AU Deputy Chair Raises Alarm: Africa’s Existence Is on the Brink of Annihilation

African Union Commission (AU) Deputy Chairperson, Kwesi Quartey, has raised an alarm that the future and existence of Africa as a continent is on the brink of annihilation, if remedial measures are not taken.

“We have an advancing globalised world and Africa is being left behind with children seeking to cross the Sahara Desert on foot, swimming across the Mediterranean Sea and drowning in an attempt to reach paradise Europe that doesn’t want them.”

The Ghanaian born Quartey sounded the alarm bell on Tuesday, August 22, 2017, in Yaounde, Cameroon, while opening the Pan African Parliament (PAP) Conference on behalf of the AU Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat.

According the AU Deputy Chair, Africa is regarded derogatorily by many Europeans and Americans.

“That is why the Belgian King, Leopold II, even considered the continent as a piece of cake that should be shared and eaten. Former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, said “Africa has not contributed much to the history and culture of world civilisation.

 “What we are saying today is that Africa needs to be educated economically, socially and politically. The continent has all the wealth and what we have to do is to educate the young people, for Africa to develop in science and technology, mechanised agriculture, trade, industrialisation…The key to our progress is complete and total education of all African children,” he declared.

To him, despite the progress made since independence and the adoption of continental vision 2063 agenda, he admitted that the AU is still some distance away from creating the Africa that every African wants to see.

He said the AU vision 2063 includes: a prosperous Africa based on an inclusive growth and sustainable development; an integrated continent, politically united and based on the ideas of Pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa’s renaissance; an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law among others.

Meanwhile, PAP President, Cameroonian- born Roger Nkodo Dang, said the presence of members of the continental parliament in Yaounde to brainstorm and debate on the “political and socio-economic integration of the African Continent…” is their own contribution towards the total unity of Africa.

According to him, the effective integration of Africa must pass through sustainable exploitation and rational use of its natural resources.

Cameroon’s President at the conference was represented by Senate President, Marcel Niat Njifenji.