Exclusive interview: Edem Kodjo talks about FCFA, ECOWAS, Morocco, the DRC, clandestine migration ...

"Fieffé optimistic for the future of Africa", it is thus that is defined that which some calls the last "Pan-Africanist" survivor of his generation still in Africa. In this exclusive interview, Edem Kodjo himself confirms his obsessive attachment to Africa in these terms: "pan-Africanist yesterday, pan-Africanist today, pan-Africanist always". It is precisely under this prism that we have drawn from him some answers relating to certain debates which excite the continent. The controversies over the CFA, the questions of the entry and / or return of certain countries in the African Union and ECOWAS, its misadventures in the political facilitation that it led in the largest French- Africa, DRC, immigration ... the former minister and Prime Minister of Togo, former Secretary General of the OAU,



Good morning, Mr. President, and thank you for this interview. For some time, the debate on the CFA franc has made waves, unleashing passions. Do you share the view of those who argue that this currency is a brake on the development of the countries that use it?
Yes and no.

No, because it has proved its worth for many decades by the discipline and rigor it has imposed on this monetary zone, thus avoiding it various torments and mistakes, even if it is not free.

Yes, because it yields in some way or another to part of the sovereignty of our countries, knowing that money is one of the proven areas of its exercise, But above all because it hinders a certain audacity in terms of the will to develop and the salutary risks to be assumed for this development. But this debate is not new and I know something about it. I must remind you that the late President Eyadema had raised this problem publicly and almost in the same terms during the official visit of French President Georges POMPIDOU to Togo in 1972. I confess today that I wrote this Speech for the Head of State. Speech that we had kept strictly secret until its pronouncement. This courage or this insult, according to it, had upset the usual protocolary rules and made a lot of noise in the French economic circles of the time. This led to the far-reaching reforms at the level of the BCEAO and UEMOA at that time (1973-1975); With the reorganization of the rules of the bank, the appointment of an African at the head of the Institution and the transfer of the headquarters to Dakar etc.

Are we not faced with an argument that clears African leaders of the failure of their governance?
I personally think it's a little more complicated than that.

Mauritania, Madagascar and Guinea have said no to this currency; For they do not get better than the others

You touch the finger of an important point of the question. Being outside the CFA franc zone is not in itself a guarantee of success or good governance and being part of it does not necessarily mean failure. Some countries that are not members of the zone express their desire to try the adventure. Several elements must be taken into account. We shall see later.

President François Hollande in his day had asked the heads of state of the countries concerned to make proposals to him on the matter. But obviously on the African side, nobody wants to take the plunge.

Maybe it's not done yet, but the time will come when we can not escape this. It will then be necessary to give a collective response to a question that is far from being a problem of individual countries.

It will somehow have to abandon this currency one day. What are the prerequisites for the African side? How should one proceed in order not to make a leap into the void?

Doubtless, and you are right, you will have to abandon this currency one day or another. This may be true, but it is not with a mere incantation, It is more a question of will, vision and courage. Like Prometheus, it will be necessary to seek the fire of Olympus.

In this regard, it can not be forgotten that the West African Heads of State and Government decided at the ECOWAS summit in Lomé in 1999 to encourage and support the creation of a second monetary zone in West Africa Next to that of the UEMOA. A two-tiered approach that led to the creation of the English-speaking ECOWAS countries (Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone plus Guinea), with Nigeria in the lead, in Accra in 2000 ECOWAS Monetary Cooperation Program launched in 1987, the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ).

A headquarters of the WAMZ was created for this purpose with headquarters in Accra and directed in its day by the Nigerian economist and banker, Dr. Temitope Oshikoya.

The 6 countries of the WAMZ had therefore committed themselves to restructuring their economies in accordance with stringent convergence criteria in order to create, by the end of 2003, the ECO, the single currency within the WAMZ; Which would then link up with the WAEMU countries, already sharing the Cfa franc zone, to create the ECO, which would be the common currency of all the 15 ECOWAS countries. The creation of a West African Monetary Institute (WAMI) and a West African Central Bank (BCAO) for these six English-speaking countries. Deadlines have even been set. First in 2003, then in December 2009; Then January 2015 and 2020. You tell me that the same objective, that is, the creation of the ECO, is being postponed for the next 10 to 15 years.

