From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SOMALIA: OAU NEEDS MECHANISM TO DEAL WITH CONFLICTS
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 17:55:34 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: SOMALIA: OAU NEEDS MECHANISM TO DEAL WITH CONFLICTS


an inter press service feature

by horace awori

nairobi, dec 12 (ips) -- causes of current conflicts across
africa are not only complex and diverse, but also depict the
continent's failure to put in place a mechanism that could
diffuse them.

setting alternatives to intermittent conflicts, within an
acceptable framework, has for years been on the agenda of the
organisation of african unity (oau) with no sign of agreement
among member states appearing on the horizon.

oau secretary general, salim ahmed salim, is on record for
asking african heads of state to enable the organisation to
promote pacific settlement of disputes and not to remain distant
or appear to be indifferent.

but critics see the oau as having turned into a talking-shop
in view of raging wars in liberia, rwanda, somalia and sudan
among other areas of strife. new flash points of conflict always
come with outflows of thousands of refugees, a burden which
countries of asylum can hardly bear without external support.

intellectuals here argue that the failure of the oau to find
a solution to the somali conflict harbingers the demise of the
organisation whose usefulness they are increasingly begining to
question.

the dynamism with which the oau was characterised in the
1960s and 1970s during national liberation struggles has faded
away.

''if we could contribute funds to train freedom fighters, how
can we be so weak-kneed today that the question of somalia is
not raised for years while thousands die?'' asks dr. eric
masinde of kenyatta university.

a former kenyan diplomat who did not want to be named told
ips: ''it is a shame that the oau has not been helpful in the
case of liberia. without ecomog (west african economic comunity
peace monitoring group) liberia would be perhaps worse than
somalia''.

regretting the absence of voices like those of first ghanaian
president, the late kwame nkrumah, former presidents julius
nyerere of tanzania and leopold senghor of senegal, he said:
''these sons of africa would not have let an african country go
to the dogs the way somalia has been allowed to do''. (more/ips)


somalia: oau (2)

masinde sees africa's current leaders entrapped in apathy as
far as continental issues are concerned, even when innocent
civilians in a neighbouring country are caught in cross-fire.

conflicts in liberia and somalia have caused the loss of
thousands of lives, brought about instability and undermined
regional confidence.

according to the u.n. environmental programme's outgoing
executive director, dr. mostafa tolba, africa's development
partners have adopted an attitude of charity and african
countries have succumbed to an attitude of dependency.

''the dependency on the outside world is still ingrained in
the current leadership of africa'', he said here this week.

at a recent meeting on somalia, held by donors and
non-governmental organisations in addis ababa, the oau secretary
general suggested a package which would include provision of
humanitarian assistance and security, intensification of efforts
at finding political consensus and rehabilitation of the
war-torn country.

but the oau's suggestion has raised questions on its own
preparedness and capacity to deal with internal conflicts
without much dependence on donors. (end/ips/ha/ar/92)
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