Significance and Dynamics of African Unity
| dc.contributor.advisor | Mathcws, K.(Prof.) | |
| dc.contributor.author | Zenebe, Abdi | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-03-15T06:52:42Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-11-04T11:33:49Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-03-15T06:52:42Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-11-04T11:33:49Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2007-07 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The leading concepts associated w,' It African unity today are Pan-Afn'canism and Afllcan Renaissance. In pariicular, the id(',,1 of African unity is historically associated with PanAfricnaism. This ques t for African Unity, as embodied in Pan-Afllcanism, can be traced back to more than two centurles . Similarly, its new version pioneered by South Africa, Af'lcan Rellaissance calls for and J!l'opagates the regeneration and Unity of Africa. The quest for Unity as a whole is necessitated by a desire to change Africa's poor economic and political conditions as welf as 10 put a strong resistance against externa l exploitation African Unification is a stra tegy th"t has the potential to remove many of the scourges the continent is facing as well as the illfighting among Africans and to create an atmosphere that will enable African counl11es resist, more effectively, the increasing foreign pressure. The advocates of African unity on the one hand believe that the disunity of the continent is responsible for continued foreign manipulation, exploitation and n·valry between IIfricans liwt us ually elupt into armed confrontation. On the other hand, a united Africa will have the capability to f eed itself, through organized efforts, breaking the long chain of dependellcy a ll ci e nhclIlciny the I\Jilcali condition in the international arena. l3eYlllllllt£] III eorly 19605 there IS II lCreUSl1 tg agreement about. the s ignificance of continental ullificalion Jor A{nca. III part icular, the d ebate to forge unity was at its height in the early yeors (~r independence. HowelJer, the move to JO '-'l1 an immediate integration /os l g roulld (IS ri,e 1/ 1(I}o ri/y oI I //(~ /lew heads of s tales d e cided to a elopt a 'graelLlalis!' or step by step approach to unity. This was the base that s et up the f irst all encompassing ('ollline n/a! ins /itutiol1 i.e. the Organization of the Afn·can Unity in ] 963. III 1991 Afn·call cOl llllries decided 10/onl1 AI ricnn Economic Community 10 hasten rhe integration prograrn. !\frico/! regiOllol eCOIlOflllC COrrU7lLlllities are seen as 'pilla rs ' Jar the ultimate achievement of African Unity by the latest continental organization, the African Union, established ill 2002. However, there are sell0us obstacles to make the unification of Africa possible. These obstacles generally can be divided into two broader categories; external and internal. The external challenges include foreign intervention, dependency, colonial legacy, debt and intematiollal regionalism. The internal impediments include conflict, poverty, lacle o/political will and institutional weakness, among others. Notwithstanding, there are new emerging continental phenonlena that can be seen as oppolwnities for AJrlCC1 to achieve ils goal of political unification. Among these the demise of Apartheid which placed South Africa in the forefront in various continental affairs; the renewed commitment by the heads oJ-Afllcan states to speed up the integration process expressed in the formation of African Union and adoption of NEPAD are s ignificant. More illlportantly the recent proposal f or lite establis hmellt of a Un ited States of Afn'ca by 2015 practically '-eplaced the dis enchantme nt. concerning the integration oJ AJn"cQ with renewed ell thus/ClsTl1. !\ccordingly. AIricw l countries dis cus s ed, at Accra, in early July 2007, on the .t\l/'s prnposnl (or Unioll Ccwenr nw nt. which would be a political transitory arrangeme nt towards tile Ullileci Siotes oIl\j;-ira . The p roposal set out th ree succes sive phases toward es/abhs /lllly til<' Ull iled Sta tes o/,lIji1ca. The firs t phose, f rom 2007-2009, targets to set Lip (I con /lI1enlOl gOIJerl1 l1ten l. The second pho se. i. e. j i·om 2009 to 20 12, Jocuses on ma k ing the cOIl/.inelllol gouer/ll/le l7 l J Il If!) Junctiona l nnd preporil tg Q constitutional f ramework for (J,llted States o[ IIf/lm. Tile tl ll'rei p hase, f rom 201 2 to 201 S, aims to create all es sential s tru clures Jor the United Stale of Afn·ca at co unlry} regional and continental leve ls . The summit gave majority support for the gradualist approach, but it has agreed to set up a road map alld a time frame for a union government. This exemplifies the growing significance of Afn'can unily for the future prosperity of Africa. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/30589 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Addis Ababa University | en_US |
| dc.subject | Dynamics of African Unity | en_US |
| dc.title | Significance and Dynamics of African Unity | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |