Almost four decades later, such unity would indeed be an authentic African miracle. Short of such a dramatic turnaround, the continent is quite frankly doomed. The challenge is enormous, but Africa must not allow this opportunity to slip. One wonders if the quest for the United States of Africa will ever evolve out of being an ideological holy grail. Many of Gaddafi's supporters admit that African unity is a very tall order.
Huge hurdles remain to be crossed, but it is at least theoretically possible for Africa to unite.
Yet there are those who secretly wish that the clarion call for African continental unity has run its course and will cease to dominate proceedings at OAU summits. No other continent in recent times has so frequently suffered bone-chilling catastrophes and such a string of debilitating setbacks and disappointments. No other continent is so shackled by its horrendous past and yet this same continent, markedly more than any other, has also amply demonstrated the tough resilience of its long-suffering people. And never has this strength been so inspiringly and symbolically embodied in the person of former South African President Nelson Mandela and his resounding triumph over racism, injustice and apartheid. Poverty remains Africa's Achilles heel.