There is no need to jump into the void, let alone without a safety net. In this area, there are formulas, there are canons and ways of doing things that are established, regardless of the country, regardless of the currency area. It is a consummate art, the management of a currency. The proof, you have indicated above, countries, large or small, which are accommodated to the historical choices they have made.

In Monrovia, at the 78th ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission, Marcel de Souza spoke of "the non-convergence of the economies of ECOWAS member states" to justify the impossibility of realizing the Community currency before 5 or 10 years. At this pace, will it take a long time with the CFA?
The question of the convergence of economies? Let's talk about it ... The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr de Souza is a banker. He knows what he is talking about.

Above all, and in my humble opinion, there is a lack of leadership on this issue; But it must also be admitted that some States hesitate to renounce part of their sovereignty. Some, not least, have expressed the desire that the others rally rather to their national currency and that no longer speak. It's arrogance. You can see that the same symptoms can be found elsewhere than those revealed by the CFA franc.

Let us return to the convergence criteria. Four of these were known as First Rank and 5 Second Row.
The criteria of First Rank being:

1- The rate of inflation end period less than 10% or equal to 5%;

2- Gross foreign exchange reserves covering 3 to 6 months of imports;

3- Financing of the budget deficit by the Central Banks limited to 10% of the previous year's revenue;

4- The budget deficit Capped at 5% of GDP.

The Second Ranking criteria recommend:

1- Non-accumulation of arrears on domestic debt for a tax-to-GDP ratio of more than 20%,
2- The wage-to-tax ratio must be less than or equal to 35%;
3- The ratio of public investments to tax revenues must be greater than or equal to 20%;
4- The exchange rate must move in a band of plus or minus 15% of the exchange rate mechanism;
5- The real interest rate must be positive.

All the monetary unions have passed through it and pass by there. These criteria, first and second ranking, which are in fact close to those of the WAEMU zone, have never been reached as a whole since the beginning of the process by the 6 WAMZ states. This explains the postponements of 2003, 2009 and 2015 by the Council of Convergences of the single currency.
The Performance Report published in January 2014 in Banjul by the WAMZ Technical Commission indicates that the performance rate is around 66.5% and states that only Nigeria has met the four First Rank. Liberia and Sierra Leone met three criteria each, Liberia only missed the criterion of gross reserves and Sierra Leone, the rate of inflation.
Ghana, Guinea and the Gambia have met two criteria each, including those related to the financing of budget deficits by central banks and gross foreign exchange reserves.
These criteria, which may be binding but unavoidable, and which are commensurate with the ambitions of major countries, eager to leave the guardianship of the Franc Cfa, To reconquer their sovereignty entirely and to trace together a destiny other than that which History imposed on them, that is what is at stake, here is all the stake.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said on June 29, 2017 at the General Assembly of the African Development Bank (Afrexibank) that the WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) is responsible for Delay in the process of integration within ECOWAS. Do you agree?

This is an opinion which I do not share at all, and the demonstration I have just given you explains why. We are rather numerous to expect much from Nigeria, this colossal force capable of moving mountains. Is she really willing to play that leadership role? I am not convinced.

The Heads of State of ECOWAS agreed in principle for the accession of Morocco at the 51st Ordinary Session on June 4th in Monrovia. You are, along with Nigerian Adebayo Adedeji, one of the drafters of the constitution of ECOWAS. Does Morocco have a place in ECOWAS?

Morocco has its place in Africa. It is understandable that she wants to integrate ECOWAS. The basic question is whether this should be the form. Morocco is on the way to becoming an economic and trade power and a truly emerging country. In order to meet the integration requirements of the European Union, it has made a lot of investment efforts to move up to the level of an average European country, and it continues on this path. It has therefore proved its worth and the various installations it has carried out in banking, insurance, telecommunications and infrastructure, etc. In West Africa and elsewhere on the continent prove it easily. We are rather proud to have on our continent, a country capable of offering services that we are often obliged to seek compulsorily in the West. The substantive issue that arises here does not concern Morocco, but the countries of ECOWAS.

