African history is a vital trigger to the development of its people today and the future world with the Agenda 2063. To profoundly understand Africa, one must conceivably pay attention to its historical frameworks in political and socioeconomic corners. The African Union(AU) of 55 member states, as of today, is an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa driven by its citizens and represents a dynamic force in the global arena. AU, the peacekeeping, pan-African organisation was officially established in July 2002 in South Africa. It also claims its decision was the result of a consensus among leaders that, to realise Africa's potential, attention needed to be redirected away from the fight for decolonization and apartheid abolition, which had been the focus of the Organization of African Unity, and toward increased cooperation efforts of member states to drive Africa's growth and economic integration (AU). The AU's vision is "An Integrated, Prosperous, and Peaceful continent, driven by its citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena." To achieve its vision, in 2013, “the Agenda of 2063: Africa We Want” was born, supported by the Pan-African Movement.
Emmanuel Ahishakiye
Bridge2Rwanda
10 November 2022
Next, AU states that Agenda 2063 is Africa's shared development blueprint for achieving inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development over the next 50 years. Indeed, this is a continuation of the pan-African drive for centuries for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress, and collective prosperity pursued by Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance. It again contends that it builds on and seeks to accelerate the implementation of past and existing continental initiatives for growth and sustainable development ( 2). The Agenda 2063 has seven typical aspirations as published by the African Union in 2013, a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development; an integrated continent, politically united, and "African change; an Africa characterised by good democratic representation, legislative governments, human rights respect, fairness, and the legal system; a peaceful and secure Africa; an Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values, and ethics; an Africa, whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children and Africa as a strong, united, resilient and influential global player and partner.
The challenge in achieving this mission is for ordinary citizens to imagine a more positive future while reconciling with past wrongdoings and atrocities and managing the harsh realities of today. The conflicts between nations, insecurity, lack of unity, a limited collaboration of the governments with the citizens, military intervention and coups in governments, and other socioeconomic factors make no real arguments for achieving the Agenda of 50 years. How and when will the African Union and heads of governments cooperate to mitigate those diverse challenges?
The continent has demonstrated divergent strategic frameworks aimed at achieving its goal of inclusive and sustainable advancement, and it is a tangible manifestation of prosperity. However, there are still barriers that play a significant role in slowing down the pace of Africa’s advancement and currently pose challenges to the achievement of current national, regional and continental developmental frameworks. This paper reveals the current socio-economic, political, health, and environmental challenges that the “Agenda 2063: Africa We Want” is facing within the context of Pan-Africanism and sets out what should be done to trivialize the issue.
To better grasp the matter, the paper is sorted out into five major sections. The first section draws the political representation as the main challenge and the solution for the topic of reference. The second points out the overview of the economic status of Africa towards the Agenda, and financial mitigation approaches in revising related policies. In the third section, the paper portrays the thematic role played by social changes; limitations, and their influence on the sustainability of the Agenda and pan-African idealism. The fourth section shares the views of indigenous and non-native Africans on health and environmental framework in the hindrance of the mission and their case adequacy. The ending conveys the appropriate conclusion to predict the inherency of the current situation and the outcomes of the analyzed mitigative technical approaches.
Political representation is the main challenge and the solution for achieving Agenda 2063: Africa We Want
Initially, political discourse with leadership failures and lack of unity deepened the target of achieving Goal 8– United Africa (Federal or Confederate)– of the Agenda. The research by Badge, a retired Gambian civil servant and diplomat and a Political Science and Economics Student at Glasgow Caledonian University, proclaims most nations have no independence and conscience in defending their respective countries' sovereignty or protecting their peoples' freedoms, liberties, and social development as a result of neocolonialism, political greed, and corruption. It can be analyzed that political selfishness in power and money are the enemies of African political systems in all corners. Most of them value their benefits, which are largely about money, over the nation’s advancement. It is pointless to point out that a position high on the corruption scale has only harmed the African continent. It is also a significant impediment to achieving all of their development goals and targets, as well as economic growth. Only a united and decisive action against further system decay can keep the continent from sinking deeper into its current state.
According to the survey made by Samuel, a Law student at the University of Nigeria and ACMC, “West African rulers have faced serious challenges in trying to unite their people. These rulers inherited states created by European colonialists which consisted of different ethnic groups, religions, and interests.” The engagement of religions can’t stop people from unifying together and joining efforts to develop their country. But the problem remains that West Africa’s leaders unfortunately have not made greater efforts to unite the different communities in their countries. Even though the case has been the same, for a nation to achieve its development, the core elements of good governance should include transparency, integrity, legality, sound policy, participation, accountability, responsiveness, and the absence of corruption and wrongdoing. For the African Union to achieve the proposed goals and mission, governments should engage their citizens in everything they do. For instance, reaching out for ideas to ensure new ways of unity and reconciliation. In brief, the political view in Africa needs some adjustments and ensuring collaboration in respecting one nation’s sovereignty.
