By Emmanuel Onwubiko
No doubt , two phenomena that have sprang up on the
African continent namely the persistent xenophobic violence of black south
Africans against other black Africans living in south Africa, and the nearly
month-long closure of all land borders by the Nigerian president Muhammadu
Buhari constitute cogs in the wheel of any sort of progress for African
integration. These two developments bring to the fore the larger question of
whether African Union and ECOWAS are dead and buried.
On one hand, the cases of constant xenophobic violence
targeting other black Africans by the indigenous black south Africans can be
considered such an unfathomable evil like genocide to an extent that both in
substance and by the circumstances may not be equated to the political decision
of Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari to close the nation's land borders, but looking
too at the import of the formation of the sub-regional bloc of Economic Community
of West African States (ECOWAS), it would seem that the decision of Nigeria to
shut the borders is a grave blow to the essence of setting up the sub-regional
economic bloc. The persistence of both developments shows that the internal
crises resolution mechanisms of the African Union and ECOWAS are non-functional
or even non-existent.
Whilst reflecting on the incapacity of the two organizations
to resolve internal issues such as the twin social evils of Xenophobia and
unilateral border closure, we are however reminded of the core arguments of
those who support the decision of Nigeria at this time to shut off the borders
in which they pointed to the nexus between that decision and the concept of
sovereignty of Nigeria.
But looking at the bigger picture, we can as well
conclude that the consistent criminal acts of xenophobia in south Africa has in
a very big way questioned the essence, relevance and import of African Union
which purports to push for greater economic integration amongst Africans.
Incidentally, both South Africa which has become
notorious because of the xenophobic violence and Nigeria which is becoming
increasingly cynical of brotherly sub-regional neighbors leading to the
shutting of the land borders, both nations were big players in the evolution of
both African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
South Africa was the venue that birthed the
transformation of organization of African Unity into African Union.
Nigeria on the other hand was pivotal in the formation of
ECOWAS in the 70’s and is till date the home of the secretariat of this
sub-regional bloc.
So, in a sense, an observer who sets out to examine the
growing incidents of xenophobic attacks in South Africa and the effects of the
decision of Nigeria to shut her land borders, would be left with a
straightforward conclusion that ECOWAS and AU have lost their bearings and
would therefore require resetting and fine tuning.
Although to be honest, the African Union did not just
start losing her relevance of recent, the body has become a laughing stock
internationally for failing to institutionalize good governance on the
continent, spread constitutional democracy as it were, and by so doing promote
economic prosperity of member nations which would have prevented the larger
scale irregular migration of African youth to the west.
It is not in doubt that African Union has faltered in
not doing so much to stop the economic collapse of a lot of African nations and
prevent outbreaks of wars and terrorists attacks that have created the new
refugees crisis in Africa.
The credibility crises tearing down the fabrics of
African Union only became much more toxic with the constant outbreaks of
xenophobic violence in South Africa.
What then are the objectives and relevance of both
African Union and ECOWAS if such disturbing signals keep springing up and
getting out of control?
Why for instance does neighboring nations to Nigeria not
adhere strictly to the laws governing law-based imports and why do they flood
the Nigerian markets with substandard goods and refuse to be subjected to the
extant rules on customs and excuse?
It will also be right to ask where the so-called African
unity is and the quest for greater economic integration in Africa for Africans
when blacks in South Africa are subjected to the odium of constant xenophobic
killings?
Recall that the African Union (AU) was officially
launched in July 2002 in Durban, South Africa, following a decision in
September 1999 by its predecessor, the OAU to create a new continental
organization to build on its work.
It would be recalled that the decision to re-launch
Africa’s pan-African organization was officially the outcome of a consensus by
African leaders that in order to realize Africa’s potential, there was a need
to refocus attention from the fight for decolonization and ridding the
continent of apartheid, which had been the focus of the OAU, towards increased
cooperation and integration of African states to drive Africa’s growth and
economic development.
Those who administer the website of African Union noted
that AU is 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.”
Also, the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the
Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union lay out the
aims of the AU which amongst other progressive objectives are: a) Achieve
greater unity and solidarity between African countries and their the people b)
Defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member
States; c) Accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the
continent.
