormation.

Forward-looking Arican leadership and good governance also complement its socio-economic developmentby maintaining peace and security throughout the continent. Many states have undertaken intensive structuralreorms to implement democracy, the rule o law, human rights, and reedom. All o these reorms and initiativeshave paid off and made Arican economy more resilient to recent global economic recession, health crises like theEbola Epidemic, severe effects o climate change, and security challenges due to global terrorism and extremism.

Despite many challenges, some mentioned above, the economies o many Arican states expanded by 4 to 5 % in2014; stronger growth prospects o 6 to 7 % are orecasted beyond 2015.

Arica has become a major player in the international community in recent years. Te U.S.Arica Summit heldin Washington D.C. in August 2014 highlighted the growing involvement o Arican States in international affairsPeace Islands Institute and the Journalists and Writers Foundation participated in discussions in the historic eventthat hosted 50 Heads o States and more than 100 Ministers. We presented to Arican Heads o States and Ministersthe outcomes o the Arican Solutions to Arican Problems orum that aims to build stronger socio-economicrelations and support sustainable development in Arica.

In this context, we are dedicated to ocus on the growing Arican involvement in international affairs and its

influence at regional and global levels. Arican Solutions to Arican Problems is a orum organized by the jointsefforts o Peace Islands Institute and the Journalists and Writers Foundation that has UN ECOSOC GeneraConsultative Status at the United Nations.

In 2014, Arican Solutions to Arican Problems emphasized education, health, economy, culture, and peace &security reorms on the continent. Te solutions proposed during this panel included the promotion o regionalintegration, public-private sector partnership (PPP), financing to sustain peacebuilding activities, encouragemento inter-Arican trade to grow the economy, and dialogue or the settlement o civil and transnational disputeswelve esteemed Ambassadors participated in the orum and shed light on the importance o education, health,economy, culture and peace and security in building sustainable development on the Arican Continent. Furtherthe orum acilitated an international effort to propose collaborative solutions to the challenges in the continentPermanent representatives shared their ideas, experiences and insights o Arican progress in meeting the UNMillennium Development Goals (MDGs) and paved the way or the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda (SDGs).

In 2015, the ocus will be on agriculture and ood security, industrialization, energy and realization o economicgrowth, business and public-private partnership and peace & security or sustainable development in Arica. Tepanel discussions will bring leaders rom different sectors with Permanent Representatives rom the United Nationsor meaningul dialogues, inormational sessions, and networking receptions. Tis is a unique opportunity to learnabout Arica rom multiple perspectives by meeting and engaging with Permanent Representatives, diplomatsprivate sector, experts, and the civil society.

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We should acknowledge that Arican problems are not only Arican problems, but they are global problems.Arica has suffered rom a lack o peace and security, which ofen negates much o the victories the continenthas experienced since the post-colonial era. A continent afflicted by unstable and dangerous conditions cannotmove orward to ocus on other areas o development. Poverty, education, and youth unemployment continueto be challenges or Arica. Tese chronic problems are based on past grievances dating back to the countriesindependence.

In todays political sphere, many countries have gravitated towards liberal democracies. Economically many Arican

countries have embraced a ree market economy. Major improvements have been made in health, education, andoverall living conditions. Spending has targeted these areas and the positive effects can be seen. In particular,the example o Botswanas climb rom its HIV epidemic that overran the country now provides medical aid to95 percent o its citizens who require treatment. In addition to political and social reorms, financial aid alsocontinues to be a hopeul area. Te donor/recipient relationship has shifed to more o a partnership. Tis exampleo partnership can be seen among the public and private sector as well, known as PPP.

As a global citizen, I was so inspired by the content shared when I visited Ethiopia, Senegal, Te Gambia andUganda and discovered first-hand the richness o Arica. During these visits in Arica, I met with governmentofficials, visited educational institutions and became acquainted with civil society, youth groups and local people

It is obvious that that there is a greater degree o global collaboration that is still needed to help improve currentreorms and solidiy them. Not only does the mindset need to change rom the international perspective, but alsorom the Arican perspective.

Although Arica is open to collaboration, the potential lost by the brain drain o Aricans in pursuit o education,health, and opportunity, is a challenge or the continent. An initiative has been set to reverse the brain drain to abrain gain and bring back the Diaspora to help Arica move orward. Arican Diaspora in the US and Europe is asleeping giant, which has to be mobilized and be reminded o their role in defining Aricas priorities.

Mehmet KilicMain Representative o JWF to the United NationsDirector o Center or Global Affairs, Peace Islands Institute

PII Contact Ino:E-mail: [email protected] Islands Institute535 Fifh Avenue 6th FloorNew York NY 10017el: 1 (212) 510-8644Fax: 1 (212) 409-8953

JWF Contact Ino:E-mail: [email protected] and Writers Foundationophanelioglu Cad. Aygun Sok. No: 4Altunizade Plaza, Altunizade, UskudarIstanbul, URKEYel: 0 (216) 339-9196

Fax: 0 (216) 339-9149


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Acknowledgements

Tis work was made possible through the contributions o many people that I sincerely would like to accredit.o begin with I want to thank our staff members and interns or their tireless efforts in planning and organizingthe Ambassadors Series - Dominic Deo Androga, Ph.D (Research Fellow at PII) or compiling the book;Sehada Lalic or coordinating with the permanent missions; Yvonne insley (Director o Development at PII)Galymzhan Kirbassov (Research Fellow at PII); Monica Liao (Columbia University) or proo reading, ReemaHibrawi (New York University), Nicole Kangos (Long Island University), Raisa Ahmed (Fordham University)Ebru Devir (Ludwig-Maximilians University), Fatih opdemir (Monroe College), Sinem Cevik (City Universityo New York), Chukwuma Menakaya (Curtin University), Fahrudin Djukanovic (St. Johns University), JacobCaglayan (Aalborg Univeristy) and Shohrat Muhamov (North American University). Te help o Semih Erdain providing logistical support and Furkan Yardim (Metropolitan Education), Arjun Srivatsa and Ali elik

(Media Directors at PII) in the design o the book is acknowledged.

I also would like to thank the Ambassadors or participating in the program and providing excellent contributionson topics related to education, development, peace and security on the Arican continent.

Lastly, our special thanks go to our ood sponsors, Te Sea Fire Grill and Benjamin Steak House or providingthe delicious luncheons or our distinguished guests.

Tank you or making our event a success!

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H.E. Dr. Mamadou angara

Ambassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o theRepublic o Te Gambia to the UN

H.E Dr. Richard Nduhuura

Ambassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o theRepublic o Uganda to the UN

Dr. .A Elias-FatileSenior CounselorPermanent Mission o theFederal Republic o Nigeria to the UN

H.E Kingsley MamaboloAmbassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o theRepublic o South Arica to the UN

H.E Anatolio Ndong

Ambassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o theRepublic o Equatorial Guinea to the UN

H.E. Osama Abdelkhalek

Ambassador, Deputy PermanentRepresentative Permanent Mission o the

Arab Republic o Egypt to the UN

H.E Cherif Mahamat ZeneAmbassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o the

Republic o Chad to the UN

H.E Charles Tembani NtwaagaeAmbassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o the

Republic o Botswana to the UN

H.E. Abdou Salam DialloAmbassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o theRepublic o Senegal to the UN

H.E Hermenegilde NiyonzimaAmbassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o theRepublic o Burundi to the UN

H.E. Antnio eteAmbassador, Permanent Observer o the

Arican Union to the UN

H.E. Maged Abdelaziz

United Nations Special Adviserto the Secretary-General on Arica

Speakers


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Biographies

H.E. Antnio ete

Ambassador, Permanent Observer o theArican Union to the UN

Mr. Antnio ete is the Permanent Observer o the Arican Union to the United Nations. Prior tothis position, he was the diplomatic adviser to the Chairperson o the Commission o the AricanUnion. Between December 2002 and April 2009, he served as Deputy Permanent Representativeand Minister Counsellor at the Permanent Mission o the Republic o Angola to the United NationsMission. In 2005, Mr. Antnio served as adviser to the President o the fify-ninth session o the

United Nations General Assembly in New York. From 1999 to 2002, he was the Director at theOffice o the Deputy Minister o External Relations in Luanda. Between 1997 and 1999, he was anobserver or the Arican Union to United Nations Mission or the Reerendum in Western Sahara(MINURSO), and served in his countrys embassy in Addis Ababa rom 1993 to 1997. He beganhis diplomatic career in 1990. Mr. Antnio holds a masters degree in International EconomicRelations rom the University o Kiev, in Ukraine (1988). He studied at the Faculty o Economics,University o Agostinho Neto, in Luanda (1979-1982), and has studied conflict management andprevention through the Carter Center (1996) and preventive diplomacy at Columbia University(2005).

