[align=center]AU summit to focus on 'United States of Africa' [/align]
African leaders are to meet in Ghana for an African Union summit at the end of next month to discuss ways of working towards a "United States of Africa", the bloc said in a statement on Friday.

The summit, from June 25 to July 3, will be devoted to a "grand debate on the union government", the statement said.

"The ultimate goal of the African Union is full political and economic integration leading to the United States of Africa," it said.

The goal of political and economic integration of African countries has existed since the AU began in 2002, but the issue divides the body's 53 members.

The meeting will also see the appointment of new AU commissioners and a new commission president to replace Alpha Oumar Konare, who has announced he will step down.

It will also discuss regional conflicts, notably in Darfur and Somalia, where the pan-African body has deployed a vanguard force of about 1500 Ugandan peacekeepers.

Ghana currently holds the bloc's rotating leadership. President John Kufuor was elected its chairperson during a summit in January after member states rejected Sudan's bid for the chair.

The AU, which replaced the Organisation of African Unity in 2002, comprises 53 African territories and aims to promote political, social and economic development as well as security on the continent. -- AFP

[align=center]http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=306720&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__africa/[/align]

Long long way to go before that can even be considered, perhaps a first step would be to review the visa arrangements nations have with each other and the freedom of movement of trade and peoples.

Boy, there are some coonish and N****rrdly African nations out there and I wouldn’t wish unity with them on my worst enemy…



Like Bob implied, there needs to be some serious mental emancipation first, maybe something like a hundreds years of serious, serious brain dirtying before Africans should even consider giving the world a second U.SA.




For me Nigeria however it came about and whatever problems it has to surmount is a miniature Africa within itself. Its potential is fabulous and I think and hope we come to appreciate the fact and work to unite first. In addition, encourage the rest of Africa to go unite somewhere else. You see, after surfing a verity of west and east African discussion boards and reading their opinions, I have discarded my black unity ideals in favor of separate but amicable progress.

You see, after surfing a verity of west and east African discussion boards and reading their opinions, I have discarded my black unity ideals in favor of separate but amicable progress.

Please explain.

Not as though the europeans or even the Chinese get along with one other completely but they work together as a matter of survival whilst maintaning their cultural values.

Also have to note that we're living in a time of superpowers, when you're enemies are looking like a set of transformers you've got to start doing the same regardless of petty indiffrrences.

Apedemak wrote: true.. simpley a matter of self preservation moreso than working together.

Come to think of it... it'll just be a way for the dictator's club to pool their resrouces so they have more power. Not a bad idea.

Apedemak wrote:

Petty Indiffrences ?



Hmm...

....except I cannot think ofone conflict in the entire history of the world that did not start with what some might conceivably regard as over "petty matters".From squabbling over caves to Henry creating his own church so he could marry Ann B. From the killing of Duke Ferdinand to stepping on some idiots shoe in a night club…






I expect Africans get on just as well with the Europeans and the Chinese as the Chinese and Europeans get along, which among other things, includes mutual suspicions and with eyestoward economic advantages. If you meant to point out that, the Asian nations share cooperation, as do the European nations comparable to the one you would like to see in Africa, I would argue that Africa already does. All the above is qualified in relative terms.

USA is another thing entirely.

....except I cannot think ofone conflict in the entire history of the world that did not start with what some might conceivably regard as over "petty matters".

Then we need to take it back to those times and realize that they were and so are petty and resolve them there are bigger fish to fry.Have heard too many people hold up debates with talks aboutdisporans calling themselves Africanand other petty cultural diffrences... to meit comes across asavoidance,finding issues to avoid the realones. Its not as though we couldn't (or don't) work together as P.H mentioned.

Unity in the midst of diversity.

Fact is we don't have a choice in the matter anyway.

Apedemak,





Idealism is one thing, reality quite another…



look, the reasons for why Africa is not and perhaps will not be ready for USA, is so massively self-evident in the realties and divisions that aggregate to wars you witness in the media there is no point in even debating the issue. Especially not on this board that cannot handle frank opinions. Moreover, what you and I think will not change any of the facts on the ground. You believe in a united Africa for many commendable reasons I am sure and I no longer believe in or want an African unity for petty reasons. Differences of opinions and all that…





…what I say or think is irrelevant, nevertheless, from what I have read on many west and east African forums –petty or not- I believe Nigerians would be better off concentrating on Nigeria and leave the rest of Africa to Unite or go to...eh unite