Forty years later, the plight of Africa’s 800 million people cries out in desperate search for attention. The standard of living of most Africans is much lower than it was in the 1960’s. Almost half of the continent’s inhabitants live on less than $1 US a day. Life expectancy is 54 years and 140 children out of every 1,000 die before they turn five. The illiteracy rate is 41 per cent. HIV/AIDS is rampant. The story of Africa over the last forty years has been a story punctuated by repression, famine, war, corruption and mismanagement. Need one say more?
The people of Africa face common challenges and as such must establish a raison de vivre by giving new meaning and direction to their existence in order to emerge out of the entrenched crises. Africa is at an historical juncture. It will either rise to the occasion and vanquish poverty, famine and conflict or else succumb to doom.
The establishment of the African Union is a recipe for hope. It is a recipe coming from Africans themselves. The African leaders have set up the AU with the conviction that the continent would prosper through collective efforts of its members for economic development, good governance and respect for human rights. At a time when Africans are embarked on a new path with a shared meaning of the past, common aspirations of the future and an unwavering commitment to transform the present weaknesses into a strength, it is a disservice to Africa and its people to talk about moving the AU from Addis Ababa to Tripoli. Indeed, it is a cruel irony that every time Africa finds itself united to face common challenges, there are elements like that come up with an evil resolve to derail it from the path it has charted for itself. Africa must rise again to this challenge by asking the same question, “ Is the question the removal of the AU from Addis or else..?