H.E. Maged Abdelaziz

United Nations Special Adviserto the Secretary-General on AricaArican Union to the UN

Mr. Maged Adbelaziz is the Special Adviser on Arica to the United Nations Secretary-General.From 2005 until his appointment as Special Advisor in 2012, he served as the PermanentRepresentative o the Republic o Egypt to the United Nations in New York. Mr. Abdelaziz hasmore than 33 years o diplomatic experience with particular ocus on development, security anddisarmament issues. He has been on the bureau o major UN organs and conerences, as well asheld high positions with the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) bloc o nations. He co-chaired the

Financing or Development Review Conerence in 2008 and represented Arica at the Conerenceon the Economic and Financial Crisis and Its Impact on Development in 2009. He representsArica in the United Nations Economic and Social Council as its Vice President and in theUnited Nations Conerence on Sustainable Development. As Special Adviser on Arica to the UNSecretary-General, his ocus is on revitalizing the agenda o the special needs o Arica, includingthrough the New Partnership or Aricas Development (NEPAD).

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H.E. Dr. Mamadou angara

Ambassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o the Republic o Te Gambia to the UN

Ambassador Dr. Mamadou angara is the Permanent Representative o the Permanent Mission

o the Republic o Te Gambia to the United Nations. He held various positions within theGovernment o the Gambia rom 2010 to 2013, serving as Minister or Higher Education, Research,Science and echnology, as well as Minister or Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation andGambians Abroad. He also served as the Minister or Fisheries, Water Resources and NationalAssembly Matters. Previously, he was Coordinator o the National Authorizing Office Support Unitor European Union-unded programs and projects in the Gambia, a position he held rom 2008 to2010. Mr. angara holds a Doctor o Philosophy in social sciences rom the Universit de Limogesin France and two masters degrees rom the same university and the Universit Catholique deLouvain in Belgium.

H.E Dr. Richard Nduhuura

Ambassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o the Republic o Uganda to the UN

Ambassador Dr. Richard Nduhuura is the Permanent Representative o the Permanent Missiono the Republic o Uganda to the United Nations. Until his appointment in 2013, Dr. Nduhuurawas Minister o State or Health since 2006. Prior to that, he served as Minister o State or LocalGovernment rom 2005 to 2006. Between 2003 and 2005, he was Minister o State or rade,prior to which he served as Minister o State or Industry since 2001. Between 1989 and 1998, Mr.Nduhuura was a sel-employed veterinarian and armer, having served as a Veterinary Officer in

the Ministry o Animal Industry and Fisheries rom 1979 to 1989.

Dr. .A Elias-Fatile

Senior CounselorPermanent Mission o the Federal Republic o Nigeria to the UN

Dr. iwatope Adeleye Elias-Fatile is a Senior Counsellor at the Permanent Mission o Nigeria to theUnited Nations, New York, working on the General Assembly, Sixth Committee, PeacebuildingCommission and Responsibility to Protect Desks. He also serves on the Missions Security

Council eam. Prior to his posting to New York, he worked at the State House, Abuja, Nigeria, asSpecial Assistant (Foreign Affairs), having previously served as Special Assistant (Economics) andas Special Assistant (Energy and Inrastructure), respectively. As a career diplomat, he worked indifferent Departments at the Ministry o Foreign Affairs, Abuja; attended international conerencesin different parts o the world; served at the Pilgrims Department at the Embassy o Nigeria, el-Aviv, Israel; served at the Embassy o Nigeria, Paris, France.

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H.E Kingsley Mamabolo

Ambassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o the Republic o South Arica to the UN

Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo is the Permanent Representative o the Permanent Mission o theRepublic o South Arica to the United Nations. Until his appointment in 2013, Mr. Mamabolo wasHigh Commissioner to the Federal republic o Nigeria since 2009. He was appointed Special Envoy

to the Great Lakes Region in 2006, and subsequently named Deputy Facilitator o the Burundipeace process. In 2002, Mr. Mamabolo was appointed Special Envoy o the Organization o AricanUnity (OAU) to Sierra Leone and the Mano River Basin, a position he held or two years. Also in2002, he served as Deputy Director-General or Arican Affairs in the Ministry o Foreign Affairs,responsible or the overall coordination and management o bilateral and multilateral relations inArica. Upon returning rom exile in 1994, Mr. Mamabolo joined the Ministry and was immediatelyappointed democratic South Aricas first High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, completing his termin 1999. He was then appointed Permanent Representative to the Organization o Arican Unityand to the United Nations Economic Commission or Arica (ECA), both headquartered in AddisAbaba, Ethiopia, where he was concurrently accredited as Ambassador to Ethiopia, Sudan andDjibouti.

H.E Anatolio Ndong

Ambassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o the Republic o Equatorial Guinea to the UN

Ambassador Anatolio Ndong Mba is the Permanent Representative o the Republic o EquatorialGuinea to the United Nations. Prior to his appointment in 2010, Mr. Ndong Mba was a consultantwith the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), serving as the agencys representative in Djiboutirom November 2008 to February 2009. Between 2004 and 2008, he served as FAO representative

in Angola and Sao ome and Principe, resident in Luanda, serving also as Acting United NationsResident Coordinator rom March 2007 to July 2008, when he retired rom the agency. From 2001to 2004, Mr. Ndong Mba was Deputy Regional Representative o FAO or Arica and Representativein Ghana, having previously served as Representative in Guinea-Bissau between 1997 and 2001.

H.E. Osama Abdelkhalek

Ambassador, Deputy Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o the Arab Republic o Egypt to the UN

Ambassador Osama Abdel Khalek has been in his current role as Deputy Permanent Representativeo the Arab Republic o Egypt to the United Nations since July 2011. Prior to that, he held the positiono Counsellor in the Cabinet o the Minister o Foreign Affairs. He has served in the Egyptianembassies in Muscat, Oman; Madrid, Spain and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he held the positiono the Deputy Permanent Representative o Egypt to the Arican Union. At the Headquarters,Mr. Abdel Khalek has worked in the Department o International Cooperation, in the Office oEgypts Permanent Representative to the League o Arab States, as well as in the Human ResourcesDepartment. He holds a Bachelors Degree o Science in Architecture rom Cairo University, andspeaks Arabic, English and Spanish.

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IntroductionArica has taken control o its destiny and risen to the challengeso globalization.most Arican countries have embarked on genuinepolitical and economic reorms. Tey have embraced liberal democracyand ree market economies. Tere has been public investment ininrastructure development; including roads and telecommunicationsas well as in social services such as health and education.

Te Arican Solutions to Arican Problems orum was organized by the Peace Islands Institute incollaboration with the Journalists and Writers Foundation. It eatured speeches by Ambassadors oseveral Arican countries to the United Nations, who shared their experiences and insights into Aricanprogress in meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

Te ollowing reports were presented by diplomats rom twelve Arican countries: Gambia, Uganda,Nigeria, South Arica, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Botswana, Chad, Burundi and Senegal. Tese reportsocus on the progress made in Arica since the last two decades in the areas o education, health, economy,culture, peace and security.

Economy

Economic growth in Arica has accelerated overthe last decade. Tere has been immense growth,particularly in the consumer-acing industriessuch as media and telecommunications, retailand consumer products, and financial services.Tis has improved investor perceptions andoreign direct investment (FDI) in the continent.

