The African Union Coup D’état

There are some diplomatic backdoor dealings to usurp the position of the Chairmanship of the African Union at its annual meeting in Ethiopia this week. As already agreed by African leaders, the position of chairman of the African Union rotates every year on a regional basis. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi who has been Chairman of the African Union for the past year is expected to hand over to a new Chairman representing Southern Africa. However, Tunisia is seriously backing a proposal to extend the chairmanship of Gaddafi for one more year. This smells like a coup d’état in the continental body. Oh ho Africa! Everybody knows about Africa’s penchant for coup d’états and instituting one party states. And in recent times, changing constitutional two term limits to allow for third terms. But at least their undemocratic practices have been limited to their individual countries. How will anybody take them serious when they cannot even adhere to simple rules they have agreed on for their continental body.
Gaddafi’s controversiality aside, there is absolutely no justification for extending the chairman ship of Libya especially when the Southern Africans have already agreed among themselves to elect the Malawian president as their representative to chair the African Union. According to Libya’s foreign minister in Addis Ababa, Libya's vision for a "United States of Africa" (USA) needs more time and energy to be completed. Other analysts are saying Libya is one of the continent's heavyweights and is one of member countries that bear the financial burden of contributions to the AU. How nice! We have heard all these before. These reasons are very familiar refrain African leaders use to justify their undemocratic practices – ‘we need more time to implement our good policies’, ‘the country has prospered under my leadership so I need a third term to make things even better’. As if they cannot contribute to the development of their countries if they are not presidents. After over 50 years of justifications for their undemocratic practices, the economy of Africa is nothing to write home about. It is good that Mozambique and Malawi have registered their protests to this coup d’état at the African Union. Libya can still implement it vision of a ‘A United States of Africa’ as well as continue it financial support of the African Union without still being president. In any case it is inconceivable that Libya will be able to make any meaningful headway in it USA plan even if they are given the chairmanship for 5 years. After all the USA idea was conceived in the 1960s and yet there has not been any signs pointing to any kind of USA in the near future in Africa.