The Failed Ecowas Vision 2020 And Au Are Responsible For “die-Trying” On The Mediterranean Sea Or “ Stay-Suffering” In Africa

I am writing this article “In memory of the ECOWAS and Africa Citizens who have lost their lives crossing the Mediterranean sea to seek better life in Europe, to terrorist attacks , Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic”. The African youths are confronted with the decision between “Die-trying and Stay-suffering “ in Africa. Due to travel visa requirements and restriction , our youths are forced to choose “Die-trying “approach by making perilous journey through Libya to cross the Mediterranean sea ( which even majority died on the way to Libya, those who made it to Libya sometimes are being sold to gangs as a commodity and got their organs harvested ) in attempt reach to Europe , those who luckily made it from Libya by unfit, rusty and dangerous small boat either died/missing on the sea before reaching the shores of Europe. What measures and policies has the African Union and ECOWAS taken in respect of this problems?

Oftentimes, those who survived death on the Mediterranean sea got stranded at the shores of Europe due to political frictions between Italy, Spain and Malta on which member country to accept more of the immigrants from the sea. Deciding to Stay-suffering approach also has its own consequences, youth choosing the later are faced with poverty and unemployment at home

. Poverty and unemployment is one of the Ghanaian and African problems that cages the youths on the decision-chart of either “Die-trying” or Stay-suffering. Scientific paper on Ghana’s unemployment by (ISSER, June 3, 2017) estimates show that approximately 10% of Ghanaian graduates get a job a year after school, and the majority obtain secure jobs approximately ten (10) years later and how many of the graduates can wait for the next 10 years to receive income ?.

I believe not all the African youths would love to migrate to seek greener pastures in a foreign land but circumstances informed their decisions of either “stay-suffer” or “Die-try” to embark on such dangerous journey because Africa had failed in the sustainable development of the continent, and this failure is partly responsible for the huge influx our youths on wrongs routes to Europe, and subsequent death in the process. Of course, we cannot discount and discredit the few improvements in some areas ( such as the African Continental Free Trade Area) on the continent by our leaders , however, this is below par , looking at the abundance of natural resources at our disposal and the years of attaining independence.

Brief on ECOWAS Vision 2020, it came into June 2007, the Vision 2020 focuses on eradication of poverty and the consolidation of regional peace and security as well as the promotion of sustainable social and economic development. The Vision, had an overarching slogan “moving from an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of Peoples”, was based on five pillars: (i) peace and security; (ii) good governance; (iii) development of the region’s resources;

(iv) economic and monetary integration; and (v) promotion of the private sector. The Continent could not guarantee the youths of its own main objective of regional peace and security, Africa experienced six(6) successful coups d’état (Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, and Sudan ) and one failed ( Guinea-Bissau) recently, and as we speak Sudan on is fire . Surprisingly, the era ECOWAS moved from States level to peoples ( ECOWAS of Peoples), is when the Peoples are also moving from ECOWAS and AU to Europe! More questions than answers.

Indeed, Africa is a failed continent, ECOWAS and AU had failed the people and we must admit this fact, after the failure of ECOWAS vision 2020, there’s new ECOWAS Vision 2050 and AU Agenda 2063. Inasmuch as long-term vision is important, I am of the view that, the continent needs refocus short-term realistic, achievable and adjustable vision ( one that encompass global and regional developments) to incorporates in the long-term visions from sustainable development perspective as defined by Norwegian Prime Minister, 1987, Ms Gro Harlem Brundtland, and I quote “development which meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs”. Then, if the AU and ECOWAS could not institute measures within the tenets of their own visions , then , “we are not only compromising on the ability of the future generations but catastrophic failure in meeting the needs of the present generation”.

The future ( talents, human capital, skills etc) of Africa is being washed away at the shores of Europe and we seem unconcerned. Data from UNCHR estimates a total of 8, 899 Africans are dead/missing on the Mediterranean sea from 2018-2022. The architects of African instability never disappears, natural disasters, diseases and pandemics never ceases, therefore, we need actionable measures now not long-term paper-work visions. The African people cannot continue a “Die-trying” to foreign land and “stay-suffering” in their motherlands.

“In memory of the African martyrs who lost their lives on the sea, terrorist attacks , Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic and because the system failed “ God Bless Ghana & Long Live Africa.

Produced by : Mr. Evans DARKO, Doctoral Researcher , CREM LAB , FRANCE.

Keys: Institute of Statistics, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) , African Union (AU) Economic Community of West African Countries ( ECOWAS), United Nations High

Commissioner For Refugees ( UNCHR)