Arica has become the second-most attractiveinvestment destinations in the world, tied withAsia1. According to the United Nations Conerenceon rade and Development, FDI flows to Aricareached US$56.3 billion in 2013, the highest since20082. Arica has a comparative advantage toposition itsel as the worlds next manuacturingcenter. It has abundant natural resources andlabor costs are low. oday, 6 out o the 10 astestgrowing economies in the world are in Arica.Te gross domestic product o the continent

x

has grown steadily at more than 5 percent a yearor the past decade3 (Fig. 1). Tis ast growth isattributed to the spread o new technologies, therising productivity in agriculture, the expandingmanuacturing sector, and the developmento skilled workorce. Arican governmentshave adopted various initiatives that acilitatedevelopment in the priority areas o agriculture,inrastructure, human development, economicgovernance and regional integration. Much o theinvestments, especially in banking and finance,telecommunications and retail services are drivenby regional players. South Arica is emerging asa leading investor on the continent, ollowedby Kenya and Nigeria4. Developmental projectssponsored by regional corporations such as theArican Development Bank and partnershipswith the international community continue tobe instrumental in mitigating challenges in thecontinent.

H.E Charles Tembani Ntwaagae

Ambassador, Permanent RepresentativePermanent Mission o the Republic o Botswana to the UN


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Fig. 1 Global economic growth rates (Source: IMF, World Economic and Financial Surveys, 2014)

Fig. 2 Education in Arica (Source: UNESCO)

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Education

Despite an increase in primary andsecondary school enrollment rates, Aricastill aces serious truancy and retentionissues (Fig. 2).United Nations statisticsshow that only 61 percent o people overthe age o 15 are literate in Arica, while theglobal average is around 82 percent5. About22 percent o the regions primary schoolage population is not in school and onlyone-third will complete primary schoolwith basic literacy and numeracy skills.Te number o students enrolled in highereducation has increased rom 200,000 in1970 to 4.15 million in 2010, but genderdisparities still exist. According to the

United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization, 23 percent o girls inrural areas complete primary school whileonly 4.8 percent o Arican women haveaccess to higher learning compared to 7.3percent o men. Such data demonstrate the

magnitude o the challenges that Arica continues to acein the field o education. Education is an essential tool or

development and many Arican governments have devisedaction plans to build more schools, update amenities,improve teacher training and evenly allocate resources inorder to improve access to education.

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Percentage

ch

ange

Sub-saharan Africa Developing Asia World Advanced Economies

Projected

1999 2011 1999 2011 1999 2011Primary net

enrolment ratio(%)

Lower secondarygross enrolment

ration (%)

Youth literacyrate (%)

77%

29%

49%

66%70%

58%


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Health

Due to decreased poverty levels and improvedhealthcare, lie expectancy on the continenthas increased by 7 years over the past decade.Access to better sanitation, prenatal and healthcare contributes substantially to reduce premature

deaths rom communicable diseases, nutritionaland maternal causes6. Despite these gains,inectious and parasitic diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria still account or72 percent o deaths on the continent (Fig. 3).Additionally, the World Health Organizationpredicts that heart disease, cancer, diabetes andother non-communicable will pose greater healthchallenges by 20307.

Te recent outbreak o Ebola in Liberia, Sierra

Leone and Guinea highlights the ragile healthsystem in most Arican countries. A report byInternational Finance Corporation estimatesthat $25 to $30 billion is needed to strengthenAricas health care inrastructure and increase thenumber o trained medical personnel8. Aricanstates should shif their ocus rom curing diseasesto preventing inection. In order to preventinections, local communities should be givenmore control over healthcare resources and the useo mobile technologies to access healthcare shouldbe encouraged. Also, control over medicines andmedical distribution should be increased andreliance on international aid organizations bereduced while more local supplies are developed6.

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Peace and Security

o ensure that peace and security are maintainedin the continent, Arican-led policies thatpromote democracy, good governance, politicalparticipation and equitable distribution oresources should be supported. For example,

the Arican Peace and Security Architecture(APSA) provides an institutional ramework orthe prevention and response to crisis situations4.Additionally the Arican Union, in collaborationwith Regional Economic Communities and theUnited Nations successully led peacekeepingoperations on the continent. In the ollowingpages, Arican diplomats discuss the threats tosecurity and ways o combating the multiacetedand changing nature o conflicts on the continent.opics cited include the persistent crises in

Somalia, Sudan, Central Arican Republic andthe Democratic Republic o Congo, and terroristactivities by groups such as Boko-Haram inNigeria and Al-shabab in Somalia.

Culture

Arica is the birthplace o humanity andcivilizations. It is a melting pot o diverse cultures,ethnicities, languages and religions. Tere are

over three thousand distinct ethnic groups andmore than two thousand languages spoken on thecontinent o 1 billion9. Different ethnic groupshave different rituals and ceremonies, ood, musicand art. Oral communication plays an importantrole in education and entertainment. Culturalnorms and identities are preserved and passed onto younger generations through narratives and songsthat explain everyday lie and struggles. Manycommunities practice either subsistence armingor nomadism. In general, dishes mainly compriselocally available cereal grains such as maize andmillet, starchy ood such as cassava, meat, ruitsand vegetables.

Arica has a rich history. Te ancient Egyptianpyramids, the rock-hewn churches o Ethiopiaand the Fes medina are examples o some o theacclaimed Arican monuments. Past empiresexempliy the rich culture on the continent. Teyinclude the Kingdom o Zimbabwe that controlled

72%

28%

Death bycommunicable diseasese.g. HIV/AIDS, malaria

and tuberculosis

Death by othercauses

e.g. accidents

Fig. 4 Causes o deaths in Arica(Source: Te World Health Organization, Atlas oArican Health Statistics, 2014)


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ivory and gold trade in the southeastern coast oArica during the 13thcentury10, the Mali empirethat was ormed in the 14th century and whereimbuktu, an important scholarly and trade citywas ound; and the Ashanti Kingdom, ormedin the 16th century in Ghana and known orits military prowess, wealth and sophisticatedarchitecture and culture.

Aricas rich history, culture, art and music havebeen a major source o inspiration to the world.Identity in most, i not all Arican cultures arelinked to ethnicity and religion4. Te diversedemographic makeup o the continent has beena source o disagreements at local, national andregional levels - ofen times results to wars andconflicts. Although the issue o identity crisiswithin Arica has ofen been linked to colonialism

that impetuously divided the continent intocolonies, improved education, governance andpolicies would encourage social awareness andinteractions.

Source: Te New Journal & Guide, NorolkPublic Library, Virginia


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Coming rom the academia, I sometimes tendto be very iconoclastic, and not speak roma perspective o a diplomat. Our moderator

mentioned the initiatives undertaken so ar at thecontinental level to move Arica orward.

When you examine all the programs and projectsbeing implemented in Arica, you notice hugemisconceptions about Arica. And that is notonly particular to people outside o Arica. Evenwe Aricans do not know ourselves, and this isunortunately very sad. A ew years ago I had theopportunity to visit South Korea and saw a video

Ambassador Dr. Mamadou angaraTe Gambia

Dr. Mamadou angara

Ambassador, PermanentRepresentative o theRepublic o Te Gambiato the United Nations

highlighting that in the 1960s South Korea wasat the same level with Ghana. Kenya at that timewas also ahead o South Korea. But look at thegul that separates South Korea with these twocountries today. And with all the resources that

these Arican countries are endowed with, youask yoursel this question: What is the problemwith Arica and Aricans?

Some participants asked me: What are youreelings about the disparity between SouthKorea and these two countries? I responded:a eeling o admiration, anger and rustration.I admire South Korea, but I was angry aboutArica, and rustrated because with all the

resources that we have, the continent still lagsar behind South Korea. My President, theHead o State o Te Gambia always says thatthe worst type o virus we are suffering romin Arica is: Ignorance. Aricans still continueto live in abject poverty despite the abundantnatural wealth on the continent. Tis is indeedunacceptable!

Evolutionof the African Continent

1

Te Gambia River(wordpress.com)


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Aricans still continue to live inabject poverty despite the abundantnatural wealth on the continent.

role in moving their country orward.Unortunately in Arica, we tend to see ourselvesthrough the distorting prism o others. Otherswho are only interested in what Joseph Conradwould term as the tearing o treasures out o thebowels o our motherland land.

