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East African federation set to curb civil, ethnic animosities
2007-05-22 08:54:54
By Judica Tarimo
The competitive global economy poses a major challenge to world countries. The survival of nations depends on their economic-competitive capacities to compete with multinationals, international and global organizations and companies that have increasingly dominated global markets and the economy.
It is not possible, in this context, for some of the weaker economies, in Africa and other parts, to compete effectively and fairly at the international level because of these global trends.
Famous economic theories such as comparative advantage, which insists on specialization in the production of goods that could cheaply be produced at home, and supply the same to the world`s market, have become irrelevant because of stiff global competitions.
Some developing countries have access to raw materials and other production advantages important components emphasized in the comparative advantage theory but their products face rejection on international markets.
Multinationals and global companies, which produce high-quality goods, dominate both national and international markets, preventing penetration of goods from weaker economic economies.
Even goods from the developed nations face similar problems, as they fail to compete with high-tech and globally-connected multinationals on the same grounds.
Competitive business and economic environments have forced nations around the world to embark on regional integration as a strategy to compete gainfully at the global levels.
Regional blocs, around the world, have talks of the day. At these regional blocs, individual countries can easily access markets and necessary materials which were formerly dominated by multinationals.
The European Union, is one the best examples of regional integrations formed in the course of encountering global development trends and economic competitions.
In the same context, East Africans Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania adopted bold initiatives to re-launch their East African Community (EAC) that collapsed in 1977.
But there are perceptions amongst East Africans that the EU could serve as a model for EAC integration.
Whether these perceptions are wrong, negative, correct or positive is subject for discussions, as perceptions are always subjective. That`s what one person perceives as negative might be positive to others.
Regardless of the truth of these perceptions and myths, both the EU and the EAC, as regional blocs, can learn from each other thanks to the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) and the EU for organizing a forum that focused on what the EAC and the EU can learn from each other.
Of course, the meeting that drew participants from high learning institutions dwelt extensively on the subject.
The head of delegation of the European Commission, Ambassador Frans Baan, rejected growing perceptions that the EU could serve as model for EAC economic and political integration.
The EU project is far from complete, he noted in his official address at the meeting adding that the union could not serve as a model for EAC integration towards a federation.
``I am not revealing secrets if I admit that the implementation of a full monetary union and the agreement of a European constitution have proved elusive goals,`` said Baan.
In the fifty years, the EU made some significant strides but most of them came with uncertainties and hesitations, and occasionally painful arguments and recriminations.
``There are many things we could have done differently and some even better,`` said the EU head.
``I mention this to illustrate that there is nothing such as a model of good practice in political or economic integration,`` he added in the wake of myths and perceptions amongst East Africans that the EU might serve as a model for progressive and result-oriented EAC.
Currently, EU member countries are divided over modalities of widening and deepening the union, as each member comes up with its own ideas on the limitations of the integration.
Talks at the domestic levels are done under great secrecy, and these ideas are not always openly stated.
EU leaders have expressed serious concerns over union members` reluctance to disclose their constructive suggestions on the general operations of the integration.
Ambassador Baan quoted a recent statement by Belgium Prime Minister who said: ``It is necessary for each EU member to come with their perception of how European integration must move forward.``
Comparative analysis on which should be rated as the model for the other partner, shows that the EAC served as a model for the establishment of EU.
``The EU is now 50 years-old, but EAC is 100 years-old…our problem is that it collapsed some years, and then revived again… the EU learnt a lot from the collapsed EAC,`` EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, observed.
Unlike the EU which has multiple languages and unrelated cultures, the EAC has shared values in terms of language (Kiswahili), culture, and lifestyle etc. ``Free movement of people in the EU is still a nightmare,`` added EAC secretary general.
In the course of the EU establishment, there was little participation of wananchi compared to the re-launched EAC, where people contributed their views and comments.
The spirit is also nurtured in the on-going and widely criticized exercise to collect public opinions on a process towards an EA federation.
EAC`s enlargement programme that seeks to embrace conflicts-prone countries Rwanda and Burundi is one of the critical issues that implant wrong perceptions amongst East Africans that the EU can be a model for EAC.
But ordinary thinking could definitely tell that it is more risky to stay close to a problematic child than leaving her or him roaming on the streets.
EAC leaders have adopted an approach of ``embracing`` instead of ``sidelining,`` in their quest to accommodate in Rwanda and Burundi, which, for years, have been rocked in civil strives and ethnic-driven slashes.
``If we leave out these people (Burundi and Rwanda), we will fuel more conflicts and political instabilities. The best approach is to embrace them to enhance durable peace and political stability,`` said Mwapachu.
The IPP Executive Chairman, Reginald Mengi, supported Mwapachu`s view point saying sidelining Rwanda and Burundi would not solve security-related problems in the region.
``It is easy to control problematic persons when you are close to them than when they are far. It is risky in terms of regional security to leave out Rwanda and Burundi. We have to accommodate them,`` he said.
Some years back, the European Union employed the same approach to counter conflicts and wars in their countries. European integration served a protective instrument in preventing recurrence of wars in the future after the second world-war.
African countries, particularly the EAC could emulate EU’s good experience and make regional integration as an instrument of conflict resolution.
``It is possible for Africans to avoid conflicts and promote free movement of people, goods services and money, through integration,`` stressed Mengi.
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