Federation in East Africa

Australia can play a significant role in setting these countries on a more benign path. It would take far less effort and resources than the Americans’ increasingly desperate attempts to bring Iraq into the democratic fold. An encouragement of trade links, training in civil and military fields, institution strengthening, and active encouragement of the cultural exchanges and people-to-people links which are already in place would reward this country with influence in an increasingly important part of the world.

At the time of independence Britain advocated an East African Federation, consisting of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda as the best way forward. While it was rejected at the time, and for most of the intervening period was an impossible dream, the concept of federation is again under serious consideration, with a suggested target date of 2015 for economic and political union.

Early moves have not been promising: a customs union that was meant to operate from the beginning of last year has been bogged down in bureaucratic technicalities. There is a serious danger the whole project may be shelved simply through a lack of capacity to move it forward.

Once again Australia should be involved. After 100 years as a federated nation it has the experience and expertise to help revive the process. A strong, democratic and stable state in this part of the world could become a regional superpower and a bulwark against the spread of international terrorism into Africa.

It would be better equipped to meet the exigencies of famine, drought and pestilence, while being well positioned to exert a beneficial influence on its less fortunate neighbours.

This need not be a big dollar mission and it certainly should not be undertaken with American-style razzmatazz about bringing democracy and freedom to the oppressed masses. Properly conducted, the accrued benefits would be substantial and the cause of world peace well served.

Then perhaps, there might be something more substantial for a future high commissioner to write about when he researches a pamphlet to mark the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations with Kenya.