Mr. Jones & G-L Community:

I have read with great interest many of the brilliant postings,
(including your own) on the  subject regarding the need for both
continental and regional unity. The rationale for such schemes and
reservations raised have been compelling.  My concern however, is closer
to home. That is, Gambia's relation to its larger neighbor, Senegal.
Should Gambia become part of Senegal? Should we resolve this enduring
political and geographic oddity or leave it as it is? How tenable is the
current situation?  Would the use of force to integrate Gambia into
Senegal justifiable? I did like to know what you all think?  Thanks.

Abdoulaye

"B.M.Jones" wrote:
>
> L ers
>
> I am doing some research on this topic and permit me to
> share with you some issues concerning the
> political and economic integration of African countries
> that has resurfaced recently at the OAU Heads of State
> meeting in Libya. The idea was first put across in 1991 in
> ABUJA in what became known as the Lagos Plan of Action
> (LPA) calling for an African Economic Union (AEU).
>
> Why the need for economic integration in Africa?.
>
> In the numerous small nation states of Africa emerging from
> colonial rule in the 1960, an urgent need was felt for
> collective economic self reliance and security as an
> integral part of their overt political efforts at nation
> building and in order to promote economic development and
> political stability. Early efforts to establish regional
> economic arrangements were motivated by the expectation that
> they could serve as one of the key vehicles for achieving
> the shared aspirations of African countries for rapid
> economic growth and development.
>
> In its broadest sense, regional integration fits more
> closely the approach to development called collective self
> reliance. This approach involves cooperation among
> African countries in order to attain fundamental
> redistribution of World production, control over the
> production and allocation of their surplus and the power to
> make their own decisions on matters affecting their own
> societies without outside influence.It also includes the
> strengthening of trade relations among them (intra African
> trade), the reorientation of development efforts towards the
> satisfaction of basic needs for the whole population in
> their development effort. Placing AEU in the context of
> collective self reliance provides a perspective whereby it
> can be appreciated as one among, and along with, other
> strategies devised and adopted in the struggle to overcome
> underdevelopment.
>
> Given the small nation states of African countries,
> clearly suggested regional economic integration as a means
> of ensuring larger markets which would allow the benefits
> of greater specialization and external economies of scale
> to be realized. Note that i am delibrately and consciously
> not mentioning a united states of Africa with a single
> president and the works, which is something that at the best
> of time is not feasible.  What is needed in Africa is some
> form of political and economic cooperation and policy
> coordination.
>
> The idea of an African economic union is  to strengthen
> economic and political relations among African states and
> increase intra African trade and collective self reliance.
> For any form of economic and political cooperation to be
> effective needs the POLITICAL WILL of our leaders. We all
> know that a number of political issues have affected the
> progress in strengthening economic relations among African
> countries. Every leader wants to safeguard his our small
> kingdom. For there to be an African union, countries have
> to surrender some national sovereignty to take advantage
> of regional integration.
>
> It is perhaps a truism to state that there is a constant
> interaction between political and economic variables in
> regional and international relations. Economic cooperation
> and non cooperation does yield political ramifications in
> as much as political cooperation or non cooperation could
> have consequential economic implications. In Africa, the
> lack of political commitment by governments can hinder
> progress on this front.
>
> An African economic union is for the African people, yet
> popular participation of the masses in every sphere of
> development is low.  African unity cannot succeed without
> the active participation of the people. Thus, it is
> advisable to sensitize the people on the economic
> integration process in order to elicit their participation
> and support towards the realization of this noble
> objective.
>
> We have to remind ourselves that the world is moving into
> regional trading blocks and African should not be left
> lagging behind. Now is the opportune time and thankfully
> the Economic Commission for African and the Organization for
> African Unity is pressing the issue at the dawn of a new
> millennium. I am an optimist and believe that the level of
> economic cooperation in Africa can be enhanced. It can
> contribute immensely to economic development and political
> stability of the region as well as increasing the
> bargaining position of Africa in multilateral forums. I
> support all those who call for closer economic and
> political ties and exchanges among African countries.
> Africa have suffered enough from external sources and our
> own self inflicted problems. It is time for a change in the
> existing pattern of underdevelopment.
>
> As bro.. Katim would say , this is my buray ak butut
> contribution to the discussion.
>
> cheers
> Basil
>
> ----------------------
> B.M.Jones
> [log in to unmask]
>
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