End Disputes to Unlock Africa’s Opportunities

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

28 June 2011

For decades, wars of attrition have bedevilled many African and Asian countries and ruined their economies. The two continents have become battlegrounds of foreign ideologies, with serious socioeconomic implications. Millions of people have died and many others have been injured. The number of displaced people is also high. Development is either curtailed or decelerated.

In Africa, wars in recent years ravaged countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Somalia. Liberia and Rwanda. DRC is still volatile, with natural resources plundered.It is a pity that Africans are easily sucked into wars. Some selfish leaders hankering to come to power at all costs exploit ethnic differences to cause anarchy.

That is intolerable. What Africans and Asians should do is to end conflicts, which drag their economies down and make the continents bad places to live in.Although guns have fallen silent in many parts of Africa and Asia, the placidity may become ephemeral taking into consideration the fact that some rulers are exploiting their own people.

The minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ms Celina Kombani, when presiding over the 49th annual session of the Asian African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, rightly urged African and Asian leaders to end conflicts.

She warned that conflicts were tarnishing their images. She called on them to tackle poverty, diseases and illiteracy and ensure that natural resources are distributed equitably to bring about development of their countries.

We also urge regional blocs to form joint forces to repulse foreign attacks. The use international law and the United Nations fora should be encouraged to resolve differences instead of resorting to wars. If such an approach is followed, damage caused to countries involved in wars can be avoided.

Fighting is likely to cause a humanitarian crisis, making people poorer. Poor countries should strive to build peace and solidarity to be able to develop their economies.

AllAfrica – All the Time