Comments on issues raised by BBC WHYS

Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi has described the African Union as a failure and vowed to press ahead with plans for a single African government .

It’s hard to imagine the African continent turning into a pan-African state. There are many difficulties in the way for this. Many veteran African leaders will find it difficult to step down like Omar Bongo of Gabon and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. African states have different agendas as they have different alliances outside the African continent. Up to now they failed to unite regionally, let alone continentally. African unity has been a dream for decades and it is likely to remain so. African union needs democratic basis, which is lacking in many African countries. Sooner or later, differences will emerge on how to conduct internal and external policies. Small states like Benin will be just swallowed or marginalised by big states like Nigeria. Countries doing well won’t seek to be embroiled with the difficulties of other countries.

African countries can’t now become federal states. They still have a long way to go before we see them with a common policy that can enable them to have a common government.

It’s rather ironic to see the African Union cherishing the idea of a pan-African state while they have among them the Algeria-backed Polisario front ( in conflict with Morocco since 1975) years seeking to form a state in the Western Sahara. They should first convince it to accept the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco for this territory to ease an effective Arab Maghreb Union.

The EU wasn’t made of its current members from the start. At first there were just three countries which formed the Benelux. That expands through 50 years to be made of 27 states. Perhaps African countries should be successful at regional integration with realistic aims before they dream of becoming one super state. Without peace in the whole of Africa and without putting an end to the current conflicts, especially in Sudan, Chad and DR Congo, the idea of a pan-African state will remain a joke among the African ordinary people, let alone political experts who can draw tens of examples of why the idea for pan-African state should be shelved before the majority of African countries should clean their houses before inviting their neighbours in and or getting into theirs.

Listen to part of the conversation on Africa have Your Say

Tony Blair will be in the spotlight after his resignation. Through his experience in politics for a decade, he must be a good asset for many circles. As for a possible job as a peace envoy in the Middle East, he can be fit at least for pathfinding missions. He must know the ins-and outs of the situation there.

Historically, Britain is one of the rare countries that have more knowledge about the Middle East than any other does. He’s been just fresh from his office as PM, he can have good contacts with the movers and shakers in Middle East policies. This can be of good help to the UK Foreign Office, as it will have another foreign secretary in disguise, focussing on a very turbulent region, which in fact must take a large proportion of the Foreign Office agenda.

However, success isn’t guaranteed. Different politicians who made the Middle East their priorities failed, including Bill Clinton during his presidency. It’s common that in the Middle-East you can get just signed agreements. On the ground, reality changes everything. So his slogan must be, “Never get tired of going to square one.” He must draw on British cold blood to continue his job without quickly getting in the bloody moods that are prevalent in the Middle East.

Another point is that the ground on which Tony Blair is going to work isn’t laid with roses. The situation in the Middle East is very intricate. If it was impossible for him to broker a solution when he was in power, how can he succeed when he’s simply an envoy. He can succeed in coordinating views if the conflicting parties first agree on a peaceful solution.

On my part, to commemorate, Tony Blair’s ten years in office, I will re-watch the “Queen”. It starts in when he took office and it ends with the stroll he took with the Queen. Tomorrow he will have a stroll with her wile the corgis are leaping around. One thing the Queen will be pleased about is that Gordon Brown’s wife, Sarah Macaulay– pigeon-natured, isn’t suspected of being republican, unlike the cat-looking Cherrie Booth , Blair’s wife!

Listen to part of the conversation on BBC WHYS broadcast on June 26th, 2007