African Union - Essy's Withdrawal Ensures Top Job for Konare

9 July 2003
allAfrica.com
By Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Maputo — The former president of Mali, Alpha Oumar Konare, looked set to become Africa’s top diplomat Tuesday, after the formal withdrawal of Amara Essy, the current interim chairperson of the African Union Commission.

In a statement distributed Tuesday in the Mozambican capital, Maputo, the venue for the 2nd African Union summit, Essy said: "The Office of the President of Cote d’Ivoire, my country, announced on Monday 7 July, 2003, the withdrawal of my candidacy to the post of Chairperson of the African Union."

Essy, a former Ivorian foreign minister, and Konare, who relinquished the Malian presidency after democratic elections last year, were the only two contenders for the key post in the African Union, fashioned on its European counterpart, but with twice as many member states as the enlarged EU.

Contrary to earlier reports that Essy had himself abandoned the bid to retain his position as head of the AU commission, the statement seemed to imply that the decision had been imposed on him: "I take note of this decision with the assurance that this choice is in line with the interests of my country and, therefore, with those of my compatriots."

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo had given his backing to Essy, so the withdrawal of support for this seasoned diplomat will come as a blow. Essy had hoped to navigate the continent through the transition from the now defunct Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the birth of the AU and beyond.

The selection of the new AU commission chairperson should be decided at the summit in Maputo later this week. Konare, as the only remaining candidate, looks assured of getting the job.

It is thought that leaders wanted consensus to avoid a bruising battle on the choice of a new boss to oversee the secretariat of the African Union, which replaced the OAU to become the new continental organization at its first summit in Durban, South Africa a year ago.

Diplomats reported intense political negotiation and allAfrica learnt that a majority of African heavyweights - including South Africa and Nigeria - had thrown their support behind Konare, to raise the profile of the African Union by appointing a respected former head of state. Other smaller nations are said to have fallen into line with the more powerful nations.

Konare governed Mali for two terms for a decade from 1992 until 2002, the country’s first democratically elected leader to hand over power to another duly elected president - Amadou Toumani Toure. Toure was the former military ruler who had stepped down ten years earlier in favour of an elected Konare, 12 months after removing General Moussa Traore from power.

Before being elected president, Konare was a university professor of history and archaeology.

Assessing his stewardship from 2000 to 2002, first as the last secretary-general of the OAU and then the first chairperson of the AU Commission, Essy said in the statement "I endeavoured, with the remarkable and determined help of all the staff members of our organisation, to pave the way from unity to union, during those two transitional terms of office. The train of "renovated pan-Africanism"is henceforth on the rails."

But it appears that his efforts to unify Africa and end the continent’s many conflicts were not effective enough.

Those who support Konare’s candidacy hope that he will have the necessary clout and pulling power to propel the African Union into the 21st century, to make it relevant to the continent’s needs and aspirations.

Headaches ahead?

But critics say appointing a former head of state as Commission chairperson could herald its own headaches, including too much power invested in one individual. They also argue that someone who was once a president, but is now at the beck and call of his former peers could have difficulties.

The counter-argument is that a chairperson such as Konare would be dealing with other African leaders as their equal and could talk to them frankly.

Other executive appointments within the AU secretariat, as well as the post of Commission chairperson, should be decided in Maputo. The AU has 53 member states and will elect 10 Commission members - half of whom should be women, in line with the organisation’s Constitutive Act.

This latter issue is reported to have caused bitter tension in the plenary sessions of the AU’s Executive Council, which replaces the OAU’s Council of (foreign) ministers. South Africa, the inaugural and outgoing chair of the AU, has insisted that the regulations be observed.

Africa’s chief diplomats are busy preparing the agenda for the heads of state summit from July 10-12. The rules of the AU also stipulate that the newly-constituted Commission must equally represent the continent’s five regions.

South African President, Thabo Mbeki, should hand over the chairmanship of the African Union to President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique later this week.

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