St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1962-07-06


tegrated economic social and Gull
tural features. These permit the
drawing up Of a program based on
joint requirements and respect for
each country's special character
istics and internal system of gov
eminent. I hope the Cairo confer
ence will be able to offer all the
Governments of African countries
a proposal for an Inter-African
conference"
WHILE SOME observers have
indicated that the recent verbal
exchange between Ghana and Nj
geria might tend to increase the
grounds for disagreement between
the Casablanca and Monrovia
Groups, others feel that it would
be improper if not dangerous to
attach too much Importance to the
incident. The exchange between
some leaders and the press of the
two West African countries fol-
lowed statements attributed to
Jaja Wachuku, Nigerian foreign
minister, in which he warned
Ghana to desist from policies
which were harming relations be-
tween Ghana and Nigeria.
Wachuku was quoted as charg-
ing the Ghana High Commission in
Lagos with subversive activities.
However, George Doe, the Ghana-
ian High Commissioner, formally
denied the alleged charges. The
first Ghana government reaction
to the charge was made in a
broadcast by Tawiah Adamafio,
minister of information, who de-
clared: "An we desire for Nigeria
is success"
THE NIGERIAN foreign min
lister repeatedly ended his charges
by pointing out that the Monrovia
Group charter is identical with
the Casablanca charter. Moreover,
Nigeria, as a leading member of
the so-called MonroWa bloc, has
been a strong force in the efforts
to establish African unity. The
Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Taft
ava Balewa, speaking at the first
Monrovia conference in May, 1861,
expressed regret that the Cas-
ablanca countries were not in at
tendance. He said the door would |
remain open for future confer
ences.
OBSERVERS OF the African
scene have expressed the hope
that any misunderstanding be-
tween Ghana and Nigeria can be
resolved peacefully in the best in
terests of African unity indie
pendent African states already are
confronted with existing differ
ences between sister states. For
example, the cold war" between
Ethiopia and Somalia was a major
topic of the first Monrovia con-
ference. The border clashes stem |
from traditional religious and RI
valries. The 100000 Somalis Of
the region are Moslem, the Ethiop-
ians are Christian.
In 1854, Britain signed an agree
ment with Ethiopia giving Somali
herdsmen seasonal use Of a mar
row and fertile strip Of Ethiopia |
known as the Haud. The frontier
was relatively peaceful until after
British Somaliland and Italy ad-
ministered Somalia united as an
independent state in 1860. The
Somalis claim that the Haud is
historically their land. In addition,
they maintain that large stretches
Of Ethiopia's adjoining Ogaden re-
gion were part of the territory of
their old chieftain, Hail Moham-
med bin Abdullah Hassan.
A SIMILAR dispute exists be-
tween Morocco and Mauritania.
Morocco, it might be recalled, did
not attend the conference of Heads
of African and Malagasy States
at Monrovia because Mauritania
attended as an independent ma
ton. Also, Morocco once blocked
Mauritania's entrance into the
United Nations, claiming that the
territory belonged to Morocco
Also, boundary disputes are the
chief cause Of the differences
which have existed between Ghana
and Togo.
SINCE MOST of the existing
boundary lines in Africa were set
up, not by Africans, but by white
settlers under colonialism, it is
that some differ
ences would arise after independ-
ance. However, If the spirit of
African unity is to prevail on a
basis, these differ
ences will have to be settled peace