Then, looking at the sub-regional body called ECOWAS,
here are the aims and objectives of ECOWAS: to promote cooperation and
integration, leading to the establishment of an economic union in West Africa
in order to raise the living standards of its peoples, and to maintain and
enhance economic stability, foster relations among Member States and contribute
to the progress and development of the African Continent; In order to achieve
the aims set out in the paragraph above, and in accordance with the relevant
provisions of this Treaty, the Community shall, by stages, ensure the
harmonization and coordination of national policies and the promotion of
integration programmes, projects and activities, particularly in food, agriculture
and natural resources, industry, transport and communications, energy, trade,
money and finance, taxation, economic reform policies, human resources,
education, information, culture, science, technology, services, health,
tourism, legal matters; the harmonization and coordination of policies for the
protection of the environment; the promotion of the establishment of joint
production enterprises; the establishment of a common market through: the
liberalization of trade by the abolition, among Member States, of customs
duties levied on imports and exports, and the abolition among Member States, of
non-tariff barriers in order to establish a free trade area at the Community
level.
These well outlined objectives are breached with
reckless abandon by those who signed this treaty. For instance, smaller
economies such as the landlocked country of Benin Republic has always been
found wanting in the area of aiding and abetting massive smuggling of goods and
services into the Nigerian economy for a long time and Benin is also the most
attractive destination for smuggled premium motor spirit stolen from Nigeria.
Benin is accused of flooding Nigeria with hundreds of thousands of agricultural
products thereby stifling the local agro-allied industry in Nigeria. To that
extent, an observer will apportion the greater blame for the weakening and
erosion of the essence of ECOWAS treaty on the attitudes of these other smaller
neighboring nation's to Nigeria. But why is Nigerian border security too weak
and why are the immigration and custom services so corrupt and why is the
Nigerian President not throwing away the corrupt and inefficient hierarchies of
the two compromised bodies who also aid and abet smuggling? As we look t the
border closure and the consequences it has brought to such other countries like
Ghana, Niger and Benin Republic, we should be mindful of the retaliatory
strikes against Nigerians doing legitimate businesses in those other nations
bearing the brunt of the total land border closure by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Now to the bigger issue of African Union vis-a-vis the xenophobic
attacks, we must note that South Africa faced a spate of boycotts
recently.
The presidents of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo
and Malawi decided not to attend the World Economic Forum on Africa hosted by
South Africa in the face of ongoing looting and burning of small businesses in
that country owned largely by African immigrants, local media reported on
Wednesday.
The chairman of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki
Mahamat has condemned the attacks, which have seen scores of people arrested in
Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria.
Reports said Zambia had also cancelled a friendly
football match with South Africa's national men's team Bafana Bafana scheduled
for March.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari instructed his
foreign affairs minister to summon South Africa's high commissioner to Nigeria
over the violence.
Some South Africans say they are retaliating against
crime committed by foreigners and the sale of illicit goods by foreign shop
owners, but political analysts say African immigrants have become scapegoats
for rising anger over joblessness and general economic woes.
In a statement recently the African Union Commission's
Faki called for "immediate steps to protect the lives of people and their
property, ensure that all perpetrators are brought to account for their acts,
and that justice be done to those who suffered economic and other losses."
"The chairperson reiterates the African Union’s
Commission continued commitment to support the South African government in
addressing the root causes that led to these despicable acts, in order to
promote peace and stability, within the framework of the African Union’s
longstanding principles of continental solidarity," his spokeswoman Ebba
Kalondo said.
There is therefore the urgent need to ensure that ECOWAS
and AU do not die premature deaths due to these shortcomings and orchestrated
violence of Xenophobia in South Africa. Even with all the inherent
weaknesses of these bodies, they still play some roles to present Africa as a
people who are working to better their environment and make the World a happy
place. There are more gains to be made keeping these bodies and consolidating
them for greater roles to reposition Africa and West Africa than let them for
now due to our failings.
*Emmanuel Onwubiko heads HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) and blogs @www.emmanuelonwubiko.com, www
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