Defense of S. K. B. Asante on African Integration

Convictions for Tomorrow?

Abstract

S. K. B. Asante understood that regional and continental integration of Africa is a slow and tedious process which, probably, has no end, though it has benchmarks and milestones to strive for and to achieve. In his numerous writings on the subject, there is evidence to suggest that he understood there were phases of regional and Africa’s development and integration and that the “expectations, reality and challenges” would change over time. In lieu of these considerations, he promoted both structuralist and functionalist ethos for integration. By doing so, he became the perpetual optimist, an apologist, who knew that though the journey to the mountain top may be arduous, he also appreciated also that, though he might not get to the top with Africa, he dreamt of a fully integrated Africa through regional and continental free trade. He visualized common currency, common markets, and the ultimate unification of the political standards of governance throughout Africa, with deep adherence to a revitalized AU protocols, regulations, customs, traditions and rules, despite identity politics, xenophobia and vigilantism. In fact, he never touched on those social ills of hate: identity politics, ethnic politics, Afroxenophobia, and vigilantism that have undermined and slowed down continental integration. This paper interrogates his works, motivations and pronouncements as a way of encouraging progressive development towards integration and tries to understand why he continued to push for integration, despite the deep challenges caused by some African Presidents, policies that undermine integration, poor funding mechanisms of the OAU/AU, and the lack of sustainable political will. Relying on the content analysis approach to investigations, the key finding in this paper is that, in his search to identify what Africa wants by way of integration, he pushed too hard, too quickly, too optimistically in an ecosystem, where there is cognitive dissonance about regional and continental integration, where the fundamentals are often not good, where government policies neutralize free market initiatives, euthanize the happiness of the people via restrictive human rights provisions, and weaken their agency.