The 27th African Union (AU) Summit opened in Kigali on Sunday, July 10. It is the first time Rwanda is hosting the AU summit and such a large number of heads of state, current and former. Judging from the preparations and the successful hosting of international conferences of comparable status, there is no question we can expect a successful summit. Perhaps the question is: how different will the Kigali summit be from previous ones held in other places? What influence can Rwanda have on the outcome of the summit? We can expect the summit to come up with proposals of what works to bring African integration and unity that much closer. If the Rwandan way rubs off on the summiteers, then results should be the thing. Already there is the anticipated launch of the African e-passport. This should make movement of people across the continent much easier. It may be a small step, but a significant one in knocking down barriers and opening up countries to trade and other exchanges. Many African countries have generally been inward-looking and tend to be closed to other African countries. They see their borders as sort of defences to keep out unwanted external influences. The result, as Ms Nkosazana Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission, said when opening the summit on Sunday is more focus on narrow national interests at the expense of broader regional and continental issues. Whenever they have looked outward, it has often been to the more industrially advanced countries of the West, and now, increasingly Asia. It is about time this changed and a pan-African engagement shifted from being a fervent wish expressed with so much passion at every summit and became reality. Already Rwanda and a few other countries have shown that open borders do not allow in the evil that has always been feared they would bring. On the contrary, they provide great opportunities. Passports and all are very well. But on their own, they cannot lead to greater movement and trade among African countries. Developed and inter-connected infrastructure roads, railways, air transport - is needed to make this happen. Yet at the moment, there is no continent-wide transport infrastructure linking the various parts of the continent. Indeed Ms Zuma noted that there are more open sky agreements between African countries and countries outside Africa than between African countries. Again, there are lessons to be drawn from East Africa. First are the various infrastructure projects that seek to link the whole region. The Northern Corridor Integration Projects initiative between Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan is one. Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have also signed up. Another is the Central Corridor linking Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC. Further north there is the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport corridor (LAPSSET), connecting Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan. Admittedly, most of this is still at the talking stage, but a few have got off the ground. In the telecommunications sector, for instance, most of East Africa has agreed on a one area network. The result has been significant reduction in call, roaming and data tariffs. Already the internet and social media have broken down borders and allowed for almost unfettered interaction between citizens of African countries, and so far no catastrophe has befallen any country because of this. Second is East African airlines Ethiopia Airlines, Kenya Airways and RwandaAir - that for all intents and purposes have become continental carriers linking east, west, central and southern Africa. The north seems to be distant at this stage. If more African countries operated a more open sky policy to African carriers, there is no doubt there would be more movement of people, increased trade, and greater integration. Achieving the goals of the AU is possible provided there is political will and vision that goes beyond national boundaries, and the focus is on results. Or as we say here, thinking big. This will not happen at the Kigali summit, but lessons will have been learned and probably mindsets changed. And it will have to happen sooner because you cannot have free movement of people and meaningful integration, and, ultimately the unity of Africa, without this sort of infrastructure. Some things never change, though. Conflict still hangs over the summit and the Heads of State will not escape it. South Sudan is embroiled in fratricidal killings. Fellow Africans, including Rwandans, have gone there to help keep the peace, but they too have been caught in the killings. This issue must be addressed. If it means telling President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar that they have no business killing their people and ruining the country, and following that up with action, including their removal, so be it. Clearly, bringing together and knocking their heads until they realise that the country is bigger than their egos, and that lives of ordinary South Sudanese matter has had little effect. Decisive action must be taken. We can also expect the usual speeches. Perhaps they will be a little different this time. The host president will have set the tone and the speeches should be short and crisp, and action-oriented. They should be about the possible, that things can actually get done. The AU Kigali Summit is set in an environment where that is the norm and practice, and it may be a good thing to follow the saying: when in Rome do as the Romans do, and go one further and keep doing it for the continent. jorwagatare@yahoo.co.uk
