Editor,

RE: "Why reinstatement of Burkina Faso’s interim leader is a victory for Pan-Africanism” (The New Times, September 28).

Apologists of western intervention in Africa’s internal affairs assert that Africans are not resolving their own issues and that’s why former colonial masters have to move in to help.

This patronising, condescending, imperialist hypocritical attitude needs to be curtained off by developing effective regional independent Pan-Africanist institutions that have less suggestibility and pressure from "international community” in order to fully work for the African cause.

Those institutions, in coordination with regional states and the African Union, should be able to prevent what happened in Côte d’Ivoire, Burundi, and Libya… The Libyan case should serve as a lesson when it comes to resolving African issues.

Due to lack of unity, some African leaders’ voted for western intervention in Libya and now the effects of that intervention are still spreading in the whole region like a cancer.

We need a strong, vibrant Pan-Africanist movement that can unite all continental regional blocks and are able to speak with one voice not only in regard to neo-colonialism, neo-liberalism, and imperialism, but also to straighten up some of our self-serving leaders who are keeping our continent lagging behind in development.

The recent handling of Burkina Faso coup d’état is a glimpse of what Africa can achieve if we unite together for the betterment of our continent.

Ndoli Sabi