Moreover, continuous insecurity and terrorism are the failed hypotheses of the African Union mission. The return of foreign fighters and states' security apparatuses is weakened by internal political instability and conflict; causing the expansion of terrorist groups scattered in different parts of Africa. From the recent research by ISS Africa, PSC report, “Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 48% of global deaths from terrorism, and attacks have spread beyond historical hotspots such as the Sahel and the Horn of Africa to southern Africa and coastal regions of West Africa” (ISSAfrica.org). Even though the AU and its member states have adopted comprehensive policy frameworks on terrorism and violent extremism, as well as having deployed many peacekeeping missions across the continent, this includes the Multinational Joint Task Force, the G-5 Sahel Joint Force, Southern Africa Development Community Mission, Rwanda Defence Force in Mozambique, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, and the Initiative for Regional Cooperation. The status quo situation shows the efforts put into fighting terrorism, but the percentage is still low; so the governments should put together their force to eliminate that horrifying actions. Conclusively, the disturbance of the political stability crisis lowers the national development security status and continuous displacement of the people, without forgetting the lives of massive individuals who pass away in wars and violence daily mark the failure of the Agenda of 2063.
In addition, constant constitutional changes of government reveal the debate between nations; the failure to harness the continental endowments embodied in its people, history, cultures, and natural resources. Even though in light of African Union developmental challenges, African countries using the institutional framework of the African Union developed a continent-wide development plan that serves as a blueprint for sustainable development in the continent, still the constitutional changes of governments remain a big hole to achieving the mission of 50 years. Notably, political instability, especially when it is of violent constitutions, diminishes the productive, as well as the transactional capacities of the economy. This has a negative impact on investment and thus future economic growth, creating a fragile socio-political environment. The main reason for this occurs most especially when the government politicians are going to leave the office, or take the office to satisfy their needs rather than what the whole nation values— which seems to be a poor dictatorship.
While the constitution ensures that those who make decisions on behalf of the public fairly represent public opinion, it also outlines how those who exercise power may be held accountable to the people they serve. Since it is clear that constitutions are to serve the purpose to protect the rights of the public; it can be taken into account that the African Union and its member states should note that if they want to reach their set mission, then they must favor the public’s ideas for them to make joint decisions. On the whole, the Agenda has set divergent protocols to fall into all states while scattering the mission into short-run missions for them to achieve at the same pace, however, there is still much to be done in changing valuable, peaceful, and thoughtful constitutions.
Additionally, the obstacles to democratic consolidation and military intervention in politics depict the crisis of state legitimacy. As African Union has proclaimed, Aspirations, third and eleventh of the Agenda say, “An Africa of Good Governance, Democracy, Respect for Human Rights, Justice, and the Rule of Law, and Democratic values, practices, universal principles of human rights, justice, and the rule of law entrenched”. Reaching this approach is a dream for some African countries like Sudan, Mali, and Chad among others that have been recently under military rule. The survey by Gates, SIPRI Commentary, shows that armed conflict often leads to forced migration, long-term refugee problems, and the destruction of infrastructure. Indeed, it can destroy social, political, and economic institutions. The Wars, particularly civil wars, have far-reaching consequences for development. Similarly, I had a good friend of mine from South Sudan and I asked him what broke his heart in his country; he responded that he is always shattered by being a refugee in his own country— being treated like a wildlife animal with no food and no life at all.
In conformity with the previous note, The AU understands how it feels to chase away civil leaders and understands the complexities of the process of some of the component phenomena. Consequently, This marks how military-based governments vary enormously. All governments and, of course, the indigenous African citizens should be aware of the military intervention in governing the rule of code of conduct in the country. In achieving the Agenda most especially goals 3 and 11, “Healthy and well-nourished citizens” and “Democratic values, practices, universal principles of human rights, justice and the rule of law entrenched”. All member states must work together to put an end to any related acts, and this is all about acting on what they have agreed to, not just saying it is for the AU committee.
To summarise, political debate characterized by leadership failures and a lack of unity deepened the goal of achieving the mission. To achieve the proposed Agenda of the African Union, governments must involve their citizens in all aspects of their operations. Notwithstanding that the African Union and its member states have adopted comprehensive policy frameworks on terrorism and violent extremism, the figure remains low. The disruption of the political stability crisis lowers the national security status, and the continued displacement of people, which marks the failure of the African Union Agenda of 2063. There is much needed to trivialize the case like conducting different national congresses and assemblies that discuss the joint agreement on fighting against insecurity. It is hard to talk about the political complexities of the Agenda without drawing the points of economic influence.
The economic barricade of the Agenda 2063: Africa We Want and proposed mitigation strategies to overcome these challenges
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