What are the prospects of having the United States of Africa?

Question

I read in http://www.africanexecutive.com about the proposal to have a United States of Africa to replace the current African Union among others. I had one concern though, given that all other forms of organisations have failed to meet their mandate, what are the prospects of having a workable United States of Africa?

There was also a follow up post on http://businessinfocus.blogspot.com sugesting that the US of Africa was already here through international trade and what was left was just to officially recognize it?

CAn such really work?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Until they can stop being so tribal and unite under a truly organized and civilied government. So yeah it won't happen.

Answer 2

The chances are pretty remote.  

The governments of Africa are some of the most corrupt in the world.  None would want to give up *any* of their power.

The tribes in those countries hold great animosity towards each other.  It's hard to keep a country together, much less a unity of nations.

Answer 3

It seems pretty slim to me. They have been fighting each other for centuries over there. I think they really, I mean really hate each other.

Answer 4

Only if there is a dictator strong enough to conquer the whole continent. The would never willingly join such a union, the continent is a collection of dictators, kings and chiefs who have carved out their own little fiefdoms and fight and oppress all those who oppose them. Not exactly the founding father types.

Answer 5

I don't think it is at all possible in the near future.  A huge difference between Africa and the origin of the USAmerica is that the founders were all from the same country and based a political system on something they were all familiar with.  Resolving the differences between political and ethnic factions within each individual African country is in itself such a difficult task, that bringing each country into a working federation is nearly inconceivable at this stage.

Answer 6

Not good. The Continent is just too politically & demographically fragmented to maintain a genuinely "united" structure. Maybe someday...  :)

Answer 7

A couple of centuries....maybe.

but by then everyone in world will be scrounging and preyed upon by Warlords and DICTATORS....

oh yeah....

and BIG BUSINESS

Answer 8

I sincerely doubt something like that could ever work.  Way too many differing factions at work.  Some of the nations don't even like their own people, much less one country over!

Unfortunately, I can see Islam trying to be the unifying force, kinda like the Borg from ST, TNG.  "resistance is futile".  Hey they want Islam to take over the world, it's not a bad place to start.

Answer 9

Until they can have at least half their countries not fighting a civil war every 20 years, not a chance.