The Organization Of African Unity (OAU) To African Union (Au) The Journey So Far……….

The Organization Of African UNITY (OAU) To African Union (AU) The Journey So Far……….

Chapter One

Issues And Reasons For Indigenous Intergrations

Preface

Regional integration isn’t a new idea or action in Africa. Along with the creation of African common request it has been fueling division of African leaders for the once 45 decade. In fact, the creation of the 0rganisation of African Unity( OAU) in 1964 reflected the mindfulness, by the leaders of the day that Africans strength was embedded inPan-Africa cooperation.1 The Southern Rhodesia Custom Union was established in 1949 and the East African community in 1967( Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania). 2 So far, United Africa has a long history and is the unique product of social and artistic station of Africa, moment, the African Union( AU) is an reality that continues to work for the integration in the mainland to enable it plays its due part in the global frugality while addressingmulti-faceted socio- profitable and political problem. The arrival of the Organization now known( AU) is described as an arrival of great magnitude in the institutional elaboration of the mainland.3

In a 1959, speech from Kwame Nkrumah, Ideological father of the African Union. He stated that in Ghana, we regard our independence as pointless unless we’re suitable to use the freedom that goes with it to help other African people to be free and independent, to liberate the entire mainland of Africa from foreign dehumanization and eventually to establish a union of African state. 4 ” Of all sins Africa can commit, the sins of despair will be most insupportable. concinnity won’t make us rich, but it can make it delicate for – Africa and the African people to be disregarded and lowered—— My generation led Africa to political freedom. The current generation of leadership and people of Africa must pick up the fluttering touch of African freedom to refuel it with their enthusiasm and determination, and carry it forward ” 5( President Nyerere, former President of Tanzania at the 40th anniversary of Ghana’s independent, 1997)

The literal foundations of African Union began in the union of African States. The Organization of African Unity( OAU) was established on May 25th 1963. 6 It remained the collaborative voice for the mainland until 2002. The willed purpose of the OAU was to promote the concinnity and solidarity of the African States in a time of independent movements. The OAU also aimed to insure that all African States enjoy mortal right, raise the living standard of all Africans and settle arguments and disagreement between member countries. 7

In the duty of the Organization of African Unity espoused in 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, African States came married to work together to coordinate and consolidate their cooperation and trouble to achieve a better life for the people of Africa. The OAU Struggle to apply its decision and its lack of an army made it delicate to intermediate in civil wars and countries floundering with colonialism. The policy ofnon-interference in the affairs of member countries also confined the OAU in achieving its pretensions. Consensus was delicate to achieve within the association. The French colonies, thePro-capitalist and thePro-socialist body during the cold war, all had their docket and made it veritably delicate to reach an agreement on what had to be done. Through the difficulties and struggles the OAU endured, it still provides a forum that enabled member countries to borrow coordinated positions on the matter of common concern. For illustration, through the OAU coordinating commission for the emancipation of Africa, the association worked and succeeded in forging a agreement in support of emancipation struggle and the fight against intolerance. 8

Points And Objects

The African Union was formed to feed for the requirements and aspiration of member countries amongst the colorful set objects

* Achieve lesser concinnity and solidarity between the African countries and the other people of Africa

* Defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its member states

* Accelerate the political and socio- profitable integration of the mainland

* Promote and defend African common position on issues of interest to the mainland and its people

* Encourage transnational cooperation, taking due account of the duty of the United Nation and the check of mortal rights.

* Work with applicable transnational mates in the eradication of preventable conditions and the creation of good health on the mainland

* To promote popular principle and institutional popular participation and good governance and also cover mortal and people’s right in agreement with African duty on mortal and people right and other applicable mortal rights instrument.

* Establish the necessary conditions which enable the mainland to play its due part in the global frugality and transnational accommodations.

* Promote sustainable development at the profitable, social and artistic position as well as the integration of African husbandry

* Promote cooperation in all fields of mortal exertion to raise the living standard of African people

* Promote peace, security, and stability on the mainland. 9

The want of the authors of the Organization of African Unity( OAU) was largely informed by the desire ofPan-Africanist who believed that it’s the only full political concinnity that will end thePan-African struggle. piecemeal from the of lack of a common culture and language that divides African countries there’s further abecedarian problem of lack of effective leadership in the hunt for concinnity.

Significance Of The Study

This exploration is veritably significant in the sense that it sought to look at the peaceful metamorphosis of the African Union from the Organization of African Unity. The part of the Organization of African Unity in the socio- profitable, political and artistic well being of the African can not be over emphasizes, so thus, any study that will encompass the association of African Unity and her metamorphosis to this ultramodern union in a shrinking globalized world where all political and frontier walls are being broken down is veritably significant, because it’ll exfoliate further light on the polemics of this union

Compass Of Study

This exploration work shall basically be limited to the Organization of African Unity( OAU), her end and ideal and factors that rained to her metamorphosis from Organization of African Unity( OAU) to African Union( AU) it shall thuspre-suppose that this study shall cover the period of 2003 when the original idea of African Union was limited

Problems Of The Study

The problem this experimenter encountered were principally was that of the turndown of utmost competent scholars to bandy at length with the experimenter. Alongside this was also time constraints because this exploration work is being embarked upon in confluence with other academic work, and also the experimenter was faced the problems of finances because among areas visited was the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs,V.I. Lagos, the Ministry of Foreign affairs, Abuja, ECOWAS secretariat, Abuja and theA.U, Office also in Abuja. Be that it may be, the challenges were relatively intriguing and the experimenter believes that they were worth the while.

