بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
African Union at 60 Years of Strengthening of Neocolonialism
News:
The African Union (AU) formerly known as Organization of African Unity (OAU) was formed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 25 May 1963, when the heads of state from 32 independent African states gathered in the city to sign the charter that created the OAU, which was about 60% of the countries in the continent had attained their flag. The continental institution aimed at creating what they termed as Africa’s ‘complete’ independence from imperialism, colonialism and apartheid. Therefore, on 25th May 2023 the organization is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Comment:
As outlined in the Organization of African Unity (OAU) / African Union (AU) Charter, the main objectives of the organization were to promote the unity and solidarity of African states, to achieve a better life for the peoples of Africa, safeguard the sovereignty of Member States, rid the continent of colonization and harmonize members’ political, diplomatic, economic, educational, cultural, health, welfare, scientific, technical and defense policies.
Sixty years later none of the above objectives have been met! Africa has been into endless wars and armed conflicts since 1963. More than 35 wars and more than 100 armed conflicts have occurred in post colonial Africa, many of which are between and among the African states themselves, for example in 2019, 27 state-based conflicts were recorded, in 2020, 30 and in 2021, 25 state based conflicts were recorded. This means the AU has failed in bringing unity, solidarity and peace in Africa.
Despite the fact that Africa has wealth potential in the world with 30% of the world’s minerals including 40% of the world’s gold, 90% of the world’s chromium and platinum, the largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds, platinum and uranium and etc. Not to mention 65% of the world’s arable land, yet Africa is the world’s least developed continent with 34 of the 49 poorest countries of the world belonging to it. More than 40% of continent’s population lives under extremely poverty of less than one dollar per day. AU has failed to bring better life for the people of Africa.
On safeguarding the sovereignty of member states and getting rid of colonization, we all know AU can do and has never done anything to safeguard sovereignty of it’s members and Africa is under neo colonialism. Neocolonialism has been manifested through puppet leaders and coups in favour of their masters, the dependency syndrome upon which African through colonial monetary policies and financial institutions like the IMF and the World Bank, inferiority complex with trade imbalances through colonial organizations and policies like the WTO, the educational system under which colonial ideas and cultures are manifested in Africa and military dependency. There’s no any African sovereignty which the AU has protected, neither getting rid of colonialism because the colonizers themselves only changed the style of old colonialism to neo colonialism using different techniques.
Therefore, sixty years of AU, the organization has achieved none of its objectives and reasons for existence but rather acting to propagate new colonialism and assisting the colonizers in exploitation of African wealth. The AU sends forces to protect colonial investments in war countries like Congo DRC for the exchange of bribes under the name of funds for supporting peace operations. It also works as agent to propagates evil agenda of war on terror campaign and homosexuality campaign upon which the African states are forced to kill and imprison their own citizens for to achieve Western bribery in the name of the funds for fighting terrorism and disintegrate and destroy social system values.
As plain fact the AU was formed as the colonial tool, and agreement between colonizers to bring together their colonies so that it would be easier to instruct them together, in this case it would never achieve any of its goals.
Africa would truly be liberated from all colonial shackles once the Islamic state of Khilafah Rashidah (rightly guided Caliphate) is re-established. It would enjoy a prosperous position as during the Islamic rule, (Caliphate) earlier, of which Africans attained high living standards and abolished poverty to the extent that there was no person to be given zakat. It has been narrated by Yahya Ibn Said, who was governor at the time during the reign of Caliph Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz, said:
“I was sent by Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz to collect zakat from Africa, after collecting it, I intended to give it to the poor people. However, I did not find one as Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz has made everyone rich during his time. Finally, I decided to use the zakat fund to buy and emancipate slaves.” (Ibn Abd Hakam, Abdullah (1994) Al Khilafat Al Adil Umar Ibn AbdulAziz: Khamis Al Khulafah Al Rashidin, Dar Al Fadilat)
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Said Bitomwa
Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Tanzania