Navin Ramgoolam Demands Effective & Transparent African Union Reform

Addis Ababa, 14 February 2025 : The air hung heavy with the weight of expectation at the 38th African Union Summit. In a moment of impassioned oratory, Mauritius’ Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, laid bare the continent’s challenges, delivering a stark warning and a call to arms. His voice, echoing through the halls, demanded nothing less than a radical reshaping of the Union itself.

The Prime Minister minced no words.

The existing structure, he declared, was failing the African people.

His central message: an urgent, ruthless overhaul of the AU’s institutions.

Transparency, efficiency, and above all, financial independence were the cornerstones of his vision.

He spoke of the crippling reliance on external funding, a shackle that must be broken if the AU is to truly serve its people.

But the call for reform went further. The current peace and security architecture, he argued, was inadequate.

A plea for a realignment of responsibilities between the UN Security Council and the AU resonated with the pressing need for a more potent force for stability across the vast continent.

Ramgoolam’s commitment to the future was absolute.

He emphatically reaffirmed Mauritius’ dedication to Agenda 2063, the blueprint for Africa’s long-term development.

He championed the African Continental Free Trade Area, seeing in it the engine for economic progress, a catalyst for growth.

He envisioned a continent governed by the rule of law, advocating for the creation of an African Court of Justice, a bastion of peace and human rights.

Yet, it was the spectre of climate change that cast the longest shadow.

Ramgoolam’s words painted a bleak picture, highlighting the particularly vulnerable position of Africa and its small island nations.

He argued that only a reformed, revitalised AU could hold international bodies accountable and enforce the critical commitments needed to combat the impending environmental catastrophe.

In this powerful address, Ramgoolam presented himself as a champion of a new Africa.

His plea, a passionate indictment of the status quo, was a desperate call for autonomy, for efficiency, for an AU that is not just reactive, but proactive, engaged, and ready to navigate the perils of the 21st century.

The continent, he warned, cannot afford to wait. The time for decisive action is now.

Source: Defi Media