African Union Headquarters: Diplomatic Prostitution?

H.E. Seyoum Mesfin, Ambassador of Ethiopia to China presents a banner to Hon. Huang Xiang Li, Deputy Mayor of Pingdingshan. (Jan. 16, 2012; Embassy of Ethiopia, Beijing)

By: Samuel M. Gebru (@SMGebru)

January 27, 2012

I recently read an opinion “African Union: The Tragedy of New Headquarters” that really resonated with me. I was not going to respond to the article and share my thoughts on author Chika Sasakwa’s viewpoint until I read a BBC article titled “Davos 2012: Africa leaders urge co-operation.”

Chika Sasakwa’s opinions resonate with my larger belief that African governments are comfortable with prostituting the continent to satisfy their dependency on aid and tendency of corruption.

What struck out to me in the BBC article was the irony of what President Jacob Zuma of South Africa was quoted as saying, that Africans must promote trade amongst each other as a means of cooperation.

The latest example of diplomatic [and economic] prostitution comes in the form of the new headquarters of the African Union. The ultra-modern building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Africa’s political capital, was built as “China’s timeless gift to Africa.” So the propaganda says…

I was never comfortable with the idea of the People’s Republic building the new AU headquarters, let alone it financing the project. This very action undermines the continent in more ways than ever imaginable. It’s an affront of African integrity. Chika nailed it in her argument that Africa’s leaders should be ashamed of themselves for jumping at the opportunity for China’s grand involvement in what should be a landmark and uniquely African building.

Simply put, Africans should have financed, designed and built the AU headquarters themselves. Anything else should have been unacceptable. Chika’s reference in her article to Emperor Haile Selassie and President Kwame Nkrumah left me wondering whether the two men are rolling in their graves.

Africa’s governments have a tendency to look outside for what should be internal nation-building activities. Whether it is the economic or political development, no one seems to be looking inward for a decision. Ethiopian students revolting and establishing a Communist state is what led to the country’s economic demise. Communism was a misguided outside solution to an Ethiopian problem of an age-old monarchy that needed reforms, which could have been easily provided by looking inwards at models of centuries long traditions of local village democracy.

In the BBC article, Africa’s leaders seem to be declaring their wish to see African solutions for African problems. Seems like they missed a grand opportunity in the AU Headquarters. On January 28, President Hu Jintao will inaugurate the building in Addis Ababa that his government designed and built, with its own labor. China’s involvement in Africa is at best lukewarm and concerning.

A hallmark project that will define African politics should have also been a building that exemplified African architecture.