For example, when you look at the educationsystem in most Arican countries objectively, italways proves challenging or us to even come

up with a proper curriculum devoid o oreigninfluence. We have to get the support o others tound this vital sector. O course, i anyone gives youhis/her money, he/she will want you to put in yourcurriculum what he/she wishes. Tere is a saying inone o our local languages, i you borrow someoneseyes, youll look in the direction he/she directsyour eyes. One symptomatic maniestation o ouralienation is when we hasten to define ourselves asAnglophones, Francophones, Lusophones and thelike, orgetting that the undamental thing is that

When you look at the conflicts in Arica, thethings that are ueling this conflict are naturalresources. Tose who are coming to help us solveproblems cannot love Arican more than Aricansthemselves. Tey have vested interests at stake.We have to be aware o their main motivations.Remember the conflict in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

When they were killing each other, there was agroup called Executive Outcomes, protecting thediamond fields, looting and taking the preciousstones elsewhere. Te blood diamonds scandal isan open secret today. While others were plunderingtheir resources, Aricans were lef killing eachother in the name o some irrational ideologicalbelies. All these problems stem rom a very longhistory where Aricans ail to see themselves withtheir own eyes. Koreans are able to make giant

strides in their development and achieve thesegreat things because they believed in themselves.Although they placed a lot o emphasis on scienceand technology, culture did indeed play a pivotal

we are Aricans. We need to look inward and comeup with our own solutions to problems and crisesplaguing Arica. But first and oremost we have toput emphasis on things that will bring us togetherthan superfluous problems that are keeping usapart.

We can, thereore, notice that part o the problem

stems rom the education system itsel. We haveuniversities and schools. But are they really dealingwith our development needs? Not really.

Tree years ago, I attended a summit in my capacityas Foreign Minister in Addis Ababa, and we wereworking on our shared values. But which valuesare we sharing, i we dont know our own values? Itake my own case. It was during my days as a PhDstudent that I re-discovered mysel and I learned a

great deal about Arica as well.

You know they will tell you that Aricans dont havea written history, and as such, we have orgottenmany things. Tats not true. When they sayVerba volant, scripta manent! Spoken words flyaway, written words remain! Tis is a hypothesisthat does not hold water in an Arican context.We devise ways and means where knowledge ishidden. In Arica to get knowledge, you have todeserve it. And we have what we call the griots.

Even when they are playing their instruments,the kora or example, there are a lot o messageshidden in the instruments and tunes. LopoldSdar Senghor, the ormer president o Senegaland a great poet, used to say that these are highoral monuments surrounded by a wall o silence.Silence that will not allow you to talk o things thatuel conflicts.

We used to have our own mechanisms o solvingproblems.

Finding Arican solutions to Arican problems iswhere elders play a key role in appeasing a situationand here you have the griots playing a vital role as amedium o communication. In traditional Arica,leaders will not just come and speak directly to thepublic. Tey will have a griot, who will play therole o a spin doctor. We know about a spin doctorwell beore Mr. Alastair Campbell. Authorities willspeak in a low voice, and the griot will transmit

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the message in his own way to preserve themodus vivendi in society. We were talking aboutshared values, but which values are we going toshare? We even ail to know that some o the firsttexts dealing with human rights emanated romArica. Te Fetha Nagast o Ethiopia, which wasthe oundation o the Ethiopian constitution andthe Charter o Kurukan Fuga during the reign o

Soundjata in Mali. Te current Prime Ministero Ethiopia undertook to get this importantdocument translated into English or the benefito Aricas children.

Te Charter o Kurukan Fuga in its 43rd article hasmade the griot the custodian o the spoken word.He has the responsibility to saeguard the wordagainst improper use that can generate conflict.

When one writes the history o a people orinstitution, like i we are to write the history oPeace Islands, there is no way you can alter it oradd negative or positive things once it is imbeddedin a book. It might affect the reputation o thePeace Islands, but when you say the history oPeace Islands, you have the opportunity to correctsome o the misconceptions and some o yoursubjective judgments along the way depending onthe audience you have in ront o you. Tereore,you can easily have a dynamic discourse about the

Peace Islands Institute. And thats why in Aricait is preerable to use orality/orature to transmitknowledge.

UNESCO Constitution declares: Tat since warsbegin in the minds o men, it is in the minds o menthat the deenses o peace must be constructed.Tere is an old adage in Te Gambia which stressesthat, even one bites his or her own tongue. Ina sense, this is to say that conflict must occurbetween people who live together. It is a act olie and thereore becomes inevitable. One o theways to deal with this crude act o lie is to devisestrategies enabling people to resolve conflicts andmaintain peaceul coexistence. As an example wewill cite one strategy: the joking relationship.When you have a conflict, intra-ethnic or inter-ethnic, you have people with different surnames,where or example i Ms. Louise (Bailey) happensto be a Krubally, she can say whatever she wants

to a angara and gets away scot ree. She canalso successully mediate any conflict affecting aangara and vice versa.

Tis joking kinship/relationship is an unwrittenagreement that does not only promote peaceulcoexistence but it also creates a strong bond osolidarity and mutual respect among the people

who have agreed to comply with the terms o thisinormal agreement. Its widely accepted that:honoring ones word is noble. Unortunately, weail to use those kinds o traditional ways o dealingwith issues. I was discussing with the Ambassadorrom Nigeria. She was telling me that i there is aconflict in our part, just ask the women to solvethe conflicts and they will solve it. Because inArica we ear the act that our mothers will standnaked in ront o us. People will drop their guns

and run. And that will be the end o the conflict.So these are the kind o things we need to exploreand endeavor to know more about ourselves.

I was mediating in a conflict and all the partiesinvolved were emphasizing their readiness to dieor their country, thinking that they are fighting theright cause. I reminded them o the words o thelate Archbishop o Warsaw, Jze Glemp, who saidits more patriotic to live or your country, thandie or your country. So lets try to work and live

Arch 22 Memorial in Banjul, Te Gambia(Source: nationsonline.org)

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...evolution o the Arican continent has shown that Arican leadership on Arican issuesis the key to finding lasting solutions to the problems that continue to plague the continent

or Arica, rather than to die or the Motherland.It is worthy to recognize that the evolution othe Arican continent has shown that Aricanleadership on Arican issues is the key to findinglasting solutions to the problems that continue toplague the continent. Tereore, satisaction mustbe registered at the peace dividends that are beingreaped across Arica, thanks to the commitment

o Arican leaders at finding solutions to Aricanconflicts and disputes.

However, Aricas readiness to chart its own destinywith dignity must be maniested by proactivedecisions and actions. Aricas commitmentto peace and stability across the continent hasbeen maniested in not only peacekeeping troopcontributions, but also her readiness at all timesto find peaceul solutions to conflicts plaguing

the Arican continent within the ramework othe principles o the sovereignty and territorialintegrity o states, under the aegis o the AU.

It is also important to note that there are noreadymade solutions to crises in Arica. I we ailto take into consideration and develop a betterunderstanding o deep rooted cultures, more uelwill be added to the fire to benefit those who areonly interested in reaping the gloomy spoilt owars on the continent. Aricans have to occupythe drivers seat in finding lasting solutions to

problems plaguing Arica.

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Arican Solutions to Arican Problems has alwaysbeen and is dear to our hearts. I wish to quoteone o our ounding athers, Kwame Nkrumahwho stated that, Te survival o ree Arica, the

extending independence o the continent, and thedevelopment towards that bright uture on whichour hopes and endeavors are pinned, dependupon political unity and Arican Solutions to theArican Problems.

Te state o peace and security on the AricanContinent remains a pre-occupying phenomenon,with successes and continuing challenges. Indeed,alongside the steady progress in the establishment

Dr. Richard Nduhuura

Ambassador, PermanentRepresentative o theRepublic o Ugandato the United Nations

o the Arican Union (AU) Continental peaceand security architecture as well as establishmento regional and sub-regional Organizations suchas International Conerence on the Great LakesRegion (ICGLR), East Arican Community (EAC),Southern Arican Development Cooperation

(SADC) and many others to mention but a ew,with great and promising achievements on thecontinent, should always be venerated. However,the geopolitical map o Arica continues to bear themarks o several latent crises. Tere are multipleull-blown conicts in the ace o which peaceefforts are ofen met with opposition or simplyoiled by the existence o diverse challenges.

