Africa Dialogue Monograph Series - latest Issue

Extracted from text ... 7 Introduction Hussein Solomon 1 We live in dynamic and turbulent times and the African continent is possibly the archetypal example of the world as we stand at the threshold of a new millennium. From the Atlantic to Indian Oceans, from the Mediterranean Sea to Cape Point, lies Africa, a continent fecund with contradictions and change. The ambiguity that is Africa confounds both proponents of an African Renaissance and its sceptics. Consider the following: as coup-ridden Nigeria returns to democratic civilian rule under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo, the government of President Vieira of Guinea Bissau is toppled by the men in uniform; as civil war rages on in Angola and ..

Africa is on the move. From Mali to Uganda to South Africa, hope and real success are transforming the continent. A new spirit of social and economic progress has energised much of the region. Gradually the rest of the world is beginning to take notice of Africa. These are the words of Callisto Madavo and Jean-Louis Sarib, vice presidents, Africa Region of the World Bank from a 1997 paper A New Africa is Generating Success and Hope. K. Y. Amoako, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, notes that the ... vision of an African Renaissance is not a mirage. Tangible and encouraging progress has been made by many countries in reforming their economies, and in putting in place the right policies and structures to ensure equitable growth and reduce poverty. However, although Africa is on the move and hopes are high for the remergence from decades of stagnation and crisis, the challenges remain vast. This paper, first, highlights some of these challenges and the need for deepening, sustaining and spreading the benefits to more countries and their peoples; second, it focuses briefly on current conditions and emerging understanding underpinning an African economic Renaissance; third, it touches in more detail, on select aspects of the issues required for an African economic revival. This paper neither pretends to deal with even these few aspects comprehensively, nor infers that other aspects of a holistic, comprehensive development framework are unimportant.

In the first part of this paper,we will look at the lessons that can be drawn from the Lesotho intervention byanalysing the following aspects: the level of authorisation; the mandate; theidentity of the SADC Task Force; civilian leadership; rules of engagement;secrecy and surprise; and policy and planning. While this is not an exhaustivelist, it is designed to focus on the policy, decision making and institutionalissues at stake, with a view to improving these aspects in future. The operational issues have been addressed by a number of other commentators andthe South African National Defence Force (SANDF) itself. The second part of the paper will look at the implications that theselessons learned hold for future SADC missions. These implications will bediscussed in the context of the SADC Organ for Politics, Defence andSecurity. It will highlight the need for a SADC policy on peace missions, andthe necessity of developing capacity for early warning, conflict analysis,preventive diplomacy and the greater use of civilian missions. In conclusion,the paper will look at the implications of these lessons learned for therelationship between SADC, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and theUnited Nations (UN)

The aims of this contribution are twofold: to survey some of the developments specifically in the field of constitutional renewal in African countries particularly in the late 1980s and 1990s, and further, to argue that constitutional reform or renewal has been a top-down limited process which is far from sufficient or complete. The reform that has taken place up to the present is insufficient to promote real political stability and economic growth. Reference will be made to the broad historical evolution of African constitutions, followed by selected country case studies to illustrate the argument as stated above.

The continent that produced great civilisations such as those of Ghana,Benin, the Pharaonic of Egypt and Timbuktu of Mali could rise again andface the challenges of the twenty-first century.This is exactly what the then deputy president, Thabo Mbeki, meantwhen he said in his speech in Japan in April of last year. We are our ownliberators and we must have confidence in ourselves. What other words couldbe more inspiring and stimulating for us as Africans embarking on the roadof the African Renaissance? Yes, it is a long road and a difficult one, but wehave started it and there is no going back.The Egyptian view of the African Renaissance does not differ muchfrom the South African view. We agree on the objective and the ultimate goal,even if we may vary on the mechanisms and tactics to reach our commongoal. My emphasis will be on the socio-economic aspects of the AfricanRenaissance as I consider these the most difficult of challenges.

Within the broad theme of the African Renaissance, a number of sub-themes run through the four contributions making up this collection. The first of these refers to the nature of the African Renaissance. Both Ambassador Moushira Khattab and Clive Napier emphasise that the Renaissance is not a dream or mirage, but a reality. Both state emphatically that the Renaissance is an ongoing or historical process. All four explicitly or implicitly stress that this process is and should be an indigenous one in the sense that it is and should be driven from within the continent: Africans, all Africans, should assume responsibility for themselves, regain their belief.