Morocco has enough to "fill" a market of three hundred and fifty million inhabitants in West Africa; But, as the poet LS Senghor would say, What can ECOWAS and its member countries offer to this "give and take" event? Morocco is not like China which imports raw materials in considerable quantities. What can we sell him? Is not the exchange unequal? Our regional organization has not yet finished its structuring and has not yet settled all its internal problems (free movement of persons and goods, the right of its nationals to settle in the country of their choice, Within the Community, etc.). What can be objectively afraid is the obvious imbalance that this membership will create. A formula for economic and commercial cooperation, defined in the best interests of both entities, seems to me initially, A sure step towards building a more balanced environment that would allow us to get to know each other better. What can be proposed instead of integration is an ECOWAS-Morocco cooperation agreement, in which each party would find a win-win partnership. Following Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania strike the doors of ECOWAS. Is this rush from the North to West Africa originated in the failure of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) and the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area project? Let us start by saying that Mauritania was a member of ECOWAS. She left of her own free will. It will suffice to express his will to return to the "house" but it will have to explain why it left. We are also talking about Algeria. The entry of Tunisia meets the same criteria that I have mentioned for Morocco, even if the level of development is not exactly the same. It is true that the Arab Maghreb Union does not shine a thousand lights, and it is regrettable. The continent needs to be structured not only to preserve peace and strengthen fraternity among the peoples of its area, but above all to constitute a pole of development which will one day be able to fit into the continental puzzle, As the Founding Fathers had imagined. Today they are divided two by two and can only bring us their interminable quarrels. As for the Euro-Mediterranean free-trade area, there is a clear risk for some of the countries which, Apart from tourism and raw materials for those who have them, have nothing to oppose to the inflow of manufactured goods from European countries to their homes, which would kill the nascent industry of these countries. Is not ECOWAS ultimately a union of heads of state accustomed to the great masses, since in reality the obstacles to the free movement of the citizens of this community are more than ever present? ECOWAS is much more than just a union of Heads of State. The peoples are increasingly demanding and want development to go at a certain pace because today they can compare, thanks to the different media that bring images and sounds into their bedrooms. They can therefore be severe in their judgments. ECOWAS has made a lot of progress despite the slow movement of goods and people (we spend 3 hours to do the formalities on the Ghana side to get to Accra.) I hope that the Ghanaians do not suffer the same martyrdom to come to Lomé, and despite the non-opening of the border between our two countries 24/24.) You can not imagine the number of trucks arriving in Lomé, coming from countries that were once considered distant. Packages received weekly in Lomé, by road, from Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Mali, etc. I guess all the kinds of harassment that drivers and impotent passengers are subjected to cross borders within the community, but ECOWAS is advancing at its own pace. For someone like me who travels the Continent for questions of peace and conflict resolution, I can assure you that the leaders of our community react very quickly when conflicts arise, and sometimes even in anticipation. They move tirelessly, take turns, in small nuclei or in groups, discreetly or publicly, until the fire is extinguished. I have not seen much else. I did not hesitate to say this to leaders of Central and Eastern Africa when I was on a peace mission in Burundi. And then there is the ECOWAS passport, which is a not inconsiderable achievement. The situation in the DRC is still at an impasse. The African Union has appointed you as facilitator of the crisis in this country. What did not work? What did not work was that we chose the wrong solution to the detriment of the right one. The Agreements of October 18 that I managed to get signed, apart from a few questions of ego and people, put all the protagonists objectively at ease. This was by far the most realistic solution. The other truth is that the DRC is like a young and beautiful girl who has everything to please and that everyone covets. Both those with good intentions and predators. And I assure you that they are numerous and tough predators. All the actors in the crisis did not make it easy for you. Some have accused you of impartiality. It must be said that it was an accusation of impartiality with varying geometry and according to the direction in which the wind was blowing the interests of each. We were sometimes accused of impartiality for the benefit of the Opposition (the UDPS in particular) and sometimes for the benefit of the Majority. It is a dialectic which indicates rather a refusal of partiality. Everyone wants the facilitation to lean on its side. All facilitators have experienced this. But it is a matter of being upright and seeking a solid and lasting solution for the country, the people who live there today and those who will be there tomorrow, for Africa and