Dec. 5, 2007                                                                                                                                                                                                    African Union leaders are gearing up for the forth coming summit with their European counterparts (European Union) in Lisbon Portugal on 8-9 Dec.2007. This is not the first time summit has been held between Europeans and Africans. Now and then summits were held for Africa even in their absence. Berlin conference of 1884 was a prime example of a summit on Africa in which Africans were not invited, its ramification has not been totally addressed. This December summit is billed as a mutual advantage conference, where leaders with mutual interests will sit down and exchange ideas and views on advancing the interests of both parties. Well, this is good thing for all the parties involved.

Cost of time and money                                                                                                                                                                                        What is the significant of this summit? How will it make Africa better? What does it mean to an average African? These are important questions that African leaders must ask, before the commencement of this meeting. When answers are affirmative, they can strategies and formulate the requisite methodology to accomplish their targeted goals. Scare resources and time must expended for this summit, African leaders have to pay their ways to Lisbon for the meeting. European Unions are calling the meeting, they should underwrite the travel expenses of the African leaders because they have more resources and the meeting is more important to them. After all, the African soil contain all the resources including oil, forestry, precious metals and minerals they are scrambling for their industries. EU must remember that America, China, India and many others are jockeying for a piece of action in Africa - to power their burgeoning cities and manufacturing sectors.

African leaders could utilize this summit to convey to an average African, they are serious about Africa. Yes, the average African, is one person everybody talks about but nobody really wants to help. The average African lives in the remote part of the continent, surviving with less than $2 a day. He and his family are without social amenities - no good drinking water, poor health facilities and without electric power supply. Most of all, no jobs and no opportunities to improve his livelihood.

Beyond diplomatic niceties

The disaster that beset Haiti is colossal and the human suffering with destruction brought by earthquake is up to biblical proportion. The whole world is coming together to help Haiti, the poorest country in Northern Hemisphere, to safe lives and ameliorate human sufferings. Africa is not missing in the picture; many African countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda and others are offering assistance to Haiti but they should synchronize their effort.

Nigerians are already part of the UN police mission in Haiti that are assiduously working to rescue people who are missing and trapped in the fallen building structures. The Nigerian Vice President Jonathan Ebele Goodluck has promised to follow up with more assistance. Rwanda and Liberia governments have contributed US $100, 000 and $50,000 respectively. Senegalese government has promised to offer land to Haitians, those that are willing to come to Senegal. And "South Africa - The government has announced a three-phase assistance package: deployment of doctors to a search and rescue team led by Rescue South Africa, a non-profit company; deployment of forensic pathologists to help identify bodies; provision of unspecified humanitarian aid in partnership with South African NGOs".

All these contributions by African countries are the right steps in affirmative direction but the planning lacks vitality and coherence. In this case Africa needs coordination that will enable her to make a reasonable impact; this is not to negate the singular effort made by each country. But when they come together under the auspices of African Union the impact will be greatly felt and they will speak with one voice. The whole world will understand that Africa can work together for the rescue and revitalization that citizens of the world are doing in Haiti. African governments must not make this solely a government intervention operation but must devise a method to include their citizens especially the wealthy people in the country to contribute to a Haiti fund and NGOs that are dedicated to charity works.

Afripol Organization has applauded Liberia and Rwanda for the cash donations they made to Haiti. For inspite of the economic downturn and problems these countries were experiencing still they made these donations. Rwanda with her past history of genocide and destruction understood quite well the suffering and Liberia with her legacy of civil war knew what it means to lose life and property on a staggering scale.

Obama's American has taken the lead and has done a good job and the American people have followed with donations. Africans can learn from this; not by giving large resources which they do not have but having a concerted planning and coordination. Nigeria and South Africa the two largest economies in Africa must shoulder bigger responsibilities, simultaneously showing sense of leadership by working together to streamline African response.

Mr. Emeka Chiakwelu is the Principal policy strategist at Afripol Organization. Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center (Afripol) is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.