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AU agenda too ambitious Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20040707&i=Merafhe_questions_issues_on_AU_agenda http://www.gov.bw/cgi-bin/news.cgi?d=20040707&i=Merafhe_questions_issues_on_AU_agenda Merafhe questions issues on AU agenda 07 July, 2004 ADDIS ABABA - Botswana's commitment to the ideals of Pan-Africanism are unquestionable, but some of the issues tabled before the third ordinary session of the African Union were unrealistic, says foreign affairs and international co-operation minister Mompati Merafhe. Briefing the media on his views on the agenda, Merafhe described it as too ambitious because some proposals entailed countries giving away their sovereignty. Some of the issues call for a single African passport by next year, demolishing boundaries in 10 years, integrating African economies by 2007, establishing AU representational offices throughout the world, moving the AU secretariat to Libya and a common defence pact. Merafhe said: "We're being asked to run or walk before we can even crawl." The third ordinary session of the AU started yesterday and will end tomorrow. He said the vision, mission and strategic plan of the AU presented by the chairperson of the commission has huge financial implications that cannot be met under the present circumstances. He said Botswana was advocating for a more cautious and realistic approach to forming a union of African countries. He said it was estimated that it would cost about $1.7 billion to implement all the proposals on the agenda. Presently, he said, African countries still failed to raise $43 million, "then what makes them think they can raise $1.7 billion. "Leaders should appreciate life as we live it and not life as we dream it." Merafhe argued that the European Union, an older organisation, was still debating some of the proposals that the AU visionaries want to accomplish in two years. He said the newly established Pan-African parliament wanted a budget of $30 million almost equal to that needed to run the AU secretariat. The parliament was only advisory but wanted to meet 52 days a year. He said Libya and the chairman of the AU commission wanted acceleration, but the changes proposed were a process and not an event. He said some were even talking about a central bank before there was harmony among the economies of African countries. Merafhe mentioned some of the issues as the non-aggression pact and common defence pact for Africa. He said they agreed on the non-aggression pact, but had a problem with the common defence pact. He explained that the common defence pact entailed the creation of a single African army. If an African country was attacked by a country outsideAU, all AU countries would be bound to the defend it. "We are not yet in that stage," said Merafhe. Botswana opposed the proposal to relocate the AU secretariat to Libya while Addis Ababa remained the headquarters of the union. "It is like having the buildings of the ministry of foreign affairs and international co-operation in Gaborone and the staff in Mahalapye." He suggested that the AU should concentrate on basic issues that affect the majority of Africans such as eradicating poverty, promoting democracy, good governance and respect for the rule of law. Merafhe also said stopping internal conflicts and wars between African countries were some of the most pressing problems for Africa. He said of the 11 countries that comprise Central Africa seven were in conflict situations. BOPA

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