Login

Lost your password?

Sign Up

Register

Login

Login

Lost your password?

Register

Friday, May 27, 2022
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion

Africa's
Investment
Gateway

The Exchange
  • Login
  • Register
Subscribe
This Month's Edition
Previous Editions
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Exchange
LOGIN
The African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa. The Union is largely colonial entity doing the bidding of its masters if what is going on in Africa is anything to go by. www.theexchange.africa

The African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa. The Union is largely colonial entity doing the bidding of its masters if what is going on in Africa is anything to go by. [Photo/CGTN]

Is the AU enabling the destabilisation of Africa one country at a time?

The West African nation is the continent's fourth-largest gold producer after Ghana, South Africa, and Sudan with the country's natural resources industry dominated by gold.

by Njenga Hakeenah
February 1, 2022
in Africa, Extractive and Energy
0
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

The African Union (AU) is the continent’s body that, on paper, seeks to among other things “Defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States”.

Its main objectives, borrowed or revamped from its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), are to “rid the continent of the remaining vestiges of colonisation and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity amongst African States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and to promote international cooperation.”

Again, this is all on paper going by the continent-wide failures that have been witnessed under the watch of the AU.

Is AU the lame duck?

The Addis Ababa headquartered body is, again on paper, guided by its vision of “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”

Read: Somalia elections target to immobilize Al-Shabaab

African countries facing conflict. www.theexchange.africa

This article is an indictment of this body which has largely remained a sore thumb when it comes to many African issues that remain unresolved. It is still a largely colonial entity doing the bidding of its masters if what is going on in Africa is anything to go by.

The latest embarrassment is Mali whose citizens are living in fear with the consistent coups that have been taking place in the country of 20.25 million people. Just as has happened in other African countries, the instability which is largely driven by natural resources is happening under the so-called watchful eye of what can only be described as a moribund AU.

Ethiopia, Mozambique, the Central African Republic (CAR) and many others are seeing their economies waste away as insurgency grows under the ‘watchful’ eyes of this continental body.

That aside, what could be driving the insurgency in Mali?

As usual, it is the scramble for Africa. This continues with the AU not condemning the anarchy by financiers of the chaos who are mostly not African. Africa’s underground riches have for decades been driving a cabal of selfish dictators, in collaboration with their Western masters, to doing the unthinkable. Mali is the latest casualty.

Mali is rich in every sense.

The West African nation is the continent’s fourth-largest gold producer after Ghana, South Africa, and Sudan with the country’s natural resources industry dominated by gold. The country’s primary export is gold which accounted for more than 80 per cent of Mali’s total exports in 2020.

Mali’s mineral resources

Mali natural resources. www.theexchange.africa
Mali natural resources. [Source: Statista]
2019 estimates show that Mali has significant mineral potential since it has a diverse resource base. In addition to gold, the country has rich uranium, iron ore, bituminous shale (oil shale) and phosphates deposits among others.

Government estimates show that the country has 800 metric tonnes of gold deposits, two billion metric tonnes of iron, 5,200 metric tonnes of uranium and 10 million metric tonnes of manganese, according to Statista.

This mineral wealth, as happens with many other conflict-ridden African countries, could be the reason that Mali is where it is today. The country’s transition to civilian rule following a 2020 military coup could not hold after another coup in May 2021. This, according to Human Rights Watch, was the third in under 10 years.

As is usual, the powers that be orchestrate political crises in African countries so when the peacekeeping forces arrive, it is open season for all and sundry.

Read: Opportunities for investing in Mali

After the coup, Col. Assimi Goïta, the transitional vice-president detained transitional President Bah N’Daw with the Prime Minister Moctar Ouane on May 24, 2021. This transitional team was a caretaker government installed after the August 2020 military coup.

In June, Goïta was sworn in as head of state.

But power corrupts. Goïta had initially promised to stick by the 18-month deadline for transition to civilian rule in which he was to organise free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections by February 27, 2022. He backtracked from the agreement after the 2020 coup saying that the timelines could not be met.

Predictable trend

Mali was threatened with sanctions by ECOWAS where borders with the bloc’s countries would be closed while sweeping economic sanctions would be imposed in response to delays holding the elections.

In a statement issued after a meeting in Ghana on January 9, the bloc which has 15 members agreed to impose additional sanctions with immediate effect. These included the closure of the bloc members’ land and air borders. The suspension would also see non-essential financial transactions barred while Mali state assets held in ECOWAS banks would be frozen.

In all this, unless the AU has delegated its powers, it remained silent.

With this kind of casual approach to issues plaguing the continent, will the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which is meant to harness trade in Africa work smoothly or will it be hijacked?

ECOWAS Headquarters in West Africa. www.theexchange.africa
ECOWAS Headquarters in West Africa. [Photo/Willem Heerbaart]
The AfCFTA creates a 1.3 billion people market which would see Africa export and import within itself which could lead to more value addition of the resources it produces. This includes the minerals in Mali which could benefit Malians more if the environment for their production was friendly.

