As the clock is ticking to the dawn of the new century, Africa, the least developed continent on the earth, vows to speed up its development in the long march to catch up with the rest of the world.

While the outgoing 20th century is often described as "a century of Africa's liberation and independence", the new millennium can surely bring fresh hope and opportunity to the backward continent which, like elsewhere, also has huge potentials for economic growth.

At present, the social development and economic recovery in many parts of the continent are still hindered by some major problems left over mainly from the colonial age.

One third of sub-Saharan countries are involved in civil unrest, bilateral conflicts or regional wars. As a result, more than half of Africans are still living below the poverty line.

However, African leaders have come to realize that the continent can not afford to remain one of perpetual insecurity and instability.

They share a unanimous view that peace and development are, more than ever, two things that Africans have been yearning for, as it was demonstrated in a declaration issued at the end of the 35th summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) held in July.

This important meeting, attended by 46 African heads of state and government, was undoubtedly aimed at making full preparations for the African continent entering the new century.

At the summit, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo called on leaders of African countries in his keynote speech to make "2000 a year of peace and security in Africa," stressing that "Africa's reputation as a continent at war against itself must be arrested."

Obasanjo himself was elected as President of the Fourth Republic of Nigeria and sworn in on May 29, an eye-catching event of this year which has brought an end to the 16 years of uninterrupted military rule in the most populous African country.

It is also encouraging to see in the year that African leaders, "through concerted and collective efforts", succeeded in bringing all players involved in the conflict of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) -- which had sucked in five other African countries -- and the two warring sides of Sierra Leone to the negotiating table.

Both the peace agreements, one for the DRC signed in Zambian capital Lusaka on July 10 and the other for Sierra Leone signed in Togolese capital Lome on July 7, show that "where there is determination and persistence, there is a solution to the crisis," OAUScretary-General Salim Ahmed Salim said.

"They should encourage us to work even harder in order to address the other hotbeds of tension which are still prevailing on the continent," he said.

To avoid and solve conflicts, the 53-member OAU and other sub-regional bodies have adopted a series of measures and set up a mechanism for conflict prevention, management and resolution, which are meant to seek home-grown solutions.

For instance, the 16-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) approved the establishment of such a mechanism at its 22nd summit which ended on December 10 in Lome.

The mechanism includes a Mediation and Security Council, a multi-national stand-by force, and four Zonal Observation bureaux to monitor and deal with potential conflicts in the sub-region.

The formal launching of such a mechanism means the ECOWAS, which has successfully quenched war-fire in Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau in the past year, is shifting from its past role as a "fire-fighter" to a more active role of peace-builder.

All these show the strong will of the African leaders and people to seek peace and political stability which will pave the way for social development and economic growth.

The year 1999 also witnessed that African countries quickened their steps toward economic integration and cooperation, which will get them better prepared for economic expansion in the coming century.

The 21 member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), at its fourth summit in May, voiced their determination and commitment to the realization of the COMESA free trade area by October 31, 2000.

The three east African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in November signed a treaty for the reestablishment of the East African Community. And the 16-member ECOWAS decided at its 22nd summit in December to make January 1 of 2004 as the launching time of the west Africa single monetary zone.

So far, all the existing 10 regional or sub-regional organizations in Africa have respectively mapped out their blueprints of integration and cooperation for the next 10 years, which include the establishment of economic community, monetary union, free trade area and customs union to facilitate the free movement of goods, services, labor and capital across the borders of member states. All these will lead to the final formation of the African Economic Community scheduled for the year 2025.

Given the challenges of globalization and international competition, "Africa's strength, both internally and in its relations with the rest of the world, lies in pursuing vigorously the goal of economic cooperation and integration," OAU Secretary-General Salim said.

It is observed that for Africa, if the political stability and economic integration serve the long-term interest of development in the new century, its economic prospects will also bode well in the near future.

According to a recent report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Africa's economic growth rate is predicted to reach five percent in 2000, compared with 3.1 percent in 1999.

South Africa, the economic power-house of the continent, is expected to see an economic growth rate of 3.7 percent in the first year of the new century, representing a giant leap forward after this year's expansion of 0. 7 percent.

Nigeria and Morocco, another two important economies in Africa, are expected to achieve growth rates of 3.3 percent and 5.1 percent respectively in 2000, up from 0.5 percent and 0.6 percent of this year, according to IMF prediction.

Other African countries such as Tunisia, the Sudan, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Rwanda and Mozambique may secure a growth rate between four and five percent this year, and they are expected to enjoy faster economic expansion in the coming years. The IMF report attributes the continent's faster economic growth in the new century to the readjustment of economic structure carried out in some African countries, apart from a positive role that the regional economic integration will play.

All in all, Africa will lurch and march along its road of development in the new century despite many daunting challenges it is facing or will face.

The African leaders can feel the weight of burdens on their shoulders more than ever before, because they need not only to address the social, economic and political problems in their respective countries, but also to brave the torrential wave of globalization. (Xinhua)