By Adama Gaye*
At the end of this month, African leaders have a unique chance to provide the right leadership to the continent’s main body -The African Union Commission (AUC), and they can’t afford not to make the proper choice.
As this defining moment gets closer, African Presidents and Prime Ministers representing their countries, have the compelling duty to collectively put Africa’s interests first in selecting the new head of the Commission. Their choice will affect in no small measure the lives of all Africans. This makes it imperative for Africans to monitor the forthcoming electoral process closely -and to demand that the continent’s leaders elect the very best person to succeed the outgoing AUC Chairperson!
In selecting the new AUC Chairperson, the most important criteria should be: to enlist a candidate whose global stature is acknowledged. Africa should aim high by electing a visionary leader with great intelligence, acumen and international credibility.
The next Chairperson of the AUC should also be a world-class negotiator, having experience in leading large international and multilateral organizations, and with a solid track record of delivering for Africa.
Let us not kid ourselves. This is a very demanding job. Not one to be decided on superficial terms where experimentation, promotion of political cronyism or secondary matters are the key factors. It is about choosing someone who has been able in his or her career, to inspire and bring people together. A person endowed with the skills, experience and capability to take Africa to the next level, regionally and internationally.
The stakes are therefore very high for Africa. We must secure our place in this rapidly changing economic and political global environment. The reigning global sphere is coloured by shifting contexts where fierce competition is raging and the need to reorganize inter-State relations imperative. Our continent cannot allow itself to be unresponsive to these changes: purposefully and with firm resolution. This requires a relevant, effective and legitimate AUC that is well led and able to ensure a sound standing of Africa with other, now, more than ever before.
A first glimpse, the considerations to be made while deciding on a good choice was offered to the African citizenry on 9th December, 2016 when the first ever debate between the candidates was held. This debate allowed the public to watch the candidates together and to evaluate how they presented their cases, aired their views, and defended their resumes. The debate, though wanting in procedural execution on the part of the organisers, was an exercise which provided a platform to assess who among the candidates is best qualified to lead Africa at this critical juncture in its history. Even though all the candidates displayed a solid pedigree; the main question lingering in the minds of those who attended the debate, including mine, was whether the candidates had what it takes in all aspects, including world class recognition, to deliver the best for Africa.
Such an interrogation dictates that as Africans, we have no other option but to be objective. Notably, by setting aside any other interests and agendas – ours or others, in making this key decision. This is the call of Africa’s current leadership. The person they must choose should be able to make the difference by taking ‘Africa Rising’ from the narrative of intent to concrete and deliverable action. Missing this opportunity would put Africa on the wrong side of history -and out of its rightful place in the world affairs. It is a bargain that we cannot afford to gamble with.
This time round our leaders should not miss the opportunity. During the 27th African Union Summit, held in Kigali (Rwanda) in July, 2016, an agreement could not be reached on the two competing candidates, namely Agapito Mba Mokuy, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Botswana. After seven rounds of voting, the Heads and State and Government could not agree on suitability.
In the seventh and ultimate round of the election, 30 countries abstained – the highest number of abstentions in the history of the AUC elections. This begs the question ̶ what has changed to make these candidates acceptable since then? Recent entrants to the elections are Moussa Faki Mahamat, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chad and Dr Abdoulaye Bathily of the Republic of Senegal. Though great Africans, they both lack extensive experience acquired through managing major multilateral organizations and participating, as decision makers in global negotiations and at the highest levels.
What does Africa need? Africa needs unity, it needs integration, it needs coordination of the highest level to manage the interests of every State while ensuring that the welfare of its citizens remains guarded and uncompromised. These needs require a leader who has managed diverse national, regional and international economic, social, political and cultural interests and managed to deliver enriching outcomes for the benefit of all. Leadership is also about personality ̶ the ability to navigate complicated and complex relationships and to find reconciliation through dialogue and understanding. While the usual political leanings may threaten Africa’s chance of having a person with the right credentials heading the AUC, the Continent’s leaders must unite to elect a person who will be great for of all us and our interests and welfare.
Another factor to be taken into account is regional rotation! This is critical because East and North Africa are the only regions that can legitimately put candidates forward in the context of sovereign equality and interdependence among Member States; a fundamental value of our Union. Regional rotation should, by now, be an asset in the management of our continent. Regrettably, it is not ̶ though we can remedy that oversight.
Many wonder whether the AU belongs (or not) to the entire continent considering the feeling increasingly being harbored in various quarters where there is a strong sense that it belongs to only two regions that are unwilling to allow others to lead. This must change. In particular, if we take into account the risk for Africa to continue losing the best candidates, better suited to represent the continent globally while promoting the continental agenda. A shortsighted approach may disregard these concerns as baseless and unfounded. But even in the philosophy and values of traditional African leadership; unity and cohesion were values greatly reinforced by conscious recognition that leaders resided in all the clans and units of societal composition. Community leadership therefore was a shared duty. We must cling onto those values. They will bring us more cohesion, more integration and better and balanced leadership.
Having carefully evaluated the personal and professional profiles of all the candidates, I believe that this time, we have the right person to lead the African Union Commission: Dr. Amina Mohamed, Kenya’s Foreign Minister!