Tese diverse challenges are ofen based on thelogic o conrontation and on rivalries, to thedetriment o concepts and ideological orientationsthat are more receptive to the exigencies o thepeaceul solutions anchored on dialogue, peaceulsettlement o disputes, compromise and win-winor mutual benet.

Kampala, Uganda(ciriljazbec.com)

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Why Peace in Africa?

Although it is instructive to note that not allthe continent is beset by conicts, where theyexist, conicts have led to devastating effects,including deaths to innocent civilians, reugeesacross borders, internal displacements, loss anddestruction o property, disruption o socio-

economic activities as well as costs relating to theirmanagement and resolution. Te innocent peopleo Arica deserve a settled lie to ully exploit theirpotential and this aspiration is enshrined in theConstitutive Act o the Arican Union, to promotepeace, security, stability and development on theContinent.

Arica is endowed with a wealth o resources;both human and natural. Without peace, these

resources cannot be ully and optimally harnessedto ensure the much needed development on thecontinent. Indeed, the scourge o conicts inArica constitutes a major impediment to thesocio-economic development o the Continent.Without peace, development is not possible, andalso true, is the maxim that without development,peace is not durable. Tereore the spiritedefforts o We the Aricans and our Leaders o thecontinent must remain ocused to achieve peaceand development.

Regional and Continental Integration

In this globalized world, it is a truism that manyArican countries are small and uncompetitive. Temost important agenda on the Arican Continentspearheaded by Arican Union and RegionalEconomic Communities (RECs) is promotion oregional and continental integration. Tis positionis also inspired by much richer nations in theworld which have ound it necessary to embraceintegration or bigger markets and productionlines as well as social and political stability.Ridding the continent off the lingering conictswould, thereore, provide conducive environmentor aster integration, stability and development.

Regional Efforts

On the basis o our observation and engagementsover the years, there is no doubt that there is

Without peace, development isnot possible, and also true, is themaxim that without development,peace is not durable

desire and commitment, on the part o Arica andthe international community, to resolve conictson the continent. Tis desire and commitmentare well expressed in previous and recent regionalefforts undertaken to ensure security, stability anddevelopment.

Examination o regional efforts towards long

lasting peace in Arica reveals that they havebeen successul where they have occurred.Where the conicts have persisted, the problemhas been lack o implementation o agreedpositions because o various reasons, includingexternal intererence and internal constraints. Itis thereore my submission that we continue tobe inspired by past experiences, where solutionsto Arican conicts have been made possiblebecause o active involvement o all the Arican

parties concerned and Arican ownership anddrive o the peace processes.

Owen Falls Dam, Uganda(Source: sunnyside-studio.com)

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Arica, with its regional economic communitieshave anchored Arican Solutions to AricanProblems, hence peace and stability is graduallybeing realized in the sub regions and the entirecontinent.

For example the ollowing achievements have beenspearheaded by Arican and regional solutions or

efforts.

Establishment of the African Union Peace andSecurity Council (AU-PSC)

Te Arusha Peace Process that culminated intoPeace and stability in Burundi

Fighting terrorism such as Al-shabab (whohave linkages with Al-qeada) in Somalia byAMISOM - an Arican Force

Regional eorts to address instability in DRC

e.g. the outcome o the Kampala alks betweenDRC and M23 to nd a durable solution to theconict in Eastern DRC

Also the Concept (CONOPS) to establish theNeutral International Force (NIF) with arobust mandate to pursue negative armedgroups in DRC was an ICGLR regional effortand a decision o the Heads o State andGovernment in the Great Lakes Region andUN borrowed our Concept which wasrenamed the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB).

Te brigade is also constituted o regionalorces i.e. South Arica, anzania and Namibia.It should thereore be noted that, MONUC andlater on MONUSCO had been in DRC ordecades but with no beacon o hope andprogress to realize security and stability inDRC

Establishment of MISCA- an African led Forcein Central Arican Republic and the hybridForce in Mali.

IGADs role in facilitating dialogue in therecent conict in South Sudan.

Pursuing Lords Resistance Army (LRA)through regional cooperation- Arican UnionRegion ask Force on LRA

Increased robustness of the African Forces todeal with armed negative orces or groups onthe continent as witnessed in the decision othe recent AU Assembly o Heads o State andGovernment to establish an Arican StandbyForce (ASF) intended or rapid deployment or

a multiplicity o peace support operations thatmay include preventive deployment,peacekeeping, peace-building, post-conictdisarmament, demobilization, re-integrationand humanitarian assistance

Peaceful Settlement of disputes by Africans as apillar to peace and stability in Arica

Regional integration for common and wider

markets as well as tourism and investmentopportunities, to mention but a ew.

While we thank the development partners whohave supported Arica in its endeavors. I wishto quote my President, H.E Yoweri Museveni;He said Tat, Arica needs to be insured romconicts and instability, instead o People orAricans having insurance or their cars.

Challenges

Whereas Arica, its organizations and regionalEconomic Communities have been compelled todeploy peace support operations, they continueto experience diculties in nancing them. Mosto the Arican led peace efforts and initiativesrequire more support by international partnersto effectively carry out their mandate. Tereore,nding a dependable and assured mechanism tonance Arican Peace support operations will

make peace, security and stability on the continenta reality.

...nding a dependable and assuredmechanism to nance AricanPeace support operations will makepeace, security and stability on thecontinent a reality

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Conclusions

Te need or a conict-ree Arica needs not to be over-emphasized. On their part, Arican countries continueto spearhead peace processes aimed at the peaceulresolution o existing conicts. Te resolution o theconict in Burundi and the recent Kampala declarationbetween DRC and M23 are classic examples o region-

led initiatives, hence Arican solutions to AricanProblems.

Te main challenge to Arica is lack o assured meanso nancing these efforts, especially peace supportoperations and post conict reconstruction whichrequire stable unding. Tereore more genuinesupport rom the development partners shall continueto play a signicant role.

Down town Kampala, Uganda(Source: wordpress.com)

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Arica occupies a strategic position in the worldstage or many reasons. Te continent is endowedwith rich human and natural resources.

I believe that Arica is central to global prosperity.It became clearer towards the close o the 20th

century and at the wake o the 21st century thatthe Arican continent was already experiencing adifferent orm o Scramble or Arica1by countriesrom other parts o the world - although there is nopartitioning as witnessed in the 1880s. Countriesrom the East, West and other parts o the worldhave continued to strive to maintain consistentrelations with Arica and Arican countries.Te importance o the Arican continent, therecognition o its strategic role and its place inglobal affairs are amply demonstrated by the very

Dr. .A. Elias-Fatiler

Senior Counselor

Permanent Mission o theFederal Republic o Nigeriato the United Nations

Application of thePrinciples of African Renaissance

in Addressing African Problems

act that seventy non-Arican states, regionalentities and other organizations are accredited tothe Arican Union (AU) headquarters in AddisAbaba, Ethiopia.

Howbeit, there are problems, which I usuallypreer to call 'challenges' in Arica. We mustacknowledge that there are challenges ocorruption, poor inrastructure, weak governanceand others in some Arican countries. Tere arepockets o conflicts on the continent. All Aricancountries are not growing at the same pace. Teseand other challenges are ofen cited as barriersto oreign investment and effective regionalintegration in Arica. Undoubtedly, there is nocountry or region o the world that is insulatedrom problems or challenges.

