By Makonnen
Ketema
In May 1963, thirty-two independent African States,
who had genuine hopes and visions for the continent of Africa, came together in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to create the Organization of African Unity (OAU). I had
the privilege of hearing a detailed account of the staging of the 1963 Addis
Ababa Summit Conference, and the reason as to why the Ethiopian capital became
the site of the OAU headquarters, from a man who was once described by the
international media as being closer than any other to the staging of the
creation of the OAU. The man was none other than my father, the late Ketema
Yifru, who was the Ethiopian Foreign Minister (1961-1971) at the time. Ketema
Yifru was also recognized by the media as having played a prominent role in the
creation of Africa's regional organization.
Based on the discussions I had with my father
as well as his taped and written interviews, I now clearly understand what he
meant when he said, "Only a few are aware of the hard work and all the effort
that brought about the creation of the OAU." Most of the public is not aware of
the shuttle diplomacy, the closed door negotiations, and all the tireless
effort, in general, that paved the way to creating the OAU. In addition, the
majority of the public is not aware of the fierce diplomatic battle that was
fought by a number of states to have the OAU headquartered in their respective
capital cities.
Foreign
Minister Ketema Yifru with Emperor Haile Selassie
After I spoke to many people and read
through a number of books that have been written on this subject, it dawned on
me that many are not privy to the details behind the formation of Africa's
regional organization. It seems that other than a handful of people, the
majority are not aware of the OAU's history and its formation. It is my hope
that once this article reaches the public, it will give the readers an
opportunity to understand the history behind the creation of the OAU. The
article that you are about to read is solely based on the former Ethiopian
Foreign Minister, the late Ketema Yifru's account on how the OAU was formed. The
BBC's Focus on Africa Report describing Ketema Yifru's role in the creation of
the OAU, stated that he was probably closer than any other to the staging of the
1963 Addis Ababa Summit Conference, which paved the way to the creation of the
OAU.
Ketema
Yifru was promoted to the rank of Foreign Minister in 1961 - a period in which
the rift between the Monrovia and Casablanca Groups seemed to have caused a
permanent division in the continent. Ketema Yifru was an active participant in
all the meetings and negotiations that led to the creation of the OAU. He also
played a leading role in the August 1963 Dakar Foreign Ministers Conference,
where the question regarding the location of the OAU's headquarters was once and
for all resolved. This article will give the reader a bird's eye view of the
events that led to the creation of the OAU. In addition, it will also put to
rest the unfounded speculation of the reason as to why the Ethiopian capital was
chosen to house the headquarters of Africa's regional
organization.
Introduction
President Kwame Nkrumah
In order to strengthen the continent of Africa and to
make it less vulnerable to outside influence, President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana
strongly believed that the continent should be united. Thus, in the late 1950s,
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah started a movement, which stressed the immediate unity of the
African continent.
When Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
introduced the concept of African Unity to the continent, a division, which was
based on the implementation of this new concept, was created at the onset. On
one hand there were those countries which believed in the immediate unity of
Africa. These countries were originally Ghana, Guinea, and Mali. Later on Egypt,
the Transitional Government of Algeria, and Morocco, joined the
Ghana-Guinea-Mali Union to form the Casablanca Group. On the other hand, the
twenty-four member Monrovia Group, otherwise known as the Conservatives, which
included Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Togo, and many others
believed in a much more gradual approach to the question of African Unity. Many
believed that the rift between the two groups would become permanent and thus
ending the hopes and dreams of African Unity.
Presidents
Modibo Kieta of Mali, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Seku Toure of Guinea
(1960)
Yet, in May 1963, these two opposing groups were able to
come together to form the Organization of African Unity. Many had speculated as
to how such opposing groups would merge to form the OAU. Some have suggested
that all the independent states that came together in Addis Ababa, did so
because of the great respect they had for Emperor Haile Selassie. Others have
managed to feed the public, through various mediums, with similar unfounded
stories as to how the OAU was formed. Even those who have genuine interest in
telling the story have not been successful in their endeavors, because it is
impossible to tell the story of the creation of the OAU with just a paragraph or
two.
Ethiopia And The Two Opposing Groups
The story begins in the early 1960s, when most of the
independent African states had pledged an allegiance to either the Monrovia or
the Casablanca Group. According to the then young Foreign Minister, Ato Ketema
Yifru, his office received invitations from the two groups in January
1962.
Ketema Yifru with President Jomo Kenyatta of
Kenya
Emperor Haile Selassie with Foreign Minister Ketema
Yifru
Source: http://www.oau-creation.com
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