Editorial

It is now a little over four decades since the the noble idea of African unity has been initiated. Our forbearers who built independent states, realised that as long as the continent remains balkanised, it is impossible to meet the needs and aspirations of the people, as non of the independent sovereign states has the economic base, expertise and manpower to compete the production of the so called developed west. Since then, Africa remains far from unity; the continent remains hunted by the old fashioned divide and rule tactics of colonialism.

Interestingly, Africa has become a continent of paradoxes; it is rich in mineral content but home to the poorest people on earth, centrally located but pushed to the peripheries in terms of development. It is characterised by high population growth, underdevelopment, war, hunger and insecurity as   the daily realities of life in some of our countries. This stark reality in the continent has made it  a necessity that the continent must unite.

It is therefore high time that African leaders learn from the teachings of their counterparts like President Jammeh and Brother Ghadddafi so that Africa can take ownership of what belongs to her and carve a new way to growth and progress. The devotion of these two leaders, President Jammeh in particular to Pan- Africanism cannot be over emphasised. President Jammeh's initiative for Africans to develop their own indigenous resources and cement closer economic ties among themselves needs much attention from African leaders. Development must come from within and supported from outside. Africa can hardly make head way in development if we continue to depend on foreign assistance that often results into interference in our organisational structure.

The African continent has a huge potential; there is vast arable land for agricultural production, economic growth potentials are opening, and there is the conducive environment to learn a trade just to mention a few. The wish of the likes of President Jammeh is for Africans particularly the youth to make maximum utilisation of these and many other opportunities at their disposal, so that collectively we can produce a  peaceful and prosperous Africa. This will undoubtedly put an end to the illegal voyage of our people to Europe via the perilous seas, and all these unnecessary wars. This will lead us to a decisive victory against poverty, hunger and underdevelopment.

At the AU Special Summit held in Libya, we hope that our leaders took time to consider the visionary and dynamic initiatives of the likes of Brother Ghaddafi and President Jammeh. Our leaders have to realise that on their shoulders, lie the hopes of the people of Africa. Leading us to unity particularly at this most crucial time will be a victory for humanity.