Politics & Power Quote by Omar Bongo

The line lands like a pep talk, but it’s really a warning shot aimed at a familiar African political failure mode: institution-building that stops at symbolism. Omar Bongo frames the “new pan-African institution” not as a celebratory milestone but as a test of nerve. The key word is “up to.” Responsibility is being pushed upward and inward, away from colonial scapegoats and donor excuses, toward the choices leaders make when the cameras leave.

“Will and political courage” is diplomatic language for two uncomfortable demands: surrendering a bit of sovereignty and accepting accountability. Pan-African bodies can only be “efficient” if leaders agree to be bound by rules they can’t easily ignore - on conflicts, elections, corruption, trade, human rights. That’s exactly where pan-African projects historically stall: consensus politics turns into procedural theater, and “dialogue” becomes a shield against action. Bongo’s phrase “endless discussions” needles the culture of summitry, communiques, and performative unity that looks productive from afar while changing little on the ground.

Context sharpens the edge. Coming from a long-serving head of state, the appeal carries a double charge. It reads as statesmanlike, aligning with the early-2000s rebrand from the OAU to the African Union and the promise of “African solutions to African problems.” At the same time, it’s a subtle attempt to control the narrative: if the institution fails, blame “lack of courage,” not the entrenched incentives of leaders who benefit from weak enforcement. The quote works because it flatters leadership while demanding exactly what leaders most resist.