Former Ghanaian president says Darfur a moral failure for Africa Article Comments (1) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
August 14, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The former president of Ghana Jerry Rawlings warned Africa that they should not do a repeat of what he described as their moral failure in Sudan’s western region of Darfur. Ghana’s former President and African Union High Representative for Somalia Jerry John Rawlings (www.ghanaianreactoronline.com) Rawlings made the remarks following his meeting with Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday which was devoted to discussions on the famine situation unfolding in the Horn of Africa and particularly in Somalia. The Ghanaian figure, who is now the African Union High Representative for Somalia, called on Africa to respond much more positively and significantly to the humanitarian situation in the region. About 3.6 million people in Somalia are at risk of starvation. Some 12.4 million people in the Horn of Africa — including Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti — are affected by the worst drought in decades, according to the United Nations. Tens of thousands of people have already died. Rawlings said that Africa’s failure to help alleviate the suffering in Darfur robbed the continent of its moral mandate. He said that Africa therefore needs to redeem itself by stepping up support to those impacted by drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. “While inviting international concern, we must indicate that African leaders are also marshalling resources to help their brothers and sisters. Darfur was embarrassing. Let us not repeat it in Somalia” Rawlings said. A counter-insurgency campaign against non-Arab rebels demanding more autonomy in Darfur in 2003 sparked a humanitarian crisis in the western Sudan region in which more than two million people have fled and 300,000 killed, according to the United Nations. Violence peaked in 2003-2004 but analysts say there is still no end in sight to the conflict despite several peace agreements. Sudan’s President Omer Hassan al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and genocide in Darfur. The African Union (AU) however stood firmly by Bashir and instructed its members not to comply with the arrest warrant even if they are signatories to the court’s founding treaty. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