the dignity of the Africans. The Episcopal Conference of this country did not help you either. And yet we started together and with a certain complicity. Anyway, They did nothing better than what I conceptually and diplomatically achieved, except to have installed the current confusion. And that's a shame for this kind of institution. Kofi Annan and nine former African heads of state launched a call for elections on 15 June before the end of the year. What do you think of this initiative? What do you think is the solution to this crisis? They have taken their responsibility towards the continent and can only congratulate or disapprove them, it is according to. The way out of the crisis belongs to the Congolese and requires well-organized elections and unassailable results. The time needed to organize these elections is another issue around which it is necessary to arrive at a consensus that takes an objective account of the terrain, the volume of work and the tasks to be accomplished. The DR Congo is 2.5 million km², 136,000 polling stations, 20,000 tons of electoral material to be transported, mostly by air or river or by foot. Everyone must pour some water into his wine and accept that we can not solve all the problems of such a vast country in a single day or in whimsical delays. We must accept victories in stages and work over time. As the other would say, time laughs at what is done without it. It is also necessary that certain actors of the international community cease constantly putting oil on fire, sometimes taking unrealistic and untenable positions. About 5,000 migrants died in 2016 in the Mediterranean, the hecatomb continues since the beginning of 2017. How can we explain the silence of African heads of state on this tragedy? 5000 is the population of a small town. Young people died in atrocious conditions. For some or some, after being tortured, raped and stripped of the little they had on them. Perhaps there has not yet been a Summit of Heads of State on this tragic subject, but taken individually, they are not silent. It is indeed a drama. You have recently listened to President Idriss DEBY, Then President-in-Office of the African Union on this subject. Should countries prevent their older citizens from going to countries at risk? It would take concerted action across the continent to devise solutions. It had been decided at a European summit that commando operations would hunt down the smugglers in their lair and destroy the boats upstream before they even went to sea to curb this odious traffic. But nothing was done on that side either. The other aspect that we are not talking about and that should worry our leaders is that houses in Africa are emptying out. You have more and more elderly parents who find themselves alone in many homes because the children have gone abroad, looking, at best, Of meager means of subsistence, at worst, of an infamous misery. Valid arms that leave our countries and that will probably not come back soon. Finally, the issue of intra-African immigration needs to be addressed very seriously. There are in Africa, immense countries but very sparsely populated. The population is very unevenly distributed. The density is slightly higher than 30 inhabitants per square kilometer, 3 times lower than that of the European Union. There is, therefore, room for people to migrate from one point to another and thus create a beneficial balance for the continent. You are a convinced pan-Africanist, very optimistic about the future of Africa. But are there still reasons to keep hope in reviewing all the crises that shake the Black Continent? Yes, I am an optimistic fieffé for the future of Africa, panafricanist yesterday, panafricanist today, panafricanist always. Yes, there are reasons. There are already more countries in peace than countries at war on the continent. It is also the continent where growth is increasing; Even if it is not yet sufficiently anchored to change the daily lives of all citizens. If it lasts a few more years, we will be able to nurture the hope of a committed and sustained development. It is the continent with immeasurable resources. Yes, it is the continent of the future. Yes, I believe in it. Pan-Africanist today, pan-Africanist always. Yes, there are reasons. There are already more countries in peace than countries at war on the continent. It is also the continent where growth is increasing; Even if it is not yet sufficiently anchored to change the daily lives of all citizens. If it lasts a few more years, we will be able to nurture the hope of a committed and sustained development. It is the continent with immeasurable resources. Yes, it is the continent of the future. Yes, I believe in it. Pan-Africanist today, pan-Africanist always. Yes, there are reasons. There are already more countries in peace than countries at war on the continent. It is also the continent where growth is increasing; Even if it is not yet sufficiently anchored to change the daily lives of all citizens. If it lasts a few more years, we will be able to nurture the hope of a committed and sustained development. It is the continent with immeasurable resources. Yes, it is the continent of the future. Yes, I believe in it. If it lasts a few more years, we will be able to nurture the hope of a committed and sustained development. It is the continent with immeasurable resources. Yes, it is the continent of the future. Yes, I believe in it. If it lasts a few more years, we will be able to nurture the hope of a committed and sustained development. It is the continent with immeasurable resources. Yes, it is the continent of the future. Yes, I believe in it.