Press conference by president olusegun obasanjo of nigeria

 

Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria and Chairman of the African Union, told a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon that African States had always accepted the challenge of finding solutions to the continent’s problems.

He told a questioner that consultations with African States before the adoption of the latest Security Council resolution on the situation in Darfur, the Sudan, was a recognition of African initiatives in seeking African solutions to African problems.  It was in line with what African States had been asking for -- that Africans must be allowed to lead in finding solutions to African problems.

The exile of former President Charles Taylor of Liberia to Nigeria to ensure cessation of violence in that country was the result of the initiatives of the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the then outgoing and incoming Chairmen of the African Union and himself.  Those initiatives were carried out before the international community and provided support to African States.  The same effort was being exerted in the search for peace in the Sudan, he said.

Responding to further questions about the situation in Darfur, he said between 3,000 and 5,000 troops might be needed there.  Consultations were going on with countries that might be able to provide troops on command and control issues.  Other issues being discussed involved communications, equipment and transport, among others.

Asked whether some form of punishment should now be meted out to the Sudanese authorities for the ongoing violence committed by the government-supported militia, President Obasanjo said he believed that all avenues to resolve the crisis must first be explored.

Was there a target date for the deployment of the troops in Darfur and when would he know of their number and the countries prepared to provide them, a correspondent asked.  Those countries should be known by the first week of October, he replied.  As he had stated earlier, consultations were still ongoing.  Nigeria and Rwanda had some units already on the ground there.  “We want the troops to be as representative of Africa as possible”, he said.

Observing that the United States Congress and the United States Secretary of State had described the treatment of the civilian population in Darfur as “genocide”, a correspondent wondered why the African Union had not similarly characterized the situation.  President Obasanjo replied that the African Union did not have the information to make that judgement.

For charges of genocide to be made, there must be evidence that a government had made a definite decision and a plan to wipe out a particular group of people.  He said:  “What we know is not that.  What we know is that there was a rebellion and the Government (of the Sudan) armed another group of people to stop that rebellion.  This is what we know.  That does not amount to genocide, by my own reckoning.  It amounts to violence”.  He did not believe that the United Nations also thought that genocide had been proven.  He could not support a “categorical” statement that genocide had been committed, “unless and until”, there was evidence to that effect, he said.

He told a questioner that he believed that the United States might be finding it difficult to deal with the world as a single super-Power.  America was not used to finding itself in that position and might eventually “get used to that”, he added.

Earlier, he told the press that Africa was reforming, politically, economically and socially.  But total reform could not be achieved overnight, and would take time, he added.  As part of those reforms, he said attitudes were changing.  African States were now blaming others less about their plight than they used to.

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