Union of African States
Encyclopedia
The Union of African States, was a short lasting union
of first two, then three African states in West Africa
, in the 1960s. These states were Ghana
, Guinea
, and Mali
. The Union was politically Socialist and Pan-Africanist, and was led by African revolutionaries Kwame Nkrumah
of Ghana, Sékou Touré
of Guinea, and Modibo Keïta
of Mali
.
, against the Marxist leaning of the other partners, who were more oriented towards the Cold War
adversary of the U.S., the Soviet Union.
The three-state Union of African States was the inspiration for the song "Ghana, Guinea, Mali union" by highlife
musician E. T. Mensah
.
, but with two black stars. When the Union was renamed Union of African States, its flag was specified to be a flag like that of Ghana "with as many black stars as there are members". So when Mali joined the Union the flag had three stars. The announcement of the Union's flag did not specify the arrangement of the stars; while shown here in a line, it is not known whether this, or possibly another arrangement, was actually used.
Political union
A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller states. Unlike a personal union, the individual states share a common government and the union is recognized internationally as a single political entity...
of first two, then three African states in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, in the 1960s. These states were Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, and Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
. The Union was politically Socialist and Pan-Africanist, and was led by African revolutionaries Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
of Ghana, Sékou Touré
Ahmed Sékou Touré
Ahmed Sékou Touré was an African political leader and President of Guinea from 1958 to his death in 1984...
of Guinea, and Modibo Keïta
Modibo Keïta
Modibo Keita ; was the first President of Mali and the Prime Minister of the Mali Federation. He espoused a form of African socialism.-Youth:...
of Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
.
History
On 23 November 1958 a Ghana-Guinea Union was formed. In May 1959 it was announced that the Union would be renamed Union of African States. In April 1961 Mali joined the Union. The Union fell apart in 1962, when Guinea started to reach out to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, against the Marxist leaning of the other partners, who were more oriented towards the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
adversary of the U.S., the Soviet Union.
The three-state Union of African States was the inspiration for the song "Ghana, Guinea, Mali union" by highlife
Highlife
Highlife is a musical genre that originated in Ghana in the 1900s and spread to Sierra Leone, Nigeria and other West African countries by 1920...
musician E. T. Mensah
E. T. Mensah
Emmanuel Tettey Mensah, best known as E. T. Mensah was a Ghanaian highlife musician.He began as a flutist with the Accra Orchestra, a schoolchildren band, in 1930. In 1948 he formed "The Tempos", a group he might be best known for, and toured West Africa. The group gained international attention...
.
Flag
When the Ghana-Guinea Union was formed, its flag was like the flag of GhanaFlag of Ghana
The flag of Ghana was designed to replace the flag of the United Kingdom upon attainment of independence in 1957. It was flown until 1959, and then reinstated in 1966. It consists of the Pan-African colours of red, yellow, and green, in horizontal stripes, with a black five-pointed star in the...
, but with two black stars. When the Union was renamed Union of African States, its flag was specified to be a flag like that of Ghana "with as many black stars as there are members". So when Mali joined the Union the flag had three stars. The announcement of the Union's flag did not specify the arrangement of the stars; while shown here in a line, it is not known whether this, or possibly another arrangement, was actually used.
External links
- Union of African States at Flags of the World