INSIGHT

Obenewa Amponsah

ALTHOUGH it has been 30 years since Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe passed away, his message of African unity is more relevant now than ever. As xenophobic attacks occur throughout South Africa, as the global financial crisis heightens pressures on African economies and as people of African descent think of Africa Day, the question of what it means to be an African; and what values ought to govern our relationships with one another, can no longer remain a purely philosophical or academic exercise.

The question of African unity is one that has a bearing on every aspect of our lives, from our economic and political development to our social and physical well-being.

So while we pay homage to Sobukwe and his legacy of transformational leadership, we must also, for our own sake, learn from our successes as a continent as well as our ongoing challenges. One scenario, representative of our pursuit of peace and unity, as well as the disappointments and missteps which we regularly encounter, is that of Burundi.

As recent media reports illustrate, renewed hostilities have placed Burundi’s peace accord in imminent danger. Yet, despite the setbacks and difficulties, Burundians, who have laboured since 1998 to achieve a lasting peace, have much to teach the international community about the path to reconciliation.

Utilising Burundi’s peace building experience we can develop more effective means for bringing all parties to the table – literally and figuratively. In 1998, when the Burundi Peace Process began, the country was in the midst of a protracted conflict. Since the time of independence the small landlocked nation had experienced periodic bouts of violence and retribution between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups.

Given that scores of Hutus and Tutsis had died as a result of the violence, there was understandably little foundation for the goodwill necessary to enter into negotiations for peace.

Despite this challenge, the late Tanzanian President Julius Mwalimu Nyerere, the initial mediator, and Nelson Mandela, who took over from him upon his death, succeeded in engaging all 19 factions in dialogue. All became signatories to the Arusha Accord, creating a common basis from which to develop a lasting peace.

From Burundi we can also learn valuable lessons in creating and maintaining coalition governments; as well as how to move forward in the aftermath of ethnic violence, particularly when one group is an extreme minority. In Burundi’s case, where the politically dominant Tutsis make up 15 percent of the population, the Hutus 84 percent and the Twa one percent of the population, the principle of compromise is reflected in the executive powers of the government, in which there are two vice-presidents from different ethnic groups and different political parties.

Additionally, any party with five percent of the votes can participate in government, mitigating against the exclusion of smaller ethnic groups from the political process.

Finally, from Burundi we can better understand how leadership, when not democratically elected, can arrive at a decision to submit to the ballot, even when it means an end to their positions of power and influence.

Unfortunately, there is a common perception that African leaders strive to be “presidents for life” by any means necessary. However, the leadership of Pierre Buyoya belies this assertion.

Rather than remaining in the presidency, Buyoya left office in 2003, making way for the establishment of a democratic dispensation.

Since then, the former president has continued working towards peace and reconciliation through the Foundation for Unity, Peace and Democracy, which he heads.

Today, as Burundians and the international community continuously work to realise the vision laid out at the turn of the millennium in the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, it is important to reflect on the milestones – good and bad – that have brought us to the 10th anniversary of the Burundian peace process, most notably the Permanent Ceasefire Agreement, signed in November 2003; and the Pretoria Protocol for Power-sharing, negotiated in 2004.

As South Africa continues playing a seminal role in Burundi’s peace process, this reflection is critical to ensuring the long-term success of mediation efforts; not only in Burundi, but also in achieving lasting peace and equitable justice in Zimbabwe, Kenya, the Horn of Africa and beyond.

For those of us in civil society who may not be on the forefront of African diplomacy, these reflections can help us to better understand our role whether at home or abroad as citizens, advocates and, above all, agents of peace and social cohesion.

As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of Sobukwe’s death, we must strive to actualise his message of African unity by creating opportunities to learn from our past and present, in the hope of bestowing a more human face upon our future.

Obenewa Amponsah is the director of international partnerships for the Steve Biko Foundation. The foundation, in partnership with the University of Fort Hare and the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Trust, will host the fourth Robert Sobukwe Memorial Lecture at UFH in Alice at 10am today.