The African wound
Egypt supported all African liberation movements, but the African Union did
not support Egypt when its people rose to express their voice, writes
Mohamed Salmawy
Former Mali President Alpha Oumar Konaré, who headed a high level African
Union (AU) delegation to Egypt last week, said: We in the AU have never
said that what happened in Egypt was a coup. Nor have we called for the
reinstatement of Morsi. The problem was that what had occurred was not a
constitutional change and, therefore, we did not know how to describe it.
I pointed out that the way the African Union described those developments
was inaccurate. To describe them as unconstitutional is wrong, I said.
The Egyptian people followed a constitutional road from the outset in order
to express their will. First, they asked for early presidential elections,
which is a constitutional measure. But Morsi refused. Then they collected
signatures to a petition demanding that he step down. The number of
signatories collected came to twice the number of votes he had obtained in
the previous years election. This was also a constitutional measure. It is
called a recall election and it has been applied in the US and other
countries hundreds of times. When the number of people who withdraw
confidence from an elected official reaches a certain ratio to the number of
votes he had originally received he is required to step down. Morsi refused
to do this as well. As a result, the people had no alternative but to march.
And this they did on 30 June, in the unprecedented millions that filled our
streets and squares, the images of which were seen the world over. Then the
people had to ask the army to carry out their will in view of the absence of
a constitutional mechanism for change, namely a standing parliament. So what
fault did the people commit? Who had rejected constitutional methods from
the outset?
During the meeting with the AU delegation that was hosted by the Wafd Party,
I went on to say: Your Excellency, please permit me to speak frankly. As
long as you have voiced your criticism of the method of change used in
Egypt, permit me to transmit to you the Egyptian peoples criticisms of you.
You will not hear these in your official meetings with Egyptian leaders. But
here, the participants in this meeting do not occupy official posts. They
represent the Egyptian people through political parties and movements, NGOs,
womens groups and intellectual associations. The Egyptian people have been
deeply disappointed by their African brothers. Egypt stood by the African
peoples in their battle for independence. It embraced every African
liberation movement, supported it in the face of the might of the
colonialist West and paid the price for having elevated the will of African
peoples over all other political considerations. Yet, when the Egyptian
people expressed their will, all they heard from the representatives of
their African brothers were the same remarks and positions that were coming
out of the West. That caused a deep wound in the relationship between the
Egyptian people and the representatives of the African peoples.
Concluding my remarks in that meeting I said: You have undertaken three
visits to Cairo so far. But Egypts participation in AU activities remains
suspended. You will always be welcome in Egypt, which has been and remains a
country for African peoples. But we hope that your fourth visit will not be
for the same purpose but rather to offer congratulations that Egypt and
Africa have reunited as one to voice the will of the African peoples against
all forces that seek to obstruct the peoples will.
Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni and Dr. Kiiza Besigye Uganda is in anarchy"
Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni na Dk. Kiiza Besigye Uganda ni katika machafuko"
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