Libya intensifies campaigns for African unity
Libyan civil societies and scholars are now touring various African countries to promote the recently proclaimed African Union, the pan-African news agency PANA reports.
The Union is set to bring radical changes by transforming the former Organization on African Unity (OAU. Its Act was adopted by African Heads of state and government during their extraordinary summit held in northern Libyan city of Sierte.
Libyan civil and scholar groups are now touring Africa in four groups and their tour will reach northern, southern, eastern, western and central African states.
A Libyan diplomat in Dar Es Salam, Youssif Bashir, has told the media that groups are now traveling Africa to share ideas and strategies on how best the union could be promoted with fellow Africans.
Being the volunteer groups not government funded, Libyan scholars and civil societies are talking to journalists, university and high school students and other civil societies working on promoting the union in the region.
The volunteers assigned for the East Africa region visited Uganda and Tanzania last week and during their stay they managed to meet all groups and people they were interested.
OAU Secretary-General, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim has been quoted as saying 36 African countries have now ratified the African Unity Act and once the outstanding six instruments are deposited with the General Secretariat, the legal requirements for the establishment of the Unity will have been met.
According to article 28 of the Act, which was adopted last July during the 36th Annual OAU Summit in Lome, capital of Togo, the African Unity shall come into force 30 days after the ratification by the two third of the OAU members.
African unity is said to be in line with the existing world order, which demands that countries shift from individual to block level as the case with European countries, Latin and North American states as well as Asian states.
It is expected to replace the 38-year-old OAU. A commission to be headed by a chairman would be formed to supersede the OAU Secretariat. However, after coming into force the union would have to go through a one-year transition period during which key issues such as democracy, human rights and economic cooperation would be addressed.