Perhaps not unexpectedly my interim report on the then concluding 3rd ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union, generated a stream of private responses. Many of them were very positive towards the AU but very cautious about its prospects especially given the human and material challenges needed for the new organisation to deliver on its noble objectives. Others queried the basis of my optimism and accused me of being too optimistic. I can only respond with that famous quote: “Pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will”.

While hindsight may dictate caution to us, foresight should inspire us to keep our eyes on the prize. Africa is changing and will continue to change for the better, in our life times.

The AU is more open than the old OAU. The quality of current leaders may not be equal to the array of icons and inspiring leaders of the anti colonial nationalist era. “The founding fathers” as we call them (unfortunately, all fathers) were leaders thrown up by specific historical circumstances where both their desires and those of the masses were organically linked in the united goal of ridding the continent and its peoples of colonial domination. Whatever method they chose that goal was paramount.

The current leaders are not that lucky. Even those among them who had come from revolutionary, militant pro-people, liberation or anti dictatorship backgrounds and struggles soon made peace with the hegemonic forces of anti-people doctrines and ideology fostered on the world by the IMF/World Bank and now sanctified by the WTO and unbridled exploitation through rapacious globalisation.

It is amazing how previously left leaning so called “new leaders of Africa” have become the new darlings of the Washington twin vultures. While they still sometimes mouth progressive political vocabulary they have become extremist neo liberals in their economic policies. Thus instead of ending hunger, deprivation and eradicating poverty, they are content to “alleviate poverty” through participatory poverty alleviation crap policies in which consultants are the major beneficiaries!

Instead of the old demands for genuinely democratic governance in which the people are both the object and subject of development, today we aspire for “Good Governance” i.e., government without politics! It means running the economy as if the people do not matter and wanting a non-political government of experts! So the progressive African leader of today is at best a political equivalent of a successful Bank Manager. They aspire to run competent states, deliver on macro economic policies dictated by imperialism and trusting somehow that growth will ultimately lead to development for their underdeveloped countries. That is why they cannot be as ambitious, daring and pro active as the immediate post independence leaders.That is why even the best of them are often not loved but either respected or feared or both.

What is evidently emerging even in this essentially conservative governance agenda is the extreme limitation placed by the forces of globalisation on the ability of each of these states to experience growth beyond a very lowly placed ceiling. While they may experience macro economic “miracles” their peoples remain untouched by the wand in their “micro” existence. This is an objective situation that is propelling the new push for deeper regional integration. Most of the states have realized that they cannot, and have no chance of going it alone.

Even those who had thought of themselves as “chosen few” favourites of the West, soon realize they are as dispensable as their predecessors of the cold war period and even more quickly so today.

There is also a shared realisation that as Africans whether ruler or ruled we need to take responsibility for our destiny. Many issues that would have been conveniently swept under the carpet are now discussed openly and action sought to correct them. The continuing growth and confidence of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), of which NGOs are a critical part, and the general opening up of democratic space across the continent is making many things possible and we are beginning to dream again even if there are flashes of recent nightmares.

Maybe as I approach middle age I am becoming more reformist but I see incremental changes and possibilities.

For instance just a few years ago it would have been impossible for Mr. Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, to deliver the kind of speech he delivered to our heads of state and government last week. He told them bluntly that they should stop derailing the forward march of their people for democratic development by tinkering with their constitutions to prolong personal rule of some leaders.

There were no talks of “interference in the internal affairs” of a sovereign member state as would have been the stand only a few years ago. There were no calls for apology or threats of walkouts. Instead the outgoing chairperson, Chissano, of Mozambique, picked on the theme in a friendly way and told his fellow leaders that it was time to do the honourable thing and respect the constitution of their various countries.

He also showed what can be done by using his chairmanship to inaugurate Swahili as a working language of the AU . It was recognised so but no serious attempt had previously been made to make it effective. The city of Addis Ababa, through its energetic mayor, Ato Akbede, renewed its commitment as hosts to the OAU/AU by giving land to all African embassies and also renaming avenues after individual countries. It was also gratifying to arrive in Addis without visas and be received through special immigration booths proudly welcoming you as AU guests.

One hopes that this will not just remain a one off arrangement just for conferences but a permanent good practice that should spread across Africa so that we stop being “others” on our own continent.

As we reviewed the last Summit with my two good friends and colleagues, Abdul Mohammed and Alex De Waal, we all felt there was something missing. We could not put our hands to it immediately. There were no great passions or roaring speeches to be remembered for decades. But there was a lot of sobriety in articulating the issues and course of action. If that means that Africa is moving from pompous words to serious action not many Africans will complain about not having inspiring leaders at the moment. The dearth of truly inspiring leaders is not confined to Africa. Mandela is virtually a lonely figure in that patented club globally.

* Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is General-Secretary of the Pan African Movement, Kampala (Uganda) and Co-Director of Justice Africa ([email protected] or [email][email protected])

* Please send comments to [email protected]