To regain legitimacy, African Union must cut imperialist ties and put Africans first

04 March, 2025 06:21

The 38th African Union Summit held recently in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, saw the attendance of top African leaders, heads of state, industry stakeholders, and investors.

This year’s theme was “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations.”

Discussions at the high-profile summit included the issue of land restitution and how the African bloc should help Africans reclaim lands that were stolen and usurped by European settlers, as well as assisting Africans in the diaspora in seeking repatriation.

However, the problem is that the African Union has abandoned Zimbabwe, an African country attempting to do just that. Zimbabwe’s land reform program began in earnest in the early 2000s under then-President Robert Mugabe.

The initiative aimed to correct the colonial-era land distribution system, in which a small percentage of the population, primarily white settlers, who were the minority, owned the majority of arable land.

The program was deemed controversial, but primarily by white settlers and their supporters. To the contrary, it was widely supported by the vast majority of indigenous people worldwide.

The issue with land restitution is that the descendants of settlers who invaded, killed, and stole now control 85 percent of all viable farmland in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, and several other African nations.

According to a 2017 report by the South African government, over 72 percent of privately owned farmland in South Africa alone is owned by white people.

If Zimbabwe’s land reform policy had succeeded, it would have triggered a chain reaction affecting not just Africa and Africans but the entire Global South, where indigenous lands remain under the control of colonial-era oppressive elites.

Given that the West has made its intentions clear regarding control over water resources, food production, and distribution, it becomes evident that land must never return to indigenous people.

So it is no surprise that a Western coalition, led by the US and the UK, launched a campaign of disinformation, sanctions, and economic and international pressure against Zimbabwe. The country’s economy suffered immensely, and its currency has yet to recover its lost value.

This was precisely where the African Union, an organization established to protect its member states, should have demonstrated its strength and asserted the power it derives from people.

The bloc should have stood by Zimbabwe, revised the land bill where necessary, provided recommendations, and, most importantly, offered political support, international protection, and economic incentives.

However, the opposite happened. The union, under direct pressure from the US, France, and the UK, abandoned Zimbabwe to its fate.

Another major issue discussed at this year’s summit was peace and security. The meeting aimed to address ongoing conflicts, including escalating crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR), Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger, Mozambique, Senegal, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Libya.

A striking and well-known fact is that all these countries are rich in natural resources, resources highly sought after by developed nations, in other words, the Western world.

The DRC, for instance, is rich in minerals like cobalt and coltan, which are essential for modern electronics. Many Western corporations, including Tesla, Apple, Alphabet Inc. (Google’s parent company), Dell, and Microsoft, have all contributed to the destabilization of the Congo.

Backed by their governments, these companies have played direct roles in fostering conflicts in many resource-rich African nations, including the Congo.

A decade ago, such accusations were dismissed as conspiracy theories. Today, the evidence is so widespread that even TikTok is filled with discussions on the subject.

The question, then, is: Why is the African Union, an organization created to address these very issues, not taking action? From NATO’s invasion of Libya to the US-led partition of Sudan and the now-exposed role of USAID in the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, these events are no longer hidden but well-documented facts.

Yet, no mention of these factors was made during the recent AU Security Summit.

As of the latest data, approximately 3 percent of Africa’s total population is forcibly displaced due to conflict. This includes internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and asylum seekers.

Africa now hosts more than 48 percent of the world’s IDPs. Globally, an estimated 14 percent of the world’s population was exposed to conflict in 2023, meaning a significant portion of those affected live in Africa.

To put things in perspective, Africa has a larger share and absolute number of forcibly displaced people than any other major region in the world.

As of the end of 2023, Africa hosts approximately 35 million IDPs, nearly half of the global total. Most of these displacements are caused by conflict and violence, though disasters such as floods and droughts have also played a significant role.

To understand why the AU remains ineffective at best and incompetent at worst in tackling the critical issues it was created to address, we must examine its funding sources.

As the popular saying goes, “He who pays the piper calls the tune.” The AU relies heavily on international donors to carry out many of its fundamental and essential tasks. Some of these donors are well-known nations, while others are corporations that chose anonymity.

The AU also depends heavily on Western think tanks and companies for data collection and investigations, information that ultimately shapes its policymaking.

This reliance has led many Africans to question why the AU does not prioritize African think tanks. Why not give greater importance to research, reports, and data produced by African academics and investigators?

Why should reports from individuals who have never even lived among Africans be considered more credible than those conducted by African experts?

These unanswered questions have contributed to the AU’s declining popularity and relevance, with many predicting that if significant changes are not made soon, the organization may face complete collapse. The exact timeline remains uncertain, but what is clear is that the 38th AU Summit once again highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by the African Union.

The AU’s continued failure to promote peace, security, and economic development underscores its struggle to fulfill its responsibilities and maintain relevance.

If the AU wishes to reclaim its legitimacy and credibility in the eyes of Africans, it must sever the visible and invisible ties with imperialism. It must focus on strengthening its internal structures, promoting African-led solutions, and ensuring that its efforts yield tangible benefits for ordinary Africans.

This essentially includes prioritizing African-led initiatives and businesses while fostering internal African trade and cooperation.

Additionally, African nations must promote cultural exchange programs to deepen understanding and appreciation of each other’s traditions and values.

The AU must also sponsor continent-wide programs aimed at forging a strong, united African identity, including among Africans in the diaspora. This will help counteract propaganda that has historically fostered division, enmity, and harmful stereotypes, leading to conflicts and even wars.

The bloc must find ways to self-finance its projects, eliminating its dependency on foreign and anonymous donors. Reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, responsible for delays and even cancellations of key initiatives, is essential.

Moreover, the AU must actively involve African youth at both secondary and tertiary education levels. This will not only rebuild its credibility among the people but also foster a sense of ownership and innovation, ultimately steering the continent from a land of unfulfilled dreams to one where its people live with dignity and honor.

 

9:26 AM March 26, 2026
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