An exploration of Pan-Africanism: what is it, why is it relevant, and why do we need it ?
Alexandra Odiete and Bersabeh Eskinder Abdi
Alexandra: Set the scene, freshers week poster sale, Bersabeh walks in, she seems friendly and she’s wearing her Afro – she must be cool. I compliment her, we start talking. It’s going really well till I casually mentioned how I thought Ethiopia was in North Africa. I have no excuse except that I’m Nigerian, and ‘we don’t really know what goes on anywhere else.’ You might think this is just me in my American era (being geographically unaware) and while I might be (I am), a lot of Africans, both within the continent and those in the diaspora don’t have much knowledge about the countries that make up the continent.
The idea of a united Africa is just that, an idea. Of course we share several things: similar sounds, fabrics, belief systems, even inside jokes (give a Ghanaian an egg today) but that’s about it. We don’t share political systems or have free movement (as seen via: visa requirements, horrendous flight prices, lack of alternative accessible travel ways). Notably, we also don’t share a currency – evidently the AU is no EU. We do share a crucial thing though, a colonised past (with Ethiopia an exception). This history of colonialism makes us believe that we are way more unified than we actually are.
Following the ‘scramble for Africa’ in the 1884 Berlin conference, not only were we divided for exploitation, we were also divided from each other. We were split up and stripped of our traditions and customs and European customs were imposed instead. We adopted European languages, government systems, religions and ideologies. To this day, these European ideals are embedded in our systems, often placed above our traditional ones.
Enter Neo-colonialism. A term first coined by Kwame Nkrumah, first president of independent Ghana, is the idea that imperial powers continue to hold control over African countries post-independence; “aid” being the main application. Ever wondered what exactly happened to the billions of pounds donated to struggling African nations? yeah me too …
A “revolving credit”, given not as an act of benevolence but rather a means of control, “aids” are massive loans that are repaid to neo-colonialist masters (the west) with crazy high interest rates and even worse “conditions.” Conditions that allow interference in the economies, contribute to the continued impoverishment of the citizens, and ultimately prevent the actualization of a pan africanist continent.
Enter pan-Africanism. Defined by the African Union as ‘an ideology and movement that encourages the solidarity of Africans worldwide.’ The ideology asserts that the fates of all African people and countries are intertwined. At its core, pan-africanism is a belief that African people both on the continent and in the diaspora share not merely a common history, but a common destiny.’ To actualize this vision the OAU (now the AU) was created. Unfortunately, it eventually crumbled due to an inability of various afro-nations to see eye to eye on what type of unity was to be achieved, though a compromise was reached it consequently did not allow for the actualization of the ideal vision of pan-africanism.
Thankfully, a massive shift is happening in the continent: The Alliance of the Sahel States. Formed by a collective of ECOWAS-frustrated west african countries (Niger, Mali, & Burkina Faso), The Alliance of the Sahel States functions to do what the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was originally established to do: create a framework for economic cooperation and socio cultural exchanges with a view to the eventual unity of west african states. ECOWAS continues to fail these countries for various reasons. The critiques from previous members being: ineffectiveness in addressing insurgency in the region, economic marginalisation, and deviating ‘from the ideals of its founding fathers of Pan Africanism’, with perceived French and Western influence in their decision making.
This signifies that all hope is not lost. African countries are waking up to the realities of neocolonialism, as seen through the abandonment of French as an official language in Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal with the promotion of indigenous languages. The replacement of foreign-influenced school uniforms with traditional fabric (Faso Dan Fani) in Burkina Faso, and the con-current abandonment of colonial influence with the push for independence in Chad and Senegal.
The Sahel alliance has reopened conversations about pan africanism and its implementation. Its existence, the beginning of the attainment of the pan africanist vision, shows us that despite the long and rigorous road ahead there is much that can be done.
Bersabeh: Pan-Africanism as a movement calls for the unity of the continent, the cultures and most importantly the people. From fraudulent “elections” to uncalled police brutality, and the silencing of any form of rebellion – pan-africanism is not just ‘ideal’ for Africa, it is essential. Our differences should not act as a divide but rather a testament to the beauty and diversity of our continent allowing us to come together to grow, learn from and appreciate one another.
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