Africa discovered her talent and grasp on issues during the 9th December, 2016 debate between the candidates in Addis Ababa. She dominated the other contenders as demonstrated through her presence, gravitas, vision, and successful experience. This impressive presence was the result of her experience and expertise at the top international level, her solid achievements, global stature, preparedness, clarity of thought and solutions on major challenges to Africa. What proved it was the rousing acknowledgement, from the audience, of her sharp and structured answers to the questions put to the candidates! The public, a non-partisan audience from all countries, did not miss the point. Their applause was loud and unsolicited prompting the moderators to often intervene.
Amina Mohamed has been influential in promoting Africa’s Agenda in the multi-lateral fora and continues to be a powerful African voice, and a devoted pan Africanist determined to contribute to the African Union’s revival. While nominating her for the job, Kenya’s President, H.E Uhuru Kenyatta remarked that: “given her track record, I am confident that Dr. Amina Mohamed will serve our Continent with the requisite professionalism, intellect, skill, integrity, passion and commitment. I have no doubt that her international experience and exposure will be an invaluable asset in driving African Commission in the achievement of Africa`s immense potential.” This endorsement by her own Head of State is echoed by international accolades such as by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) who choose her as one of four UNDP Champions for the year 2016.
Let’s not mince words. Few if any, are better suited than Dr. Amina Mohamed to take on the leadership of the AUC at this demanding moment in our continent’s history. She has a clear strategic vision for Africa and has demonstrated the leadership, negotiating talent, and managerial skills that are essential to succeed in this important job.
Dr. Amina Mohamed brings extraordinary experience and distinguished service at the national and international levels. The first woman to have chaired the three most important bodies of the World Trade Organization; the Trade Policy Body, the Dispute Settlement Body and the Governing General Council of the WTO, she was also president of the Conference on Disarmament, and the first African and the first female Chairperson of the Council of the International Organization for Migration. In addition, she has served as a member of Executive Bodies and Committees at the World Health Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS.
Her most recent achievements include being the first woman to lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Kenya. She was elected President of UNCTAD 14 for the next 4 years, was the Chairperson of the historic WTO 10th Ministerial Conference which is the top decision-making body of the WTO, an organization which she brought for the first time to Africa. Doing this, against all odds, she was able to achieve a breakthrough in the global negotiations and get rid of agricultural subsidies in the rich countries that affect the ability of the African farmers to compete on a level international playing field. She engineered the TRIPS agreement to provide life-saving medicines for HIV, Malaria, TB for poor countries at affordable prices.
She also brought the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on Africa’s Development (TICAD VI) to Africa, where an additional $30 billion was committed to Africa by the Prime Minister of Japan in Nairobi.
At the National level, she has also inscribed the mark of her capabilities considering the role she played in 2008-2011 at the height of Kenya’s legal, institutional and constitutional review process.
In 2010, Ambassador Mohamed was elected President of the United Nations International Conference on Transnational Crime in Vienna, Austria for a two year period. In 2011, she was appointed by the UN Secretary General as United Nations Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). During her tenure UNEP was upgraded from a 58 member Governing Body to the Universal Environment Assembly, encompassing all members of the United Nations.
Above all, anyone who paid attention to her current AUC campaign, as I have done, would easily agree that she has a clear compass – on where the continent should head. Amina is not a confrontational person. She has taken into account decisions previously made by the Conference of Heads of State and has internalised the roadmap already consensually adopted as Africa’s development guide: Agenda 2063. This is obvious in her addresses in various forums, accessible publicly on her campaign website (www.aminamohamed.com).
It is clear that she is aware of the continent’s most pressing issues and the opportunities, existing or necessary to fix them. As a result, her punch lines include the role of the youth in steering and shaping Africa’s destiny, the continental infrastructural needs, free movement of people, goods, services and capital, fully engaging and including women in Africa’s economic processes, to name but a few.
The question therefore is not whether she will serve our continent properly if elected; the question is whether our Heads of State and Governments will acknowledge her tested and verified capacity to lead this continent. The question is not whether she can; the decisive answer is that she will.
Having travelled across Africa and interacted with its leaders and people from Senegal to Chad, from Namibia to Nigeria, from Morocco to Algeria, from Sudan to South Africa, and many other places, I am sure that in her, the continent has the consummate diplomat who can midwife its lofty and ambitious goals, in order to claim the deals and aspirations of the 21st century. She understands Africa’s huge potential, unreservedly believes in the continent and its relevance in the world ̶ from peace to economic prosperity to geopolitical realignment.
After all here is a candidate who could have competed successfully to become the next United Nations Secretary General when the world was looking for a woman to take up that job. But her African appeal, commitment and calling made her stick to what she is passionate about – reinventing Africa with a powerful, home-grown narrative.
The reasons indeed abound to endorse her for the job. I do!
*Adama Gaye, is a Senegalese writer who has just published the book: ‘Tomorrow, The New Africa!,’ Editions L’harmattan Paris. Mr. Gaye is one of the most renown African Analysts and has occupied key positions in African political, intellectual and economic sectors.