The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat has called for the urgent need for Africa to chart its course and halt the incessant dependency on foreign countries.
According to him, the continent must adopt a self-reliance approach and intensify efforts towards generating new forms of resilience for its renaissance and development agenda.
Faki Mahamat’s call comes on the back of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus which has left some African economies struggling as their go-to countries for aid have not been spared the destruction of pandemic either.
In his address on the African Liberation Day on Monday, May, 25, 2020, Faki Mahamat stressed that Africa must stop expecting solutions from others particularly in a world where “multilateralism is sorely tested.”
He pointed out that “the COVID-19 pandemic brutally reminds us of a major issue, which is the imperative need to put a stop to dependency on the exterior. This can be achieved through the twofold objective of living on our own resources, and resolutely focusing on our industrialisation process.”
“There is an urgent need for Africa to chart its own course. Its food dependency and insecurity are unacceptable and intolerable, as is the state of its road, port, health, and educational infrastructure. Africa’s lands, forests, rich fauna, mines, energy potential, and maritime and inland waterways, hold the necessary resources to provide an adequate response to the needs of its peoples. We should, in full lucidity, boldly opt for an innovative approach that is inward-looking rather than outward-looking. Let us live on what we have, using what we have, in other words, let us live within our means!”
“As we embark on this path, our leaders will be closer to our citizens, and our Nations will become stronger. In my opinion, this inward-looking and self-reliance approach will be a catalyst for the renaissance of our Nations. It is only when they are tested, that nations and states truly emerge. We are now at that point in history,” he said.
“Other entities with less resource than we have, were able to achieve this in record time. I strongly urge women, youth, intellectuals, academics, politicians, entrepreneurs, and civil society activists, to engage in fruitful and active discussions on the issue, which is key to our material survival, our independence, our freedom, and our dignity,” he added.
Faki Mahamat advanced that the only way to contain COVID-19 and its disastrous effects is to ensure food sufficiency, create millions of jobs, and save hundreds of millions of African citizens, who are currently seriously exposed to pandemics and various other hazards.
Source: abcnewsgh
