When will the African contradiction stop? The AU claims that Africa must solve its own problems while at the same time it demands aid to stop conflicts in Africa. Long after Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi cautioned Africa against brandishing its beggar’s bowl, the African Union is embarrassing the continent yet again by extending it to the UN. When the Darfur crisis ensued, the AU summoned a Press Conference and announced to the world that it would stop the crisis. Before long, it was pleading that the world gives it funds to accomplish the mission. Now, the AU is pleading with the UN to fund it to do peacekeeping in Somalia. 

The AU, Africa’s regional organisations and African states have increasingly demonstrated the will to deploy peacekeeping missions to the continent’s conflict zones. The AU’s peacekeeping force, the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d’ Ivoire among others demonstrate this. But intervening using a wrong approach will not ensure lasting solution.

It is time African leadership structures got reformed to provide for innovative leadership. We are tired of this doublespeak.