By Stanley Senya
Accra, July 16, GNA – A book titled “Hurdles and Prospects of African Integration”, has been launched in Accra to promote African unity for development.
The book, authored by Mr Maximillian Julius Chuhila and Mr John Frank Zotto, actualizes the trends and dynamics of how African countries have defined and solved their challenges by using example of Western Sahara dispute to analyse African participation in seeking for and providing solutions to its continental challenges.
Despite the aspirations of having a united continent politically, economically, socially and culturally, the continent has faced several hurdles that hinder the attainment of the intended objectives.
One of these challenges has been politics and political manoeuvring within and outside the continent.
Mr Maximillian Julius Chuhila, Senior Lecturer at University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and Co-Author of the book, said to achieve an integrated continent, countries needed to start settling their internal divisions and tensions before advancing to the level of the continent.
“Claims of and movements on secessionism are reminders for seeking internal stability rather than considering them as hindrances against whatever efforts were advanced”, he added.
He said African countries had been grappling with various issues, however, the time had come for them to take charge of their own destinies and find sustainable solutions to their problems rather than depending on western prescriptions.
The involvement of African countries in the Western Sahara dispute has remained dynamic and interest ridden than a permanent agenda that needs a permanent solution, saying, he added that enhancing the future of the political landscape of the continent requires commitment and readiness to employ home-grown solutions to home-grown challenges.
The Author gave participants a historical background of the question of sahara, pointing out that there was a historical link between the moroccan sultans and the saharaoui tribes according to the historical archives on which he depended on during his visit to Saharan provinces of Layoune and Dakhala, two cities situated in the south part of Morocco.
He called for a collective african integration in the region, particularly in Africa arguing that Moroccans themselves were able to find a solution to their internal issues since separtatism and separstion do not defend the interests of Africa as unified content in terms of culture and customs in spite of its ethnic and linguistic diversity.
According to Mr Maxmillian unity and integration were the soft arms to face any outside threat.
He said the Sahara region had seen a socio-economic development due to the efforts made by the Moroccan government.
At the end, the historian called for an effective and constructive dialogue between Moroccans themselves based on common interests in order to put an end to this long-term conflict taking into consideration the efforts made by the United nations and the African union to end this historical dispute.
GNA