Methodology

This exploration shall borrow a two way analysis. It shall be using the primary and the secondary source of data collections and analysis. The primary source shall calculate heavily on accoutrements of people in the politic spheres and scholars in foreign policy, while secondary source shall calculate heavily on journals, books, magazines, published work and other media accoutrements of day to day exploration.

Literature Review

Books are the major important tool in any exploration work; it’s thus interactive that literature pertaining the work shall be consulted. Conflict expert agree that to fully resolve a conflict, its root cause have to be removed first. It was in this regard that the African Union Partner with the United Nations( UN), having honored the link between war and poverty. As Africa has started going into close cooperation with indigenous Organization of African Unity( OAU), now the African Union( AU). A Nigerian diplomat to the African Union, Shinkaiye in his book “ Nigeria and the African Union, Role and prospects in which the situations that chance before it was changed from Organization of African Unity( OAU) to African Union( AU) bandied considerably the entire process of the metamorphosis. 10

Akinsanya 11 this book laid further emphasis on the significance of transubstantiating from Organization of African Unity to African Union In the time 2002. Another scholar Oyobaira in a book written by him “ Political Stability and African Union ”. 12 In another book, Nigeria, the AU and the Challenge of Regional Integration by a famed elderly experimenter, Oche in the division of International law also contributed to the study of the metamorphosis of Organization of African Unity( OAU) to African Union( AU).13

The donation of Olokun, an economist can not be overlooked in the hunt of the Journey so far of the Organization of African Unity to African Union, his donation through a material. ” The part of Nigeria in the New Partnership for African Development( NEPAD) the material gives us an occasion to

1) Readdress AU/ NEPAD perspective for effective knowledge.

2) Take another look at the status of the integration in Africa in terms of progress so far.

3) Present some crucial challenges faced and explore possible results.

4) Impact of relationship between the Europe and Africa Regional Organization on pastoral livelihood on the mainland.

5) A call to Europe to write towards effective cooperation with African especially its indigenous bodies.14

Another review to be considered then’s the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa( ECA) in its two reports on assessing Regional Integration in Africa( ARIA 1 & 2) issued in 2004 and 2006 15 independently, give a deep analysis as well as a detailed picture of what constitutes the current situation of indigenous integration in Africa.

Kusa is a political scientist who, in her book “ Nigeria and the Challenges of the Africa Peer Review Medium( APRM) 16 also talks about the significance of( NEPAD) in the growing of the African Union( AU) and the medium for review which give the means of covering progress toward good profitable, cooperate and political government in Africa including challenges.

Notes and References

1. Maitre Abdoulaye wade, “ Francophone and Anglophone Divide Approach toSub-regional security and Development in the coming decade ”, being textbook of lecture delivered at the induction form of the 13th Regular Course of the National War College of Nigeria, held at the College Auditorium. See details in New Soja( Abuja, Directorate of Army, Public), 6th issue, 2004,pp.94- 96

2. Maitre Op. Cit

3. Brownson Dede, “ The elaboration of the African Union ”, in the African Union in the African Union and the Challenges ofCo-operation and integration Proceedings of the National Seminar( Ibadan Spectrum Books Limited, © Federal Ministry of Cooperation and integration in Africa, 2002)

4. UNDP, Africa Human Development report, 2003

5. BolaA. Akinterinwa(ed.,) Nigeria’s public Interest in a Globalizing World farther Reflections on Formative and salutary Concentricism( Ibadan Vantage Publishers, 2005), forthcoming

6. New Soja( Abuja), Sixth Issue, 2004,p. 94

7. See AU Press Release,No.062/2003, Addis Ababa, July 31, 2003

8. Akinjide Osuntokun “ An Academic in Government Reflection on my Service in the Ministry of External Affairs, 1988- 1995 ”, in BolaA. Akinterinwa( ed.), Nigeria’s New Foreign Policy Thrust Essays in Honour of, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, CON( Ibadan Vantage Publishers, 2004),p. 42

9. BolaA. Akinterinwa, “ Africa in Nigeria’s Foreign Policy, 1960- 2005 Beyond Forty- Five Times of Unwavering Commitment ”( Ibadan Vantage Publishers, 2005)

10.J.K. Shinkaiye, “ Nigeria’s part in Shaping the African union ” in the African Union and the Challenges ofCo-operation and Integration Proceedings of the National Seminar( Ibadan Spectrum Books limited, © Federal Ministry ofCo-operation and integration in Africa, 2002),p. 18

11. Olusegun Akinsaya, “ Nigeria at the African Union ”( Ibadan Vantage Publishers, 2005)

12. Sam Oyovbaire, “ Political Stability and the African Union 2002- 2005 ”( Ibadan Vantage Publishers, 2005)

13. Ogaba Oche, “ Nigeria, The AU and the Challenge of Regional Integration ”( Ibadan Vantage Publishers, 2005)

14. Isaac Aluko- Olokun, “ The part of Nigeria in the New cooperation for Africa’s Development( NEPAD) ”,( Ibadan, Vantage Publishers, 2005)

15. Dayo Oluyemi- Kusa, “ Nigerian and the Challenge of the African Peer Review Medium( APRM) ”,( Ibadan Vantage Publishers, 2005)

16. Kusa op cit