Global Policy Forum

Africans living outside the continent could be offered dual citizenship and other benefits in return for helping finance the cash-strapped African Union, an AU official said on Tuesday. The idea aims to tap into the enormous wealth and power of millions of people of African origin, and in return, offer them economic and social benefits on the continent, Jimmi Adisa said.

Rather than concentrating on issues like reparations for the slave trade, members of the African diaspora should turn the painful experience to Africa's advantage, the head of the AU's think tank - the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Co-operation, said.

"Our people are there, and they could be our ambassadors - this is our chance to move forward," he said. "We want to transform our tragedy into a source of strength. So far we have been crying over the disadvantages and not looking to the advantages."

Power of diaspora

African leaders agreed last week at a two-day AU summit in Addis Ababa to push ahead with the plans to tap the power of the diaspora. Initially they are holding a series of discussions to determine exactly what role the diaspora could play and what benefits Africans abroad could reap. The idea would be to tap their expertise in technology and education to overcome the enormous obstacles to economic development on the continent, Adisa said.

The leaders believe that the diaspora can help bankroll the fledgling AU which has already inherited a $40m debt from its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity. At present African member states contribute to a fund to support the African Union. South Africa tops the list with an annual contribution of about $2m, while oil-rich Nigeria pays about $1.7m.

Cost proposals

The organisation is studying several costly proposals, including the establishment of an African parliament, a central bank, a common African currency and a continent-wide court.

"Finance is a part of the problem," Adisa said. "If we are going to mobilise, then we have a resource base outside the continent which is the Africans in the diaspora.

He said there was enormous support among 20 million Americans of African origin to play a role in the continent's future development through strong emotional ties with Africa.

"Imagine what the AU would look like if they (African-Americans) gave five dollars each," he said, adding that participants in a disaspora conference last December in Washington had favoured the idea of an endowment for Africa.

Fringe benefits like free visas and business opportunities that are normally restricted to nationals could be used to encourage members of the diaspora into playing a role, Adisa said.

"They are our constituency, and we believe they should be involved," he said.

AU officials and African leaders are also considering creating another commissioner - in addition to the five that already focus on Africa - to concentrate on the diaspora. The international community is sceptical about the role of the AU, and the African diaspora can help overcome this, Adisa said.

"We want to use them to explain our position, to use them as a communications piece."

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