Te Application of the Principles of 'AfricanRenaissance' in Addressing African Problems

Te principles o 'Pan-Aricanism and AricanRenaissance' have continuously guided effortsaimed at addressing Arican problems byAricans themselves. Afer the independenceo many Arican countries, the principle o'Arican Renaissance' encouraged philosophicaland political movements meant to end and

1 Te prolieration o conflicting European claims to Arican territory between the 1880s and the First World War in 1914,popularly reerred to as the Scramble or Arica, also known as the Race or Arica

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2Te Objectives o the AU are: o achieve greater unity and solidarity between the Arican countries and the peopleso Arica; o deend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence o its Member States; o accelerate the

political and socio-economic integration o the continent; o promote and deend Arican common positions onissues o interest to the continent and its peoples; o encourage international cooperation, taking due account othe Charter o the United Nations and the Universal Declaration o Human Rights; o promote peace, security,and stability on the continent; o promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and

good governance; o promote and protect human and peoples rights in accordance with the Arican Charter onHuman and Peoples Rights and other relevant human rights instruments; o establish the necessary conditionswhich enable the continent to play its rightul role in the global economy and in international negotiations; o

promote sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels as well as the integration o Aricaneconomies; o promote co-operation in all fields o human activity to raise the living standards o Arican peoples;o coordinate and harmonize the policies between the existing and uture Regional Economic Communities orthe gradual attainment o the objectives o the Union; o advance the development o the continent by promotingresearch in all fields, in particular in science and technology; o work with relevant international partners in theeradication o preventable diseases and the promotion o good health on the continent.

replace the corruption, conflicts, poverty andother societal ills in Arica with a more just andequitable order, developmental programs andagenda. It encouraged Aricans to take pride intheir own heritage, to preserve Arican culturesand traditions and it called or Arican unity to beable to jointly address the problems plaguing thecontinent.

Te first hurdle towards addressing Arica'sproblem was how to attain unity among Aricanstates. Te principles o 'Pan-Aricanism andArican Renaissance' provided a guiding lighttowards that direction. Consequently, theestablishment o the Organization o AricanUnity (OAU) was underpinned by the concepto 'Arican Renaissance.' As the end o the 20thcentury drew closer, the concept o Pan-Arican

Renaissance resonated and it was popularized bysome Arican leaders who were reerred to as the"new generation o Arican leaders." Tey believedthat it was time to ully accomplish the objectiveso Arican Renaissance and they practicallydemonstrated their desire or Arica's revivalthrough the creation o the New Partnership orAricas Development (NEPAD) and the AricanUnion (AU), which effectively replaced the OAUin 2002. Tese were the last efforts made by Aricanstates under the auspices o OAU in their quest or

unity, political and socio-economic developmentin Arica.

Te principles o Pan-Aricanism and Arican Renaissance have continuouslyguided efforts aimed at addressing Arican problems by Aricans themselves

Te Establishment of the African Union

Te desire and efforts to unite countries in a diversecontinent like Arica were definitely, bound to beconronted with some challenges. In spite o thedebilitating challenges, the Arican Union2 wasestablished amidst the excitement o an Aricanrenaissance with a renewed expectation that

was reliant on the ideology o Pan-Aricanism.Te establishment o the AU was inspired by therealization that collective Arican interventionwas required to address the common problemso the continent. Considering the limitations othe deunct OAU in addressing Arican problems,the eventual establishment o the Arican Unioncan be rightly described as the beginning oefforts to sincerely address Arican problems.Uniting Arican countries was important towards

galvanizing and addressing Arican problems in amore coherent manner.

Against this background, in my opinion, the abilityo Arican countries to overcome the challengesto attain unity in the continent and the eventualtransormation o OAU into AU was a landmarkachievement. Tis demonstrated the sincerity andcommitment o Arica countries to the aspirationo addressing and finding solutions to Aricanproblems by themselves. AU was established to

address the myriads o problems plaguing thecontinent, which included poor governance,

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insecurity, and political instability. Beyondthese, the objectives2o AU were deliberately andproperly articulated not only to improve on someo the relevant objectives o the OAU, but also toaddress a number o germane issues, which OAUcould not address.

Te Arican Union was expected to address

Aricas socio-economic and political problems,which were compounded by the negative aspectso globalization. It was envisaged (as indicated aspart o the vision o AU) that the organization willlook orward to having An integrated, prosperousand peaceul Arica, driven by its own citizensand representing a dynamic orce in global arena.A very important principle governing the AU isenshrined in Article 4 (h) o the Constitutive Acto the organization on the collective security and

early-warning arrangement to acilitate timelyand efficient responses to conflict and crisissituations in Arica. It grants the right o theUnion to intervene in a Member State pursuantto a decision o the Assembly in respect o gravecircumstances, namely: war crimes, genocide andcrimes against humanity. Tis is unlike the OAUsprinciple o non-intervention.

Few Instances of How Some Regional and Sub-Regional Issues were Addressed in Africa

Tere is no gainsaying the act that there is anexus between security and development. A moresecure Arica will be a more prosperous Arica.Consistent with this, a more united Arica wouldhave the potential o attaining greater securityand pursue the path o prosperity collectively orArican populations.

Home-grown solutions, when backed by politicalwill, are always the best ways to address problemsand resolve conflicts. Arican oreathers hadcountless mechanisms that were employed toresolve disputes and address their problems. Inline with this pedigree, Arican leaders, throughthe AU (and its Member States) have no shortage oideas on how to resolve the continents challenges.Te Arican Union and sub-regional organizationsin Arica, which are closer to the Arican people,are most strategically placed to lead in the overallefforts geared at addressing Arican challenges.

Consistent with this, Arican states and Aricanstatesmen, have sought ways to end crises andhave been playing significant roles in brokeringpeace agreements on the continent. While Aricashould always be prepared to lead in addressing itsown problems, in an increasingly interdependentworld, the United Nations and Arican partnersshould naturally be expected to support Arica's

initiatives in this regard. For instance, they wouldbe expected to assist in building the requiredcapacities to address Arican challenges and assistin other appreciable ways. Te United Nationsand sincere Arican partners should, thereore,be commended or their noteworthy assistance indifferent ways to the continent.

One o the examples o how Arica has addressedher own problems at the sub-regional level was

the Nigerian-led Economic Community o WestArican States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG),which was established in 1990. West Aricancountries should be commended or establishingthis multilateral armed orces that successullyintervened in the civil war in Liberia. TeEconomic Community o West Arican States(ECOWAS) also deployed ECOMOG orces tocontrol conflicts in other West Arican countrieslike Sierra Leone and in Guinea-Bissau.

In the promotion o regional financial systems,the ogo-based Ecobank Group, which wasinitially supported by the ECOWAS und, was oneo the first institutions that paid attention to theneed or cross-border expansion into other partso Arica. Te Group provided financial servicesin 33 Arican countries with assets that were

valued at $19bn. Tere were other regional efforts,which included those o financial institutions likeNigeria's United Bank or Arica (UBA). In EastArica, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Groupinvestments were ranked among the leading fiveinvestors in Arica.

According to Ernst & Youngs Arica AttractivenessSurvey, Nigerian and South Arican FDI flows tosome Arican countries were at some point quiteover $1 billion each. Te ocus on value-addedprocessing prior to domestic or international sale;the development o service-oriented businessesor the emergent consumer class; and extension

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into neighboring countries are a clear suggestiono positive movement towards a more sustainablegrowth.

At the continental level, AU Member States haddeployed troops or peace operations in Arica; inBurundi, Somalia, Cte dIvoire, the DemocraticRepublic o Congo (DRC), Sudan and South

Sudan, in Mali, and more recently in the CentralArican Republic (CAR). For instance, AricanUnion Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) thatwas established in 2007 could also be describedas a success story. AMISOM was composed oUgandan, Kenyan and Burundian troops withfinancial assistance rom the European Unionand the United States. Over two decades, Somaliawas entangled in clan-based warare and in theactivities o Islamist militants. AMISON achieved

its objectives by securing and stabilizing Somalia,enabling humanitarian activities in the countryand protecting government institutions. Temandate o AMISON was extended to 2014 by theUN Security Council.

One o the strategies instituted by the AricanUnion is the Arican Peer Review Mechanism(APRM), which was launched in 2003. As anArican sel-monitoring mechanism, the APRMis a mutually agreed instrument that is voluntarily

acceded to by AU Member States. It is a bold,unique and innovative approach designed andimplemented by Aricans or Arica.

Another positive development was the creationo Arican Risk Capacity (ARC). According toits vision, "Te Arican Risk Capacity (ARC) wasestablished as a specialized agency o the AricanUnion by a conerence o plenipotentiaries tohelp AU Member States improve their capacitiesto better plan, prepare and respond to extremeweather events and natural disasters. It aimsto assist its Member States to protect the oodsecurity o their vulnerable populations."

