AU chairman Jean Ping speaks to MARY FITZGERALD,Foreign Affairs Correspondent, in Addis Ababa
AS LIBYA attempts to rebuild itself after the fall of the Gadafy regime, the question of how its relationship with the rest of Africa may evolve is the source of much speculation in the corridors of the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The AU’s attempts to mediate during Libya’s war suffered from a perception among the rebels that it was not an honest broker, given that Gadafy – who once declared himself “King of Kings of Africa” – was a significant financial supporter of the union and also backed many of its members financially.
While the flag of Libya’s interim government flies at AU headquarters and its representatives are soon expected to take their seats there, many wonder if post-Gadafy Libya may shift away from sub-Saharan Africa towards the Middle East.
AU chairman Jean Ping is prickly over criticisms that the organisation mishandled the Libya crisis.
He published a lengthy statement on the issue this month, claiming that the union’s efforts had gone “unreported or [were] twisted to suit a hostile agenda” and denied that its actions in Libya were motivated by a desire to protect Gadafy’s regime.
“There are a lot of misunderstandings,” he tells The Irish Times in his office. “The ultimate objective of the African Union was to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people to democracy, rule of law, development and justice.”
He dismisses suggestions that Libya’s future relationship with the rest of Africa may be less close than it was under Gadafy.
“Libya is in Africa. You can’t choose your neighbours, you can’t choose your family,” he adds.
Ping says that the union is ready to work with Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC).
“We have recognised the NTC and they are a member of the African Union.
“Libya is a founding father of the African Union – no one can deny that fact. The new flag is flying outside. It is up to them to come occupy their seats and tell us what they want to tell us,” he says. “We are ready to participate with the NTC, the UN, the EU, the Arab League and other organisations to help them restore peace, harmony and reconciliation in Libya.”
Another question is whether Libya will continue to contribute as strongly to the AU coffers as it did under Gadafy. Ping dismisses such concerns.
“We have five major contributors to the budget: Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa and Libya. And let me tell you that Gadafy did not pay his contributions for the past two years,” he says. “You think we will collapse if this happens? Don’t think that we are in the hand of one country.”
Ping says he is concerned about the distribution of arms beyond Libya’s borders after the war. “This is a big question. How are you going to deal with these sophisticated armaments which are already in the desert with some terrorists? This is a problem which all of us will face, including Libya itself.”
He argues that only Libyans can determine the shape their country will take in the future. “It’s up to the Libyan people. The question of who is going to lead Libya is their own matter, but they will certainly face the problem of maintaining peace, stability, and reconciliation inside the country,” Ping says.
“Libya, however, is not an island. It is surrounded by a number of countries and I don’t think a country can survive by ignoring its neighbours. You have to work with your neighbours.”
Several African commentators have mused over how tremors from the so-called Arab Spring, which resulted in the toppling of autocratic leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, may affect the rest of the continent. Already protests have taken place in countries including Uganda and Malawi.
“This spring of revolutions, which has already had an impact in Europe and America, will also, of course, have repercussions in African countries. It has already happened here and there,” says Ping. He notes that due to rapid population growth, sub-Saharan Africa will soon face the challenge of managing expectations of an increasingly educated youth – a key factor in the revolutionary wave that swept the Middle East and north Africa this year.
Asked what lessons sub-Saharan Africa could take from the Arab Spring, Ping quotes from what he stresses is someone else’s assessment: “The world has changed radically and it continues to move fast. There is a need to adapt ourselves to the new situation. The train is leaving the station – don’t miss the train, take it and make the necessary changes, otherwise you will risk what the others have risked.”
A delegation from the Oireachtas committee on foreign affairs discussed Libya, the Arab Spring and other issues with Ping during a meeting at African Union headquarters this week.