Kudos to Solo, Gainako’s excellent correspondent from Banjul. His recap of the legendary Halifah Sallah’s book, Treatise on Founding a Federation of African Republics, is elucidating and inspiring as far as the ideal of African unity is concerned. There’s no denying Mr. Sallah’s place of honor in the political development of The Gambia is solid. There is a drawback, however, to the main theme of his new tome, an African federation, because it is posited on archaic ideas that have been espoused by so-called African leaders who have failed miserably to deliver on their much vaunted promises.
First, the notion of an African federation ignores the gross under development of African sovereign entities. Insufficient political sophistication eventually leads to the failure of federations as exemplified by the demise of the Senegambia confederacy in 1989 and the laughable union of Nigerian states that has resulted in 1 brutal civil war, many years of military rule to hold the federation of states together and embarassing economic failure in light of that nation’s natural riches.
Second, Mr. Sallah’s wishes are in dire contrast to Africa’s daunting realities especially where differences are concerned. There are major religious divides between North African and Eastern states which are mostly Islamist, West African states which fall in between and southern African states which are mostly Christian. The increasing hardcore desire of some Muslim clerics in some states to institute Sharia law, the heightened tensions between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria and other places and the implications of which laws to follow in states with significant minority populations who resist any resorting to laws other than secular ones will prove to be nightmarish challenges to the federation of African states were it to come into existence.
Another crucial stumbling block will be the oft troublesome tribal and internecine feuds that have had a long running prominence in African history. Failed states like Somalia will never get to have comprehensive and united representation at an African federation parliament. One can imagine what the maligned clans and groups will do to their rivals if it is perceived they are not being heard out. What about Burundi? Will the rebels see the federation of African states as an unbiased arbiter in their simmering feud with the seat of power in Bujumbura? Better yet, will states with oppressive policies toward tribal minorities harken to the commands or recommendations of a united African federation and agree to arbitration? If the UN or the useless AU have not proven successful, who says the African federation will pull it off?
As iconoclastic as this view might seem, the truth is Mr. Halifah Sallah’s role models are failures through and through when the immediate post-colonial leadership of Africa is objectively examined. Kwame Nkrumah failed to harness Ghana’s mineral and intellectual wealth during his tenure and was eventually dismissed in 1966. The fault was entirely his. No sentimentality will replace the fact that he erred in judging the changing times and the urgent need to reform a colonial strucutre that didnt serve its previous African subjects. Gamal Abdel Nasser took Egypt down the road to war with Israel and caused great pain and havoc to his proud nation. His only visible legacy is the Aswan dam. What about Kenneth Kaunda, Siaka Stevens, all paragons of Pan Africanism? Where have they led us? We need new, better role models for African progress and I’m not talking about Thabo Mbeki or Nelson Mandela either.
Implicitly or perhaps overtly, Mr. Halifah Sallah’s treatise seems to be inspired by the creation of a European Union that has thrived to the point where ex-Soviet satelites like Bulgaria , the Czech Republic and Poland are now members, after years of coveting EU acceptance. The comparisons between African potential for unity versus actual European oneness are ill advised. While the concept of African unity is a post-colonial ideal, European unity has been in the works since the reign of Charlemange king of the Franks who ruled from 746 to 814 AD. While Europe has undergone years of violence political upheaval and economic revolution, Africa’s experience in these two spheres is relatively thin. Moreover, Africa has not yet developed the economic heft nor the military infrastructure to enforce the rules, prestige and might of an African federation the way the EU has to the point of being on par with the US (at least economically). To accelerate the progress to total union of African states in federation form will no doubt yield unwanted consequences.
Finally, with the numerous tragedies, disgraces, and failures of the OAU and now the numerous tragedies, disgraces and failures of the AU, what makes Mr. Sallah so blindly optimistic? In any case, I admire and share his love and intensity for the looming greatness of Africa. I am only a little more cynical and maybe too gun shy where I could have shown more resolve. I hope Mr. Sallah proves me wrong.
