Would including indigenous African languages as official AU languages have any impact in the continents development?
Currently, Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Kiswahili and any other African languages are considered to be the AU official languages, the Foreign Minister stated.
Some experts argue that progress in integration of the continent is very challenging because most of the AU’s official languages are not indigenous to Africa.
Bahir Dar University Linguistics Assistant Professor Gashaw Arutie has advised the African Union to adopt Amharic and other indigenous languages as official languages in order to accomplish one of its ambitions stipulated under agenda 2063.
He noted that since the AU strives to foster unity, collaboration, and development across the continent in under its Agenda 2063, the inclusion of additional official languages plays a crucial role.
For example, during the opening ceremony of the 44th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU, Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie has requested the participants to show support to make Amharic one of the official languages of the AU.
“In alignment with AU Agenda 2063 and the goal for empowering indigenous African languages to contribute to our continent’s progress, I wish to propose the inclusion of Amharic as the official language of the African Union,” he said.
Professor Gashaw noted that most of the AU’s official languages are not indigenous to Africa. If the AU makes Amharic official language, it would promote indigenous African languages and improve their role for continental development, he added.
Applying Amharic as AU’s official language would help to promote the notion of African solutions for African problems, he mentioned.
Amharic was among the first languages that used to sign the establishing charter of the then Organization of African Unity (OAU), the current AU in 1963, so that it should continue serving the Union as an official language, according to the Asst. Professor.