As is happening with the DR Congo, the looting of Africa’ resources continues with wanton abandon. This denies a majority of Africans the opportunity of ever getting out of poverty and ending the cycle. It then begs the question: what are the African leaders doing when Africa is hollowed under their watch?

Unless these issues are addressed conclusively, the AfCFTA could once again be an expensive affair of much ado about nothing. The African leaders have failed their people who have to keep fighting to get out of the poverty dungeon they have been pushed into generation after generation.

Ethiopia has been a luminary on the continent but the AU’s silence on what is happening there speaks volumes about African brotherhood. It is one thing to claim to be brother; another when actions speak otherwise.

Africa has powered Western nations to where they are today and there is still so much more where that came from. The independence that African countries so loudly brag about is nothing but mockery when we keep singing foreign tunes which continue disadvantaging our people. If the resources we have keep going to China, India, Europe and the Americas but cannot help the custodians, what independence is there?

Just like the iconic reggae band Morgan Heritage’s song, there’s nothing to smile about.

Dear African leaders, until when?

We crave Patrice Lumumba’s prophecy coming true.

“The day will come when history will speak. But it will not be the history which will be taught in Brussels, Paris, Washington or the United Nations…Africa will write its own history and in both north and south it will be a history of glory and dignity.” 

Read: ECOWAS flexes economic muscle against Mali in coup debacle

Tags: Addis AbabaAfrican UnionAU headquartersCARCentral African RepublicEthiopiaMaliMozambiquepremium

STATE OF ECONOMY - GET THE REPORT

ASSESSING EAST AFRICA

Loading...

Njenga Hakeenah

I have 10 years of experience in multimedia journalism and I use the skills I have gained over this time to meet and ensure goal-surpassing editorial performance. Africa is my business and development on the continent is my heartbeat. Do you have a development story that has to be told? Reach me at [email protected] and we can showcase Africa together.

Related Posts

theexchange.africa
Africa

Refugee welfare could improve with intra-Africa migration

May 10, 2022
Mining in Africa: Is sustainability far-fetched? www.theexchange.africa
Extractive and Energy

Mining in Africa: Is sustainability far-fetched?

April 16, 2022
www.theexchange.africa
Africa

African Development Fund Approves $5.5 million grant to support energy projects in Horn of Africa

April 11, 2022
Next Post
Meikles Limited is a story on the making of a Zimbabwean corporate aristocrat. www.theexchange.africa

Meikles Limited: The making of a Zimbabwean corporate aristocrat

Haulage trucks. Moving goods around Africa has been a huge challenge. www.theexchange.africa

Investment themes for Southern Africa in 2022

The AfCFTA should loop in women to harness the opportunities in trade. www.theexchange.africa

Reigniting growth through export competitiveness

Please login to join discussion




This months edition

May Edition

Features

EdTech role in African development
Tech & Business

EdTech’s role in African development

by Kanyali Muthui
May 16, 2022
0

Due to the pandemic, the topic of innovation in education has never been more crucial.  While most developed countries moved...

Read more
investment in African science and technology
Tech & Business

Investing in Africa’s science and technology: Where are we now?

by Kanyali Muthui
May 16, 2022
0

The continent’s digital revolution can largely be driven by building the necessary skills for the short- and long-term future, and...

Read more
Fintech revolution in Africa
Tech & Business

The Fintech Revolution in Africa’s FX Markets

by Kanyali Muthui
May 11, 2022
0

With over 548 million registered mobile money users in sub-Saharan Africa, increased internet access and readily available mobile money solutions,...

Read more
www.theexchange.africa
Countries

US – Nigeria Trade Relations: An Overview

by Wanjiku Njugunah
May 2, 2022
0

Nigeria is currently the United States' 54th largest goods trading partner, with US$7.8 billion in total goods trade as of...

Read more
A previous conference for African Insurtech sector. The Insurtech boom is deepening insurance uptake in Africa. www.theexchange.africa
Tech & Business

Insurtech boom deepening the uptake of insurance in Africa

by june njoroge
May 2, 2022
0

Kenya-based Pula is another distinguished insurtech making waves in the continent. It provides small scale farmers with agricultural insurance and...

Read more

News

Banking
Industry & Trade
Investing
Money Deals
Regional Markets
Tech & Biz
Opinion

Countries

Kenya
Tanzania
Uganda
Burundi
Rwanda
Southern Africa
Ethiopia

More

My Account
Contact us
Advertise
About us
Help Center

Subscribers Center

E-paper
Premium Stories
Education Rates
Corporate Subscriptions
Weekely Newsletter

  • My account
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Refund Policy – The Exchange
  • Sitemap

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Banking
  • Industry & Trade
  • Investing
  • Money Deals
  • Regional Markets
  • Tech & Biz
  • Countries
  • Opinion
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart

© 2021 The Exchange - Powered by MediapixManaged by Supported by Digihandler,

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In