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Africa has, for decades, been subjected to bullying by the West which up to today continues to milk the continent of its valuable natural resources. The West which used to refer to Africa as the “dark continent” has been allowed to detect terms and rules of engagement despite the fact that it is dependent on Africa’s natural resources.
We are therefore pleased to note that Africa is saying No to continued bullying by the West. The decision by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council that the bloc should not attend next week’s EU-Africa summit unless the AU is allowed to decide who should attend is highly commendable. This is a confirmation that Africa has come of age. It should be Africa that should determine the composition of its delegation and not EU.
The AU Peace and Security Council which met recently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, instructed its permanent representatives to advise their governments that the bloc was not attending the summit as long as the EU insists on imposing the African delegation. The EU barred Eritrea from attending the summit scheduled for April 2-3 but surprisingly Egypt whose AU membership was suspended because of a military coup, has been invited.
The Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) which is a full member of the AU was not invited yet Morocco which pulled out of the then Organisation of African Unity in 1984 because the bloc had accepted SADR’s membership, was invited. It is these EU double standards and disrespect of the AU that the bloc’s peace and security council is protesting against.
The AU’s peace and security council by threatening to boycott the summit, is sending a very clear message that the days of bullying the continent are over. The AU and EU must relate as equal partners that have the right to decide on their membership. What message is the EU sending by inviting suspended AU members and those that have pulled out of the bloc like Morocco to represent the continent?
It is our fervent hope that the AU will support its council’s stance that it is only Africa which must decide the composition of its delegation to the summit. Those that decide not to be AU members or are suspended by the bloc cannot be allowed to represent the continent.
This is the only way the bloc can foster discipline among member states. Africa has made it abundantly clear that it will not co-operate with any attempt to haul a sitting Head of State before the International Criminal Court and the EU and other such international groupings should respect this position.
We want to once again applaud the AU council for resisting Europe’s bullying which is largely to blame for Africa’s colonisation and the subsequent looting of its natural resources such as minerals which funded the development that Europe is boasting of today.
Africa should not just say No to bullying but should also say No to carting way of its resources in their raw form to develop Europe.
Online Reporter