Africans must be optimistic about a continental union. It is their common responsibility to realize a dream of a united Africa. This is the only way to reverse the trend that has suppressed them, exploited and looted their human and natural resources. Africans cannot expect to escape this truth unless they all put hands together, work together, and sacrifice together with the enthusiasm to build a new continent that future generations will be proud of.

A united Africa will break exploitation as well as challenge the historical basis for slavery and colonialism in Africa. It will also bring to an end the ongoing use of Africa as the dumping ground for western toxic waste; for using Africa as the experimentation ground for western diplomatic and foreign policies.

Do Africans really know that Africa has 770 million people -- which will make the African Union one of the biggest and most attractive markets in the world? Do they know that the African Union is blessed with 40 percent of the world’s potential hydroelectric power supply, the bulk of the world’s diamond supply, over 90 percent of the world’s cobalt, 70 percent of its cocoa, 64 percent of its manganese, 60 percent of its coffee, and 50 percent of its palm oil? Do Africans recognize that they are the potential owners under a continental commonwealth of the 50 percent of the world’s phosphates, 50 percent of its gold production, 40 percent of its platinum, 30 percent of its uranium, and 20 percent of the total petroleum traded in the world market?

No other continent is blessed with what Africa is blessed with, and that is why the scramble for African resources led to the two world wars, and if not for the activities of the World Bank and IMF acting as referee and the clearinghouse among the western invisible emperors in the contemporary scramble, African resources would have caused a third world war. But why can’t Africans realize that in order to continuously control and exploit African resources, the west has had to help prop up dictators, as well as ignite civil and inter-ethnic wars around the continent so that while African brothers fight each other, their resources are not only exploited but almost always looted?

Why can’t Africans come to terms with the reality of the anarchic systems of divide and conquer? Can’t they realize that even the 1992 Sierra Leone civil war that claimed over 10,000 lives, displaced 300,000, put 200,000 men, women and children in refugee camps, and internally trapped over 400,000 people in a country of only 4.5 million people, was caused and perpetuated by some foreign countries, who wanted to share in the spoils of diamond and bauxite? Why can’t Africans realize that the same divide and conquer is what is happening in Angola with its 11.5 percent of the world’s known diamond deposits, as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo’s diamond warfare?

An African Defense Force (ADF), a Joint Standing Army, a Quick Responsive Police, all with the required expertise and logistics, multi-layered strategies and rapid mobilization, for example, will make Africans begin to live in peace, tranquility, and harmony. With Africa being peaceful and politically stable under a continental government, African leaders will then focus on the real business of the people, mapping out  a new direction in areas of a continental foreign policy,defence, industrialization, economic and monetary policy, as well as  health, education, and agricultural policies.

Do Africans know that Africa, with its abundant natural resources, vast market and human capital (currently brain drained), can afford closing its borders to protect its infant industries and can then begin to build a new continental economy? Do they really know that  African Union resources can be quite huge making the continent to  force several African natural resource cartels on the global market and get away with such a policy? More importantly, have Africans ever realized that an African Continental Congress as well as Continental President, will have such enormous power that they cannot be afraid to tell the entire world that either it takes the Union’s position on most global issues as they interest the continent, or Africa will not be involved?

Africans are yet to recognize the level of protection and pride they are bound to receive from such a powerful continental government; how else could they get away with their opinions anywhere in the world? The sacrifice must seem to be worth the price, so otherwise, Africans can’t get away from their present predicaments. They must now begin the journey, through a series of networks, conferences and workshops. This is their opportunity to achieve for themselves what George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin achieved for the United States over 200 years ago.