Funding,securityandapan-Africanpassportcomeunderthespotlightatthe27thAUSummit
ByBobWekesa
Fromthefirstsession,itwasevidentthatthe
27thAfricanUnion(AU)SummitconvenedinKigali,RwandafromJuly10-18wasdifferent.Forstarters,asshewelcomedtheAfricanleaders,AUCommissionChairpersonNkosazanaDlamini-Zumawassimultaneouslybeingbidfarewellwithaseriesofrecognitionawardsforherfour-yearstint.Thus,thesummitwasundergirdedbythecampaignsforthetoppostthatusuallymarkleadershiptransitions.
NewAfricanpassport
Dlamini-Zumasaid,鈥淚nouryearsofservicetotheAUmemberstates,weworkedtirelesslytoensurethatweleaveinstitutionsmoreeffectivethanwefoundthem.鈥漁neofherfinalactswastosymbolicallyhandoverapan-Africanelectronicpassporttoboththehost,RwandanPresidentPaulKagame,andChadianPresidentIdrissDeby,whoisalsotheAUchairperson.
Intheinterestsofintegration,theAUhaspressedaheadwithitse-passport,settorevolutionizemovementacrossthecontinent.Thee-passport,toberolledouttoallAfricanswithinthreeyears,isultimatelyexpectedtoallowvisa-freeaccesstoall54AUmemberstatesandalsofacilitatethemovementofgoodsandservices.
Itsetsthecontinentonanintegrationpath,encouragingandfacilitatingintra-Africamovementandwithit,increasedintra-Africatradethatwillgoalongwaytoboostingsocio-economicdevelopment.AcommonpassportandacommontradingmarkethavelongbeenafocalpointoftheAU鈥檚developmentblueprintAgenda2063.
Whatremainstobeseenistheacceptabilityofthee-passportasatraveldocumentacrossthecontinentaswellasitsimplementation,whichcouldbeacomplextask,givenissueslikethelargenumberofstatelessAfricans.
Securityconcerns
AnotherurgentmatterthatmadeittothesummitagendawastheoutbreakofviolenceinSouthSudan,threateningareversiontocivilwarlessthanthreemonthsaftertheestablishmentofanationalunitygovernmentthatbroughttogetherPresidentSalvaKiirandhisantagonist,FirstVicePresidentRiekMachar.
TheIntergovernmentalAuthorityonDevelopment(IGAD)hasbeenmandatedtoinitiateapeacefulresolutiontotherecentturnofevents,inwhichover300peoplehavedied.InseekingwaystoaddresstheSouthSudanproblem,theAUandIGADwilllikelylistentothevoicesofcountriessuchasChina,whichhavenotonlypeacekeepingforcesonthegroundbuthavealsoplayedaleadingroleinbringingthecombatantstothenegotiatingtable.
AnyAUsummitislikeaconferencewithminiconferencesunderoneroof.FromtheendorsementofAIDSWatchAfrica,aninitiativeaimedateradicatingAIDS,tuberculosisandmalariaby2030,todiscussingthelaunchofafreetradezoneinAfricaandtheAU鈥檚thematicfocusonhumanrights,manydecisionswerereached.
OneofthosedecisionswasadoptinganewblueprinttoeliminatethescourgeofmalariaacrossAfricaby2030.TheAfricanLeadersMalariaAlliancesaidmortalityratesinAfricahavefallenby66percentamongallagegroupssince2000andby71percentamongchildrenunderfiveyears.However,malariastillremainstheprimarycauseofmorbidityandchilddeathsonthecontinent.
Creativefunding
TheAUisbeginningtonotjustmakepromisesbuttokeeppromises.EnhancinginternalAfricanfinancingofAfricanprojectswas,forinstance,amajorpointofstrategizing.ThismovetowardmeetingAfricanbudgetaryneedsfromhomegrownsourcesstandsincontrasttothecontinent鈥檚over-relianceonexternalfunding.
Futurefundingwillbegeneratedfromanapprovedlevyonalleligiblegoodsatarateof0.2percent.RwandanFinanceMinisterClaverGatetesaidthiswillmeanrevenueof$1.2billionannuallyfortheAUcoffers,almostthreetimesthepreviousbudgetallocationfor2015-16.
ThenewfinancingstrategyispromptedbythefactthathalfthetimetheAUisshortoffunds.WhendecidingoninternalfinancialsourcesforAfricanprojectsandprograms,especiallypeaceandsecuritywithAfricanconflictsescalatingoutofcontrol,Africancountrieshavetoawaitsupportfromexternaldonors.
The27thAUSummitinKigali,Rwanda
RwandanPresidentPaulKagame(left)andAUChairpersonandChadianPresidentIdrissDebyshowtheirpan-AfricanpassportsIfthestrategyisimplemented,theycanpoolresourcesinternallytofinanceinitiativessuchasstandbypeacekeepingmissionsthatcanbedeployedtoconflictflashpointslikeSomaliaandSouthSudan.Theincreasedbudgetwillfund25percentofAfrica鈥檚peacemissionsand75percentofotherAUprograms,Gatetesaid.
Industrializationpush
Amajorcross-cuttingissuewasindustrialization.BasedonresearchandapolicydrivebytheNewPartnershipforAfrica鈥檚Development,theAUthinktank,AUleadersmadefreshcommitmentsfor鈥渃ollaborationinpromotingindustrializationonthecontinent.鈥滱fricahastherequisitefactorsthatcanpropelitintoaglobalindustrialhub,notablymineralresourcesasawellasayoungpopulationthatisbothalaborforceandamarketforfinishedproducts.
TheindustrializationdriveisamajorcomponentofAgenda2063.SenegalesePresidentMackySallspokeaboututilizingAfrica鈥檚richnaturalandhumanresourcesaswellastappingtechnologicaladvancementstoenhancethecontinent鈥檚development.
TheelevationofindustrializationinthemasterplanfitsinwellwithChina-Africaengagements.TheessenceofChina鈥檚involvementinAfrica鈥檚industrializationistheForumonChina-AfricaCooperation(FOCAC)ActionPlan.AttheFOCACSummitinJohannesburglastyear,theChina-Africapartnershipelevatedindustrialization,withChinapledgingtosupportAfricainvarioustechnologicalandfinancialwaystobuildupthecontinent鈥檚industrializationcapacity.
Thesummitclosedwiththeheadsofstateissuingajointstatementinlinewiththetheme,2016:AfricanYearofHumanRightswithParticularFocusontheRightsofWomen.Itrecommendedrespectforhumanrights,encouraginggenderequality,promotingfemaleempowerment,andpursuingsustainabledevelopment.CA
(TheauthorisapostdoctoralfellowattheUniversityoftheWitwatersrand,Johannesburg)