Te ARC is an innovation that seeks to establishnew markets and value network or capitalcontributors that are interested in protectinginvestments in Aricas agricultural sector. ARCseeks to contribute toward building resilienceamong vulnerable populations, at promoting

fiscal stability and to increase productivity andeconomic diversification.

In most recent times, the Arican continenthas witnessed its first decline in poverty ratesince the 1970s, rom 58 percent in 1999 to 47.5percent in 2008. Tere has been an improvementin macroeconomic policies across sub-Saharan

Arica and this has inspired confidence in theinvestors and in the consumers. Aricans areturning inward and they are investing at home.Many Arican countries have been recordingimpressive growth rates, which would eventuallyassist the continent rom its economic doldrums.Te World Bank's annual "Country Policy andInstitutional Assessment" as at 2013, indicatesthat the overall macroeconomic perormancein the region could be equated with those o the

developing countries outside Arica.

Te narratives on trade are becoming differentas there are instances o departures rom Arica'shistorical trade patterns, which were hithertoinclined solely towards the export o raw materials.In 2013, among the key decisions adopted by theAssembly o Heads o State and Government atthe 50th anniversary celebration o the AricanUnion was the adoption o the Declaration othe OAU/AU 50th anniversary. Other decisions

were on the development o the Arican UnionCommission Strategic Plan 2014 2017, the AUAgenda 2063, the implementation o the Global

Oil production in Nigeria(Source: bbc.com)

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o address the pockets o conflicts thatremain on the continent, there is the needor a robust, balanced, consensual, openand inclusive dialogue among concernedand affected people.

Arican Diaspora Legacy Projects and others. Bythe Declaration o the OAU/AU at 50, Aricanleaders committed themselves to achieve the AUgoals o an integrated and prosperous Arica, atpeace with itsel and with the world; an Aricawhose development is driven by its own citizensand is a significant player on the world stage.

On the overall analyses, it is my view that Aricancountries and the AU are making considerableprogress in finding solutions to Arican problems.

Concluding thoughts

Although, as stated earlier, recent eventsmonitored in 2013 were pointers to positivedevelopments in Arica, it is necessary to rontallyaddress some serious challenges on the continent.

Some questions o concern are: 'Why are nationbuilding efforts leading to disintegration ratherthan integration in some Arican countries?';'Why should 70% o issues on the agenda o theUN Security Council be on Arica?'; 'Why shouldleadership succession through elections alwaysgenerate problems in some Arican countries?';and 'Why is it difficult to attain genuinereconciliation in some Arican states?'

o address the pockets o conflicts that remain

on the continent, there is the need or a robust,balanced, consensual, open and inclusivedialogue among concerned and affected people.Arica should promote the rule o law, democraticprinciples and strengthen democratic institutionsamong member states o the AU. It is necessaryto address the actors that oster the root causes oconflicts in Arica, which can be regarded as thebreeding grounds or conflicts on the continent.We should not address the symptoms but thecauses. We should build rom the roots and notrom the top. Arica needs to continue to raisecorps o mediators rom among her own people.Te environment should be made sae or thepeople to live in but not through military might.

Arican countries should continue to increaseinvestments in high-quality education, healthand other inrastructure that can enhance long-term growth potential. owards experiencing thetransormation o their economies in a sustainable

way, Arican countries should galvanize theircapacities to obtain, use and adapt existingenvironmentally sound technologies to localconditions.As I begin to conclude, I want to note that I donot have any oversight that there are perspectivesthat present sharp contrary views to my optimisticstandpoint on Arica as enunciated in this paper.

Some arguments always ocus solely on pocketso conflicts on the continent and the political

instabilities in some Arican countries. Teproponents o these contrary perspectives reuse,either deliberately or inadvertently, to considerthe positive and cheering developments in thecontinent but rather preer to argue solely romnegative perspective. Sometimes the issues areexaggerated and over-generalized. I believe it isunair to Arica and some Arican countries whendiscussions concerning Arica only emphasize the

problems or challenges that are on the continent.My stance is that while there are challengesthat should be addressed, which are notinsurmountable, thereore the stories o Aricacan no longer be narrated exclusively romunenthusiastic perspective. An illustration witha glass that is filled with water by hal wouldsuffice at this point. Such a glass o water canrightly be described as either hal ull o water orit is hal empty. Te story o AU at 50 and Aricancountries in 2014 could be narrated rom either o

those two sides o the illustration. We can stressthe prevalent positive development in Arica. Teother way, instead o aligning with the pessimiststo highlight the negative aspect, I will ratherdescribe the other side o the divide as the need topay more attention to and address the remnants ochallenges acing the continent.

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I will like to state concerning the developed parts othe world that, at one point in their histories, theyhad experienced their own period o challenges. Iam convinced that as those countries successullypassed through their period o challenges, Aricawill also emerge successul at the end. I believeArica and Arican countries are nearer to thePromised Land, contrary to the arguments o

pessimists that always discuss Arican issues roma gloomy perception.

Abuja, Nigeria(Source: ortuneoarica.com)


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Anatolio Ndong Mba

Ambassador, PermanentRepresentative o the

Republic o Equatorial Guineato the United Nations

Te New Africa Paradigm

Africas Growing Influence on the Global Stage

Arica is indeed the birthplace o humanity andthe cradle o civilization. As such, Arica hashad a significant impact on the development and

evolution o mankind. Historically, long beorethe advent o colonialism, Arica had establishedastronomy, mathematics and architectural scienceas evidenced in the magnificent pyramids oEgypt. Additionally, during the pre-colonialera the continent had well established localeconomies, a judicial and social order based onvarious traditional chiedoms and kingdoms; oneexample o this is the Ashanti Kingdom in Ghana.Tese Arican advancements have influenced

other regions o the world with lasting impacts.Aricas influence on the world can also be seenin its culture, especially in terms o her art andmusic. Renowned European artists like PabloPicasso painted in a style which was stronglyinfluenced by Arican sculpture, now regarded

as Picassos Arican Period. Aricas musicalinfluence continues to be elt around the worldrom American pop and jazz to Cuban rumba -Aricas culture permeates the world. Even duringthe colonial period, Aricas impact on WesternEurope and the New World was undeniable. Asthe scramble or Arica by Western powersintensified, much o Aricas wealth in terms oher raw materials was transerred to the West, andArican skilled labor was employed - through theinamous rans-Atlantic slave trade - to work inthe fields as well as build inrastructure in the NewWorld such as roads and buildings.

Africas Political Influence

In recent years many Arican nations celebrated animportant milestone o 50 years o independence.At the same time, this milestone marks acontinent that has come o age and is determinedto chart its own independent course. From a

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political perspective, Arica has made significantprogress. Tere are more democratically electedgovernments and multi-party states today than atany time since independence. Political pluralismhas taken root in almost the entire continentand is strongly supported by the Arican Union.Governance has also improved and there havebeen many successul reorms with many more

underway. In Equatorial Guinea, or example, H.E.President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo signed andofficially promulgated Fundamental Law Reormon February 16, 2012. Tis reorm stipulates thatEquatorial Guinea rests on the principles o theUniversal Declaration o Human Rights and theArican Charter o Human and Peoples Rights(also known as the Banjul Charter), with the goalo promoting and protecting human rights andbasic reedoms on the Arican continent.

Furthermore, the law reorm in Equatorial Guineaalso requires equal rights, gender equality andprotection under the law. Several other Aricancountries have either implemented or are

implementing similar reorms that advance therule o law and improve governance.Te Arica Union is growing in stature inthe continent as it plays an even greater rolein promoting regional peace and security.Internationally, Arican countries are alsoplaying a greater role as international partners by

contributing to UN peacekeeping efforts aroundthe world.

