Is the AU as an institution protecting Chergui?

One of the great advancements made in the last few years would undoubtedly be the redressing of ill against the female gender that has carried on for as far back as any historian can accurately put.

Discrimination against women, suppression, disenfranchisement, marginalization, sexual and physical abuse, shaming and emotional abuse, among many ills, are part of a dark past, a continuing reality but an avoidable future woman face.

However, in the middle of the last decade, precisely in 2006, TaranaBurke, a civil rights activist from The Bronx, New York, framed two words that would help demand justice for women. Those simple words were: Me Too. These words have been retweeted over a million times and translated into hundreds of languages to give women a voice, a hope, and a power to demand change. It has brought down the great captains of industries or should we say gatekeepers of a patriarchal system that would undermine women. The likes of Harvey Weinstein, Bill O’Reilly, and countless others, whose names no longer matter.

The movement, though with its flaws, not only succeeded in tilting the balance of power between oppressors and oppressed, it strengthened the fourth wave of feminism and brought women issues in politics, corporate world, academia and everywhere else into mainstream dialogue. It gave women hope and a voice. But not all women have found their voices yet-especially not the ones in Africa’s highest sphere of influence and power: The African Union(AU).

Ambassador Smail Chergui is a cool, collected looking man who in 2013 was nominated at the head of the AU Commission for Peace andSecurity. He is also one man fingered at by scores of women who work at the for discrimination and sexual crimes, yet he has been protected from the consequences of his actions by the same body that “To promote and protect human and peoples’ rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant human rights instruments.”This would in today’s enlightened society be called “enabling”.Its meaning is similar to being an accomplice before, during and after the
fact.

In 2016, Chergui tweeted “We welcome the UNSC Resolution adopted by14-0 yesterday to combat sexual abuse & exploitation by peacekeepers.”In 2017, he also posted from his twitter handle “A major step to end sexual exploitation & abuse in peacekeeping missions is to deploy more women in uniform. #AU concurs & we’re doing it.”

In January 2018, an AU internal petition signed by 37 women members of the AU Commission condemned discriminatory practices against female civil servants inside the commission. The internal investigation revealed harassment and sexual misconducts. A month after, an internal inquiry was open against women marginalization, sexual and other forms of harassment and a lot of women confidentially gave witness to Cherugi’s ill-behaviour. Quartz Africa, a media covering continental socio-political and economics events, broke the news of the AU abuse with the headline: The systematic discrimination that’s brought the African Union to its own #MeToo reckoning.

But that reckoning never came. Quartz’s coverage was on the fact the women felt overlooked for promotions; their contracts ended without explanation, and alleged corruption and manipulation of hiring practices and daily discrimination.

The media outlet noted that AU commission deputy chair Kwesi Quartey apologised to the women on May 19, 2018, and promised to investigate the matter.“The commission is the executive body of the union, but the women accusers say it is hamstrung by internal power struggles and boys club.”A year after and there is no redress or justice for the women.

Instead, a scapegoat was made of El Ghassim Wane, AUC Chief of Staff and Chief Advisor. Chergui managed to manipulate the situation and steer some charges toWane, who was his enemy. This forced wane to resign after a career that spanned over thirty years at the AUC.

The issue here is not about Chergui or Wane or whichever character has also been named or accused in the suppression of women’s right and freedom at the AU.

The point is that nothing has changed and justice still eludes women in Africa. In the continent’s highest body, the practice of “something for something” puts the careers of illustrious, brave and dedicated women at the mercy of men who believe they are entitled to decide who moves up the rank. The very fact of this injustice puts every female in Africa at risk because if accountability and trust is lost at such level then there is little participation for African women in the benefits their counterparts around the world enjoy in a world woman have now found their voices.

Worse would be the fact that this hypocrisy or lip service of AU to be fighting for gender equality would slow progress for women as it gives a form that has no substance. In order words, women would have a false sense of belonging which would perpetuate for as long as they do not come to terms with reality-they are yet to have a place at the table.

But let’s make the issue about Chergui for the very purpose of understanding why there is still no justice for women in this landmark case. This case makes one wonder why the AU is yet to take decisive action and if they are indeed protecting a system that undermines the African women.

The question a sincere heart would ask is this: Despite all evidence of abuse, is the AU as an institution protecting Chergui?

Johnson is a commentator from Lagos