Pouring New Wine, Reclaiming Africa

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) witnessed a profound moment of continental reflection on Tuesday, as H.E. Ambassador Churchill Ewumbue Monono, seasoned Cameroonian diplomat and veteran African Union (AU) insider, presented his seminal work, “New Wine in Old African Calabashes.” The book’s presentation, the third and most consequential after previous pre-launches at Yale University and Arusha, was more than a literary event: it was a clarion call for institutional memory, structural reform, and Afro-centric solutions to Africa’s governance and security challenges.

A Deep Dive into Africa’s Institutional Journey

Structured into 16 chapters across four parts, the book offers a rare blend of personal eyewitness account and critical analysis of Africa’s evolving peace, security, and governance architecture from the OAU’s Central Organ to the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). It grapples with themes such as:

• The historical transformation of African institutions since 1963;
• The role of African parliamentarians in peace and governance;
• Emerging threats such as cyber warfare and private militias;
• The slow pivot from state-centric to people-centric Pan-Africanism;
• The urgent need to reclaim African analytical frameworks for African realities.

Ambassador Monono’s central thesis is both reflective and provocative: “The African condition has remained the same whether under the OAU’s Central Organ or the AU’s PSC. Although the wine is new, the calabashes are old.” He urged the PAP to lead efforts in institutionalizing PAP-PSC collaboration, establishing joint working groups, and investing in African-centred research and solutions.

His closing appeal resonated deeply: “The taste of the pudding is in the eating, grab your copy, savour the insights, and pass it on.” Delegates responded with resounding applause, signaling the beginning of what may become a renaissance in AU introspection and policy recalibration.

Parliamentary Interventions

Following the presentation, members of the Pan-African Parliament took the floor in a robust intellectual exchange each reflecting on the book’s insights through the lens of their national and continental realities.

Senator Danson Mungatana (Kenya): Smart Democracy and Standardized Elections

Senator Mungatana called for a radical electoral transformation across the continent. He pointed out that “Elections remain the most divisive and conflict-prone moments in our countries, from Kenya to Mozambique,” advocating for a standardized, technology-driven AU electoral framework. “India uses technology to conduct massive elections in days. Why can’t Africa do the same with AI?” he challenged, urging the AU to shift from observation to mechanism-building.

“Let’s build a single standard for African elections—transparent, credible, and powered by technology.”

Hon. Katuntu Abdu (Uganda): Beyond Rebranding

Katuntu provocatively inverted Monono’s metaphor: “In my mind, I was writing a book titled: Old Wine in New Calabashes.” He questioned whether AU transformations have produced real results: “Seven countries in six years have experienced coups… Are we just changing names?” His intervention was a powerful reminder that rhetoric must translate into measurable outcomes.

“Africa’s future won’t be built by branding alone. The mission now is peace, integration, and development with proof, not just protocol.”

Hon. Fagnon Nicaise Kotchami (Benin): Reform, Integration, and Linguistic Inclusion

Fadgon embraced the book’s symbolism, calling it “a reminder to finish the work of ratifying the PAP Protocol.” He emphasized the need to translate the book into Arabic, French, and Portuguese to broaden its Pan-African reach. His appeal: “One Africa. One Voice.”

“Reform the systems, finish the work, and amplify the African voice—in every language.”

Hon. Fatoumatta Njai (Gambia): Term Limits and Youth Inclusion

Njai delivered one of the most stirring calls of the day, linking prolonged presidential terms to instability: “No term limits, no democracy.” She lamented the demographic disconnect in Cameroon, where “60% of the population is under 25, yet the President is 92.” Her intervention transformed the metaphor: “It’s time to put new wine in new calabashes.”

“This isn’t just a book, it’s a mirror. A call to replace recycled leadership with responsible, representative democracy.”

Hon. Sawaibou Touray (Gambia): Continental Security and the African Standby Force

Touray turned the spotlight on security, decrying Africa’s inaction in the face of foreign military aggression: “Where is our defense?” He demanded answers about the African Standby Force, once envisioned as a shield for the continent.

“If we don’t build and activate our own security forces, we will remain vulnerable to external domination.”

Hon. Sulayman Saho (Gambia): Constitutionalism and Democratic Renewal

Saho connected Monono’s book to a broader democratic awakening. He described Gambia’s own democratic evolution from decades of autocracy to a fledgling democracy and warned that “once leaders are in power, they control everything.”

“If our national laws don’t have term limits, we must put them in. Africa needs a new path to democracy.”

Hon. Welcome Dlamini (Eswatini): Decolonizing Democracy through Tradition

Dlamini pushed for an African reimagining of democracy, arguing that “multiparty democracy is not a one-size-fits-all.” He championed the role of traditional institutions such as chiefs, monarchs, councils as critical to democratic governance.

“Let us stop copying and pasting democracy. Let Africa craft its own model grounded in our traditional wisdom.”

Hon. Sen. Tony Sibandze (Eswatini): Knowledge Access and AU Transparency

Sibandze praised the book for opening the AU’s black box: “The public often asks: What does the AU really do? This book answers that.” He called for translations and a structured plenary debate of the book’s chapters.

“Know the Union. Reform the Union. Africa’s future starts with understanding the institutions meant to serve it.”

A Turning Point in Continental Discourse

The presentation of New Wine in Old African Calabashes was far more than an academic exercise. It was a moment of collective reckoning, a point of convergence between history, institutional critique, and visionary thinking. The diversity and depth of responses from MPs across the continent revealed an urgent appetite for homegrown analysis, courageous reform, and authentic Pan-African renewal.

As Ambassador Monono reminded the House: “Pan-African problems demand Pan-African solutions.” The Pan-African Parliament, and indeed the broader AU family, may have found not only a powerful book but a spark for intellectual revolution.