Africas Economic Influence

Aricas impact on the worlds economy throughits natural resources is ever present: whetherin the orm o fine jewelry manuactured romprecious minerals mined in South Arica orBotswana; oil drilled rom Nigeria or Equatorial

Political pluralism has taken root in almost theentire continent and is strongly supported by theArican Union. Governance has also improved

and there have been many successul reormswith many more underway

Guinea; steel manuactured rom iron ore minesin Guinea and Sierra Leone; delectable chocolatemanuactured rom cocoa beans grown in CotedIvoire and Ghana; and coltan mined in theDemocratic Republic o Congo and used in themanuacture o the electronic devices we use inour daily lives. Arica remains an integral parto the world economy with a strong influence

on global commodity markets. Arica is by ar,the richest confinement in terms o endowmentin natural resources. Its manuacturing basehowever, remains a small raction o her truepotential. Botswana, the worlds largest producero diamonds , or example, has taken steps tohave the country realize more economic benefitsrom its vast deposits o diamonds or her peopleby insisting that De Beers, a leading producer ouncut diamonds move their trading and sorting

operations rom London to Gaborone, the capitalo Botswana. Tis relocation which occurred in2013, signals the transers o about US$6.5 billiona year business to the people o Botswana. It isalso important to note that Aricas economicgrowth rate has been remarkable. According toTe Economist, 6 o the worlds 10 astest growingeconomies o the past decade are in Sub-SaharanArica and many Arican countries have enjoyedgrowth in income per person o more than 5%since 2007.

Aricas rise on the global stage is palpable. Tecontinents emerging middle class with increasingdisposable income is slowly being recognized.According to the Ernst & Youngs AttractivenessSurvey Arica 2013, the size o the Aricaneconomy has more than tripled since 2000, with anumber o Arican economies predicted to remainamong the astest growing in the world. o citeanother source, McKinsey Global Institute analysisindicated that our sectors in Arica, namelyconsumer products and services, inrastructure,agriculture and natural resources will together beworth $2.6 trillion in annual revenue by 2020. Assuch, the continents economic impact on the resto the world is unmistakable.

o sustain this growth trajectory, many countrieson the continent are embarking on policies odiversification and inrastructural development toattract investors and build a solid oundation or

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development. In my country Equatorial Guinea,H.E. the President o the Republic set in motionEquatorial Guineas long-term development planHorizon 2020 which was instituted in 2007. Tisstrategic plan aims to invest in important sectorsthat will strengthen economic growth, ensurea transparent social climate, build importantinrastructure to support a modern nation state,

improve social welare and reduce poverty. Onebillion dollars have been set aside to support thisbold initiative.

Another important goal o H.E. President ObiangNguema and his government is that o economicdiversification, which will reduce our reliance onoil revenues by converting revenues rom oil intolarge public works projects. Equatorial Guinea hasexperienced significant growth and inrastructure

development over the past ew years, and wecontinue to expand secondary and tertiary roadsinto rural areas and provide piped water andelectricity into villages and rural areas.

Equatorial Guinea exemplifies the growthtrajectory o Arica. But while the governmentcontinues to make significant gains andimprovements, marked by its impressivedevelopment accomplishments, it is unortunateto note that some ormer colonial powers with

nostalgic and acquisitive interests, insist on playingthe unwelcomed role o colonial master by auto-proclamation and that o a sel-appointed care-taker determined to find solutions or the internalproblems o Equatorial Guinea. What problems?Our country was lef largely undeveloped at thetime o our independence. Since then, significantprogress has been achieved.

We recognize our current challenges concerningsustainable development in the country. Tesechallenges as I have previously stated are beingaddressed by the government through theimplementation o the Horizon 2020 program andthe government is working tirelessly toward solvingcurrent problems and challenges. Tereore, Iwould like to seize this opportunity to state thatEquatorial Guinea is and has been an independentrepublic and a sovereign country since herindependence in 12 October 1968 and is not aprotectorate under the auspices o any country;

we merely seek equal partnerships. Nowadays,there are problems and challenges everywhereand countries should first concentrate on solvingtheir own political and economic problemsbeore interering in the internal affairs o others,ostensibly to help or solve manuacturedproblems when in many instances the realintention is one o destabilization in order to gain

unettered access to Aricas natural resources.

It is important to note that as many Arica nationsmark 50 years o post-colonial independence, thecontinent has indeed come o age. What this meansin practical terms is that Arica, while welcomingo partnerships and international cooperation, atthe same time, she is determined to chart her ownindependent course consistent with her values andinterests.

Natural gas pipe rack suspension bridge in PuntaEuropa, Equatorial Guinea(Source: Reuters)


As Arica continues to make significant progressin the political, social and economic spheres, thecontinent demands an even greater role on the

world stage. Arica welcomes partnerships, butAricans must lead Aricas development andArican solutions must be applied to Aricanproblems. Tis leads me to the next phase in thecontinents evolution, which I reer to as the newArica paradigm. Tere are several importantactors that underpin this new paradigm.

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1. Arica and its 54 countries be regarded as equal partners on the world stage2. Arica must have greater chain value o her minerals and agricultural products3. Arica must have greater economic diversification4. Arica requires a greater say in the management and governance o the World Bank and

the International Monetary Fund

First, it is important that Arica and its 54 countriesbe regarded as equal partners on the world stage.Tis equal partnership can begin to be realized byhaving Arica or its representative participate moreully in regional groups such as the G7. While atthis time, countries in Arica do not have equalGDP o the existing members, it stands to reasonnonetheless that because world affairs are being

discussed and ormally or inormally decided,Arica should have a sit at the table representing abillion people. Additionally, greater collaborationwith the European Union would be in the mutualinterests o both parties.

Second, this new paradigm shif means that Aricawill be exerting its influence or a more air andequitable benefit rom its natural resources asseen in the earlier example o Botswana. For ar

too long, the Arican continent has been relegatedto being the supplier o raw materials to the resto the world with little or no value addition beingdone in-country. Tis is especially problematic inlight o the act that many Arican countries aregrappling with very high unemployment rates,especially among the youth and women; a situationthat could lead to social unrest in some countries.As such, Arica must capture greater value inthe value chain o her minerals and agriculturalproducts.

Tird, Arica seeks an even greater economicdiversification - this means that while Aricaextends the value it receives rom her naturalresources, at the same time, there is a movementto increase diversification into other sectorsor greater national and continental resiliency.In effect making the continent less susceptible to

oil shocks and volatility in the world commoditymarkets. From an agricultural perspectivethe continent will look to move away rom amonoculture, the cultivation o a single crop ina given area. Tis was historically done to supplyindustries in the West and usually at the expenseo Aricans.

Fourth, Arica requires a greater say in themanagement and governance o the World Bankand the International Monetary Fund (IMF).In the past policies were simply imposed on thecontinent and in some cases without regard to thecultural and socio-economic impact, resulting innegative consequences. Although there has beensome improvement in both institutions, Aricacan still benefit rom more consultations and inplaying a greater role in the governance o both

organizations.

Finally, I wish to conclude by saying that sinceArica is becoming an important driver o utureglobal economic growth, since it is home to abillion inhabitants, and is growing in its strategicimportance to the rest o the world, it is time tovalidate Aricas growing importance. It is nowtime that Arica occupies permanent seats in theUnited Nations Security Council. Arica, with 54members in the United Nations, is unortunately

the only continent without Permanent seats inan Organ where more than 70% o the agendapertains to Arica. It is imperative that afer 69years since the ounding o the United Nations,Arica be given this undamental right in order toparticipate ully and effectively in the discussionsand decisions or solution to its problems.

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We have a rich history, the question arises, whyis Arica still behind? Tat is the question weneed to answer a question that Arica has theresponsibility to answer and the responsibility

that the international community has to answeras well. Tat is why we are here at the UnitedNations negotiating an international rameworkto ensure we agree as to the way orward to addressdevelopment. We need to agree on how to moveorward. Ten we can begin to recognize and helpsome o the countries in Arica, who continue tobe in terrible situations o poverty. How do wedevelop this international ramework? It is all oour responsibility. We need education, governance,

and transparency. Sometimes the internationalcommunity debates and disagrees on whichissues are a priority and the negotiations get reallydifficult. Discussing governance and transparencythen comes into question. Bread and butter issues

are the preerence. For Arica, all these issues arevery important. Tese issues all come with theirchallenges that stem ultimately rom our colonialpast. What would have happened i Arica waslef intact, in terms o unity? What would havehappened i we had been colonialized by countriessuch as China, where the state remained intact asone? We d

African Solutions to African Problems ASAP 2014

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