The African Union Commission Deputy Chairman Kwesi Quartey has said that although the Union hopes coups do not take place, some of them are inevitable.
The Ghanaian diplomat told DW that “we are concerned. But we also recognize that the military is a backbone of the state and in a situation of chaos normally the military will not sit down and watch the political situation fall apart. So, some of it is inevitable”.
But the deputy AU commission chief reminded the world that despite a push for democracy in Africa, some efforts at doing that have been counter productive.
Quartey said “I remember we were concerned about democracy in Libya. And after the Security Council resolution of a no fly zone, [late Libyan leader Muammar] Gadhafi was forcibly overthrown in the hopes that democracy would be restored.
We have neither democracy, nor stability; we have no peace; we have insecurity. So, you know, a continuing democratic, open transparent government is the best. But in the absence of the best you need at least political stability.
You need a central government. You need security and peace, which will allow you to proceed towards a democratic and open governance system.”
Sudan crisis
A recent coup in Sudan resulted in the subsequent violence and killings. Protesters were demanding an end to the rule of Omaral-Bashir.
After months of protests, the military jumped in to topple Bashir. The AU says it is excited an agreement has now been reached between the military and protesters in Sudan.
Quartey said “So we are delighted that, between the military government and the rest of the protesters, they have come to an arrangement, which will allow them the possibility of sitting down together now to determine what to do going forward and how to do it. So that is a very good development for Africa.”
He also revealed that the African Union is working hard at improving the living conditions of Africans following the launch of its free trade area.
Free trade
African leaders in July this year finally launched the much talked about continental free-trade zone in in Niger’s capital Niamey.
It would be the world’s largest free trade area uniting 1.3 billion people and creating a $3.4 trillion economic bloc.
The free trade zone is considered a critical action to usher Africa into a new era of development.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) will have 54 African Union (AU) members.
Quartey says “Now we are beginning to think strategically. We are beginning to coordinate the production, the marketing and the processing. So all these are things have to fit into the AfCFTA idea.
And we have to take advantage of the youth bulge in Africa, because the African population will double in the next ten or twenty years. It will be the continent with the youngest generation of workers.”
Source: Africafeeds.com
