The African Unification Front is an organisation aiming to promote the political, social

Social

The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...

 and economic union of Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

. Abbreviated AUF.

History

AUF was formed in August 1996. The current president of the AUF is Caroline Kamau. The AUF advocates for transformation of Africa into a federation, with the Pan African Parliament as the highest government, overseeing key institutions including a single currency, and one all-African army. The AUF promoted the creation of the African Union

African Union

The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...

, and continues to advocate for an end to neocolonialism. It has also been active in campaigns against the abuses by the diamond industry, weapons traders, and unfair terms of trade

Trade

Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...

 in the coffee industry

Industry

Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...

.

Organization

The AUF National Committee is the body that elects the AUF president. As AUF president Dr. Kamau is a stautory member of the AUF Executive Committee, the body that implements policies and oversees the day-to-day administration of the AUF. Caroline Kamau has been responsible for initiating and organizing several AUF strategies, including the AUF's Fairtrade Coffee Campaign that pushed for reforms in the coffee industry.

The AUF, also known as the African Front, consists of a worldwide network of supporters, who believe that Africa must be unified into a federation

Federation

A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...

 as a means of securing peace and an end to war

War

War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...

s and poverty

Poverty

Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...

. Although most members of the AUF are Africans, membership is open to non-Africans.

Past leaders

Other past AUF leaders have been Fesseha Demessae who served as Deputy Secretary General and Director of Cultural Affairs, and former vice-president Mongezi Sefika wa Nkomo. The current AUF vice president is Dr. Heinrich Volmink, a medical doctor who shares his time between Scotland and South Africa.

Kirimi Kaberia

Kirimi Kaberia

Kirimi Kaberia is currently Kenya's Ambassador to Brazil. He previously served in the Kenyan Embassies in Madrid and France as a Counsellor and Head of Chancery and also served in the Kenya embassy in washington Dc.He is former african journalist and community organizer.In the 1990s Kirimi Kaberia...

 was the first president of the AUF. Mouhamed Taofic Youssouf served briefly as AUF president, after Kirimi Kaberia accepted a posting as deputy ambassador for Kenya in Washington DC, USA.

In the PAP

Following the creation of the Pan African Parliament, the AUF became the first All-African (continental) political party. Several PAP members are also members and supporters of the AUF.

AUF members who have served in the Pan African Parliament include Dr. Amani Walid Kabourou from Tanzania, Chrispin Mwitila Shumina from Zambia, and Loyce Bwambale from Uganda. Other influential supporters of the AUF include Dr. André Action Diakité Jackson

André A. Jackson

André Action Diakité Jackson , , more commonly known by his African clan name "M’Zée Fula-Ngenge" , is a diamond industrialist and head of JFPI Corporation, Africa's largest holding company....

, who is an AUF National Committee Member African Unification Front and chairman of the ADC & ADPA

African Diamond Producers Association

African Diamond Producers Association is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to strengthen the level of influence African diamond-producing countries have on the world diamond market....

 in Luanda

Luanda

Luanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...

, Angola

Angola

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...

; John Atta-Mills

John Atta-Mills

Dr. John Evans Fifii Atta Mills is the third and current President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 election...

 the president of Ghana, Alhaji Yahaya Ndu who is also a member of the AUF National Committee and the president of the African Renaissance Party in Nigeria, Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh, head of the Sierra Leone People's Democratic League (PDL), and Dr. Miria Matembe

Miria Matembe

Dr. Miria Rukoza Koburunga Matembe, LL.D is a former member of the Pan-African Parliament from Uganda. While on the Pan-African Parliament she was chairperson of the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline a permanent committee of the Pan-African Parliament.In June 2006 she became a...

, formerly chair of the Pan African Parliament's Rules Committee and a close ally of AU President Gertrude Mongella

Gertrude Mongella

Gertrude Ibengwe Mongella was the first president of the Pan-African Parliament.-Early work:...

.