Africa needs transformational leaders — Chambas
The United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) Joint Special Envoy to Darfur, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, says Africa requires transformational leaders to address the key challenges facing the populace.
He called on African leaders to end the phenomenon of quickly coming out with projects but failing to execute or implement those projects.
Alumni lecture
Speaking on “Governance and Leadership” at the 2013 University of Ghana Alumni Lecture in Accra last Thursday, Dr Chambas, a former President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, said until recently, the African continent was considered a basket case.
“Wars, violent conflicts and famine engendered by oppressive governments were the popular image of our united continent. This was especially so in the case of West Africa,” he said.
“Our neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire also went into its own cycle of civil war, while Guinea Bissau, Guinea and Mali have undergone varied degrees of tension and instability,” he added.
Dr Ibn Chambas noted that while most of the conflicts were fuelled by the struggle for natural resources, they also had much to do with poverty and structural violence occasioned by horizontal, as well as vertical inequalities.
“Above all, it had to do with the absence of good political and economic governance and the absence of the minimum requisite of the rule of law and civil institutions needed to sustain economic development, democracy and social justice,” he said.
Dr Chambas was, however, optimistic that a new Africa was emerging, where people respected freedom, justice, democracy and the rule of law.
He lauded the South African region for making progress in consolidating governance norms and institutions.
West Africa
On West Africa, Dr Chambas said the ECOWAS Commission had articulated some intrusive norms and put in place mechanisms such as the additional protocol on democracy and good governance, which predates those of the African Union (AU), to improve governance among its members.
“Thanks to these initiatives, the image of West Africa is also gradually changing from a hotbed of conflicts and coups to one in the region that is seen as a role of increasing freedom, stability, wide democratic space and prosperity.”
Coups
Dr Chambas stated that although ECOWAS, under his watch, took bold steps to overturn several military coups, suspended several members who failed to conform to constituted norms and continued to deploy election monitors, while continuing to intervene in political disputes, the sub-regional body had lowered the bar in its treatment of coups in Mali and Guinea Bissau in 2012.
“In 2005 in Togo, ECOWAS, in partnership with the African Union, overturned the attempted unconstitutional transition in that country following the death of President Gnassingbe Eyadema. We also enforced an arms embargo on Liberia and, subsequently, forced Charles Taylor out of government in 2003.
“Guinea and Niger were suspended from the regional community until those nations were able to effect the return to constitutional governance.
“But I must admit that ECOWAS seems to have lowered the bar in its treatment of coups in Mali and Guinea Bissau in 2012, resulting in a regrettable and virtuous opposition between ECOWAS and Guinea,” the former ECOWAS Commission President said.
By Edmund Smith-Asante/Daily Graphic/Ghana