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“Sub-Saharan Africa needs a union beyond the AU”
African heads of state and governments must push for the establishment of a union of Black African countries beyond their membership in the African Union, historian and African writer Boni N’Piénikoua Teiga has said.
According to him, this will provide a platform for direct discussions and strategizing by these leaders for the salvation of the continent post-colonialism.
Teiga further notes that such a Union is needed to bring together all Black African heads of state to dialogue among other things, how Africa’s history can be restored by retrieving its lost historical items and seeking reparation where necessary from former colonial powers.
“I take this opportunity to once again call on our heads of state and government for a Union of Black African countries beyond their membership in the African Union. The salvation of Black Africa and its struggles for its people is at this price. I will tell you the truth, in any case, it is my opinion, and I keep saying it: as long as the Countries of Black Africa do not have a Union, League, or Community – it does not matter how they do it. call – they will never succeed in this fight.
“And afterwards, we can talk about what is reparable or not, or how to repair the wrongs that Black Africa has suffered. And above all how Black Africa should do so that this never happens again,” he told GSW’s Wonder Hagan.
Teiga also highlighted the need for African countries to demand reparation for artefacts that were looted by some European and Arabian countries during the colonial era in the 19th century.
Citing comments by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Benin President Nicéphore Soglo, the historian noted that African leaders need to demand reparations from the West for the damages their respective countries have suffered even centuries after colonialism.
“The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, is absolutely right. We need to talk about reparations with the West for many things. But not only with the former colonizing countries of Europe. We must do the same thing with Arab countries because the Arabs are the first to enslave black people. There was never any repair. Worse, there was never even an apology.
“I must say that before President Nana Akufo-Addo, I remember that many others like the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, and his friend and brother the former President of Benin, Nicéphore Soglo, had spoken about it,” he noted.
The African Union is an alliance of African countries consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999) with the objective of dealing with the negative effects of colonisation and apartheid on the continent to promote unity and solidarity amongst African States among other things.
