By TEE NGUGI

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Every year, on May 25, Africa celebrates Africa Day to mark the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963.

In 2002, the African Union replaced the OAU in name and organisational structure. The AU has the same raison d’tre, mission, membership and philosophy. It is still inspired by nationalism of the 1960s and failed to move with the democratic times.

It has remained woefully unequipped to deal with the problems facing Africans today. It remains a talking shop, where African presidents come to renew their solidarity with one another, and ventilate against neocolonialism, even as they fail to stop thievery in their countries, and protect citizens from poverty, inequality and violence.

That discussion — of how the AU, just like its evil alter ego OAU, is a hindrance rather than aid towards Africa’s social and economic ambitions — is for another day. Today, let’s explore how commemorative activities around Africa Day can help reset the agenda for Africa of today.

Today’s Africa is beset by massive problems, some of which pose existential danger. Addis Ababa and Tigray have an uneasy peace after a bloody conflict.

Read: NGUGI: In 64 years, how has IDA reduced poverty in Africa?

Sudan’s armed forces and the paramilitary forces are engaged in a genocidal war that has killed thousands and displaced millions. Eastern Congo remains in a deadly struggle between government forces and M23 rebels.

Over the years, this region has been rampaged by militia groups, notorious for committing horrific atrocities against villagers. Every now and then, thousands are forced to collect their meagre belongings to escape the latest upsurge of violence.

Somalia remains fragile, with al-Shabaab committing massacres now and then. Nigerian northern states are often the scenes of killings of villagers and kidnapping of children by Boko Haram terrorists.

In West Africa, over the past three years, we have witnessed coup after coup. Now, the junta leaders, just like this column warned, have started entrenching themselves in power, abandoning earlier promises of early transition to civilian rule.

A majority of countries suffer extreme poverty with no end in sight, given the thieving governments in charge.

Save for a handful, African countries are experiencing economic stagnation or regression. Consequently, we see Africans risking everything to cross the Mediterranean Sea to escape violence and poverty.

Africa is in deep crises. Therefore, Africa Day commemorative activism must revolve around issues of violence, poverty and corruption. This is not the time for nice little poems about colonialism or neocolonialism.

The activism of today should mobilise national and international voices, actors and organisations against these conditions.

Instead of speeches extolling virtues of traditional African society or regurgitating the cultural nationalism of the sixties, let us talk about holding governments to account or how to deal with ethnic prejudice. Let’s articulate how we can rekindle the fire in the belly.

Let’s use Africa Day to re-imagine Africa with a view to reinventing it.

Tee Ngugi is a Nairobi-based political commentator