PAN-AFRICANISM Revisited: Vision and Reality of African Unity and Development 1 PAN-AFRICANISM Revisited: Vision and Reality of African Unity and Development

Abstract: This paper revisits the ideology of Pan-Africanism and examines how it has been institutionalized into a pan-continental Organization of African Unity (OAU) and now transformed into the African Union (AU). The author reviews some of the problems and challenges that have been encountered by the Pan-African movement. In particular, the role of Western countries in promoting their interests in Africa and the renewed interest in the movement especially the part played by the Libyan leader in helping to engineer the OAU into AU are analyzed. The paper concludes that what started as a movement for African unity and political independence has now evolved in an age of globalization into a struggle for African unity and sustainable development. To achieve these stated goals will require attitudinal change on the part of African leaders especially a new orientation towards the consolidation of democracy, rule of law and good governance in the continent. PAN-AFRICANISME revisité: Vision et réalité de l’Unité africaine et du Développement Résumé: Ce document revisite l'idéologie di Pan-Africanisme et examine commen