The union of Ghana, Guinea and Mali, announced at the end of a summit meeting between the Presidents of these three Republics, is another welcome, albeit feeble, sign of the emergence of the “African Personality.”
In their political and social outlooks, the three Presidents, Mr. Nkrumah of Ghana, Mr. Sekou Toure of Guinea and Mr. Modibo Keita of Mali are very much alike. The present union is more than an extension of the loose union that has already been in existence between Ghana and Guinea.
Owing to practical difficulties — the lack of a common frontier between Ghana and Guinea for one — that union was more symbolic than of any real significance. In the present set-up Mali and Guinea which have common frontier and both of which have been isolated from the other Republics by French machinations will stand to gain.
Mali, which suffered from the breakaway of Senegal, may now hope to shore up the breaches in its economy by working out a pattern of interdependence with Guinea. But the lack of a common frontier with Ghana will pose some difficulties in the implementation of a common economic and monetary policy.
However, in spite of all the difficulties, the new union will help offset the effects of the formation of the pro-Western Council of Understanding States of Sahel Benin, which includes Upper Volta and the Ivory Coast which separate Ghana from Guinea and Mali.
That the new union means business is evident from the decision of the three Presidents to exchange resident ministers and to have common diplomatic representation abroad. This experiment will be watched with great interest; for, it is the success of this experiment that will bring home to the newly independent countries of Africa the advantages of integration and the dangers of balkanisation.
27th December, 1960.
