The Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union has suggested that African countries should team up and quickly move towards the creation of the United States of Africa.
The ECOSOCC said this in its reaction to the xenophobic violence against migrants and migrant workers, including Nigerians, by South African citizens.
The Presiding Officer of ECOSOCC, Joseph Chilengi, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said the creation of the USA was the only way Africans could live together in the political and economic context envisioned by the founding fathers of the AU.
Chilengi said the AU secretariat should convene an extra-ordinary emergency session to discuss the situation in South Africa and authorise a framework of action for addressing xenophobia on a collective basis.
He said, “They should also use the experience to conceive Pan-African programmes and policies that will prevent its recurrence. The episode draws attention to the need to fast track the integration and development agenda of the AU and to move more rapidly towards the creation of the United States of Africa.
“It is only when Africans are living together in this political and economic context envisioned by the founding parents of AU that we can be rest assured that this shameful exercise will never occur again.”
Chilengi condemned the xenophobic attacks on African citizens of different nationalities, saying ECOSOCC was sad to learn that such incidents occurred in a country for which Africans on the continent and the Diaspora sacrificed so dearly to ensure independence and black majority rule.
He said, “ECOSOCC is appalled to see gruesome pictures of African citizens of South African extraction brutally assaulting, killing, looting and burning the properties of their kith and kin from other parts of the continent. This is a blot on the African landscape, which negates the very essence of the AU and its purpose, principles and values.
“This deplorable situation makes a mockery of the people-centric orientation of the AU in general and ECOSOCC in particular; ECOSOCC offers its sincere apology to all victims of this shameful exercise. Beyond this, ECOSOCC recognises the need for timely and appropriate action to ensure that this episode ends immediately and never recurs.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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