COMMENT: Africa should look at building lasting peace, wealth for its people

Today marks the 57th anniversary of Africa Day.

Africa Day is celebrated across the continent, but more so in Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Namibia, Zambia, Mali, Mauritania, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, where it is observed as an official national holiday.
This important day was born in 1963 when 32 independent African states signed a founding charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the auspices of the newly formed Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

The initial process, however, began in 1958 when 17 African nations established African Liberation Day, to commemorate their independence from European colonialism.

In 2001, the OAU became the African Union (AU).

Due to the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the AU has said this year’s celebrations be held virtually and online under the theme: “Silencing The Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development and Intensifying the Fight against the Covid-19 Pandemic.”

The “Silencing the Guns” campaign aims to promote prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa. The campaign is primarily aimed at silencing all illegal weapons in Africa.

Major conflict-hit areas include the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, Central African region, eastern Congo, the Horn of Africa, Sudan, South Sudan and Libya.

Of late, Mozambique has joined this list following violent clashes between forces of the FRELIMO (Mozambique Liberation Front) government and its former civil war adversary turned opposition party, RENAMO (the Mozambican National Resistance).

During the 33rd AU Summit in February, held under the theme, “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development”, at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, delegates noted that the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will contribute significantly to silencing the guns in Africa.

This is because economic prosperity generally leads to less conflict over resources.

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, who took over as the chair of the AU during the Summit, spoke strongly against foreign interference in African affairs, trade imbalance and dumping of substandard products in Africa, freedom for the people of Western Sahara and Palestine, and the destruction of Libya by Western nations.

On foreign interference, the AU was clear in its call for the United States to remove Sudan from the list of nations that sponsor terrorism, as this designation has rendered the North African country ineligible for debt relief and financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB).

Lack of financing from the IMF and WB, the AU said, only perpetuates war as the people of Sudan continue to fight for scarce resources.

To achieve the total silencing of guns in Africa, the West has a major role to play as these powerful nations have been at the centre of all conflicts in Africa.

Currently, Western interference and sanctions, through the abuse of the IMF and WB, continue to fuel conflict in Africa.

South African Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Mphakama Mbete hit the right chord yesterday when he said Africa is reclaiming its sovereign right to deal with challenges facing the continent — through solving conflicts, rallying member states to lobby for the removal of sanctions and fighting disease outbreaks.

Speaking to our sister paper, Ambassador Mbete said Africa should take the lead in formulating solutions for current and future global challenges through multilateral collaboration, and strengthening its research and public health resilience systems.

Africa can never silence the guns if she continues to look up to the West for solutions to African problems.

In fact, the West is a major part of the problem.

As we celebrate Africa Day today, we call on the AU and all Africans to reflect on how this beautiful continent, our home, can build lasting peace and wealth for her people.