African Leaders to Blame for Conflicts – Obasanjo
By Abdullateef Salau
Nigeria Daily Trust
Mar 22 2016 5:00AM
Some African leaders are responsible for instability on the continent because they failed to manage diversity in their societies, former president Olusegun Obasanjo has said.
Obasanjo spoke at a news conference in Ethiopia on the upcoming Tana High-Level forum on Security in Africa, according to a statement from the African Press Organization yesterday.
He said outside interference in Africa had been responsible for conflicts, citing the NATO air strikes in Libya in 2011 that led to the removal from power of their late leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
“The repercussions are now being felt in Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel,” he said.
Asked whether African leaders were to blame for the conflicts on the continent, he said: “Yes and no.”
He said leaders were failing their people because they had not been able to prevent marginalisation in their societies, prevent injustice, reduce unemployment, reduce poverty, and that they had not embraced democracy and good governance.
The theme of this year’s forum is Africa in the Global Security Agenda.
On African peacekeeping operations, he agreed that the lack of funding from African Union member states was a major setback for peace and security on the continent. He said when he was Head of State, he was in charge of a high-level panel to search for alternative sources of funding for the AU, but this came to nothing.
He noted that when the AU was looking for funds to counter the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, member states failed to provide the money.
“The AU eventually had to turn to the private sector and it was able to raise $40 million,” said Obasanjo, who is chairman of the Tana Forum.
He criticised AU member states for not contributing to the AU’s general budget. Obasanjo said Ebola and migration from Africa had security implications not just for the continent “because we now live in a global community whereby if something happens in Africa, it affects the rest of the world”.
The 5th Tana High-Level Forum will take place on 16-17 April 2016 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/african-leaders-to-blame-for-conflicts-obasanjo/138967.html#fX9w0o5iQr0hAp7Z.99
Nigeria Daily Trust
Mar 22 2016 5:00AM
Some African leaders are responsible for instability on the continent because they failed to manage diversity in their societies, former president Olusegun Obasanjo has said.
Obasanjo spoke at a news conference in Ethiopia on the upcoming Tana High-Level forum on Security in Africa, according to a statement from the African Press Organization yesterday.
He said outside interference in Africa had been responsible for conflicts, citing the NATO air strikes in Libya in 2011 that led to the removal from power of their late leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
“The repercussions are now being felt in Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel,” he said.
Asked whether African leaders were to blame for the conflicts on the continent, he said: “Yes and no.”
He said leaders were failing their people because they had not been able to prevent marginalisation in their societies, prevent injustice, reduce unemployment, reduce poverty, and that they had not embraced democracy and good governance.
The theme of this year’s forum is Africa in the Global Security Agenda.
On African peacekeeping operations, he agreed that the lack of funding from African Union member states was a major setback for peace and security on the continent. He said when he was Head of State, he was in charge of a high-level panel to search for alternative sources of funding for the AU, but this came to nothing.
He noted that when the AU was looking for funds to counter the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, member states failed to provide the money.
“The AU eventually had to turn to the private sector and it was able to raise $40 million,” said Obasanjo, who is chairman of the Tana Forum.
He criticised AU member states for not contributing to the AU’s general budget. Obasanjo said Ebola and migration from Africa had security implications not just for the continent “because we now live in a global community whereby if something happens in Africa, it affects the rest of the world”.
The 5th Tana High-Level Forum will take place on 16-17 April 2016 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/african-leaders-to-blame-for-conflicts-obasanjo/138967.html#fX9w0o5iQr0hAp7Z.99
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