Under Gaddafi, Africa could explode

New AU chief Gaddafi says coups are welcome so long as they are staged peacefully, and that there is nothing wrong with piracy since it is a way to “correct colonial wrongs.’’

Currently those for immediate federation are: Egypt, Senegal and Libya. Those who want a gradual move to a continental government are: South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Ethiopia as host of AU has taken a middle ground saying it supports the plan but wants an orderly transition. The "gradualists” are led by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni while the “immediatists” are led by Colonel Gaddafi.

The “immediatists” are already one step ahead since the Addis summit agreed to create African Union Authority that will function like a government.

What remains currently is reform of the AU constitution to embrace this new arrangement under which the continent is to have a president and vice-president plus secretaries to run African affairs.

The question here is the deadlines set which may not be achievable. The Addis summit mandated its Foreign Ministers to meet within three months to work out the transition from the current African Union Commission to the Authority. The council of ministers is to hand its resolutions to the next AU heads of state summit set for July 1-3 in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

But this may not happen as Madagascar is currently under an uprising against the rule of President Marc Ravalomanana with over 100 protesters killed.

Picking Madagascar as the host means that the AU will take the next available option which is Tripoli, right in the heart of the Gaddafi Empire.

The question now is how much power the states that comprise the AU are ready to cede to the new body to be created in July.

The other issue is funding since currently and as expressed by the former chairman, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete the AU has no budget even for its chairman’s operations and the continent remains the poorest in the world with “30 out of 50 poorest nations being African and 21 out 36 countries facing food shortages in the world being African.’’