Letter from the President: Africa un-confidential

Countrymen and women, loyalists and opponents, in commemoration of Africa Union week, I would like you all to spare a moment and think about our battered continent. As AU chairman I don’t get to do much and it is only on occasions like this that I can make my influence felt. So I have decided to say use this week’s letter to reflect on the state of our continent. As you read this letter, I am on a four-nation tour to promote African unity (and to escape the blackouts) but trust me, I am doing some serious thinking.

Usually, when I get to meet with my fellow heads of state, I don’t speak as freely and openly as I should. So a letter like this is the only means for me to say what I want, how I want it. In fact, I have decided that from now on my letter every last week in May would be about the African continent – just to show you that I am very passionate about what happens on the continent, whether I am AU chairman or not. Our continent today is plagued by disease, conflict, corruption and bad governance.