SOUTH AFRICA: Pan-African Parliament meeting in Johannesburg discusses African conflicts

Record ID: 452672

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Pan-African Parliament meeting in Johannesburg discusses African conflicts
  • Date: 11th May 2007
  • Summary: MEMBERS IN PARLIAMENT LISTENING
  • Embargoed: 26th May 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAC3QFBGSNDZSKWXNXD5TVTYGJV
  • Story Text: Ministers at the ongoing session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) meet to discuss some of the continent's crises. A PAP report identifies Somalia, DR Congo, Sudan's Darfur region as some countries which need to restore stability and peace.
    A report released by the Pan African Parliament (PAP) on Thursday (May 10) drew attention and sparked debate on the various conflicts still plaguing the continent.
    The PAP was set up by the African Union (AU) in 2004 to help unify the continent, by promoting human rights and democracy in Africa, ensure transparency in member states and work for security and stability.
    The PAP, which has suffered from cash shortages, plays an advisory role to the AU but is ultimately expected to become a full-fledged legislative body enacting laws that will be binding for all 53 AU member states.
    The report compiled by the PAP's Permanent Committee on Co-oporation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution, pointed out that Somalia, DR Congo, Sudan's Darfur region, and to a large extent Ivory Coast, are still far from restoring peace and stability to their countries.
    Some of the members poured most of the blame for the ongoing conflicts on rich countries in the West.
    "This is an economic war which the Africans have got nothing to do with. So we are paying the price of being victims of USA hunger for oil. Unless the United Nations plays its important role in keeping peace and security, and talking frankly to those who are provoking war in Africa, African wars will never stop. Now we can speak of 27 countries in Africa, that are either witnessing an active conflict or potentially about to see inactive conflict. Most of it if you look at it, it entails and it comprises rich countries," said Professor Ibrahim Ghandour, the Member of Parliament from Sudan.
    But others disagreed, saying power-hungry African leaders were to blame for the continent's problems.
    "It is regrettable, in as much as we would want to see a situation where conflict areas in Africa are somewhat minimized, but they are on the escalation unfortunately. But it all boils down to one thing, refusal to share power. Our view has been that political space should be opened by the heads of state, by the leadership of these countries, so that everyone can be included in the political dispensation of his or her own country. But once a system has closed it political space these problems are bound to arise," Warwick Khumalo, the Member of Parliament from Swaziland said.
    The report steered clear of problems in countries like Zimbabwe which is currently in economic freefall.
    "Zimbabwe was not included because Zimbabwe is not a conflict area. It is not an issue at the moment. There is nothing at all to talk about Zimbabwe," said Joram Gumbo, Zimbabwe's representative at PAP.
    PAP's seventh session opened on May 7 and is expected to last until May
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