Bame Piet
7 July 2009
Vice President Mompati Merafhe and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Phandu Skelemani described what transpired at the recent African Union (AU) Summit held in Sirte, Libya as a near circus.
They said the preparations and the manner in which the summit was conducted left a lot to be desired. They said nothing from the Summit can benefit Botswana. The ministers were addressing the media yesterday after returning from the summit held from July 1-3.
Merafhe attended on behalf of President Ian Khama while Skelemani attended both the Executive Council session as well and the summit. The theme of the summit was "Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security".
The two ministers described Libyan Leader Colonel Muammar Gadaffi as a very difficult person to work with. They said Gadaffi is uncompromising and does not accommodate other people's views. Skelemani said that they faced difficulties and disappointments in the AU debates during which they were force-fed with false documents and ordered to debate. "We were given wrong documents despite our complaints and we couldn't debate systematically. It is for your own judgement if this is the kind of Africa you want," he said.
Merafhe stated that when the issue of International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest for Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir was brought to the table Gadaffi did not entertain any debate as he stated that the 'leader has made a conclusion on the matter'. He said Gadaffi stated that the AU is opposed to the warrant of arrest. "The chair did not permit much debate on this matter and therefore we did not get an opportunity to put our opinion across. It is our view that Africa should not try to undermine the work of the ICC simply because a head of state called Bashir has been indicted by the court," he said.
Merafhe revealed that it was only Botswana and Chad who made their position clear that Bashir should got to the ICC to clear his name. He said that other countries did not make public their position on the matter, apparently because of their proximity to Libya or Sudan.
Meanwhile Merafhe said Botswana will not suspend its membership from the AU. He said the country will continue engaging other countries on economic and political matters concerning the African people. He said that should the establishment of the United States of Africa materialse, Botswana would not join immediately. "If the project goes ahead, we will take years, or even generations to join them," he said. He asserted that even in Europe, it took years for some countries to join the European Union. He stated that Botswana's foreign policy on quiet diplomacy has not changed but situations dictate what should be done. Merafhe is confident that in publicly criticising other countries Botswana will not create enemies. He is yet to discuss the outcome of the summit with President Ian Khama.
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Mompati Merafhe should get it from me that Botswana has created many enemies because of its abandonment of the quiet diplomacy. While, as a country, it has the right to take a certain position on any issue, Botswana should note that antagonizing other African countries is counterproductive.
You don't expect to create friends when you isolate yourself from the rest of the continent and especially if you side with imperialists on an African issue or issues that should be solved by Africans and for Africans.
Not so long ago Botswana was the only odd voice on decisions made by SADC. Botswana went to the extent of calling other regional leaders names, the same way they are doing with Gaddafi today. Not only that Botswana, through its Foreign Ministers, called for the closing of Zimbabwe's borders to starve and kill our people. Further to that they called for the bombing of Zimbabwe because of cholera.
If Merafhe thinks they are creating friends by such actions then he is day-dreaming. Only an insane person thinks they can create friends by bombing the countries they do not agree with and creating militias against such countries. History will judge them harshly on what they are doing today.
All the countries of Africa need to clean out their own house first. The greed and corruption in these countries come directly from the leaders of these countries. The leaders see the direct poverty and do nothing but steal more resources and when there time is up where do they go to Europe. Just like Mugabe has a 4 million dollar apartment in Hong Kong while his people are starving for hope. These leaders lack humanity for their own brother. Yes clean up your own act first.
If your friends are suicidal maniacs that kill other Africans then who needs your friends. That's ridiculous. Don't Africans ever stand on principle. How can you let an Arab like Bashir kill your own African brothers and sisters and you sit by and not even arrest him. Botswana is not winning friends amongst the African elite, but the people who are getting killed will know who stood up for them when no one else would or were too afraid too. This has nothing to do with the West.
Very fair and truthful comment.
Africans should stand up and condemn what is wrong and avoid diplomacy where it is more hurtful to the people than just one corrupt president.
You are dreaming and talking nonsense. Botswana stands up for what it believes in. Botswana has always opened gates to Zimbabweans and it is the first country to offer you any form of aid, in African style of being selfish, you drag Botswana's name in mud. You buy fuel and food in Botswana. South Africans were beating you guys up and you found refuge in Botswana. You got half a billions US dollars of loan from Botswana and nearly half that from South Africa, but no, you are not happy, why would you be, you are an african after all.
You should thank God that you are not in Dafur where there is no help to those struggling, due to the president you are defending now. Do you want Africans to be wiped out by arabs in Sudan? Gadaffi is an arab so he can defend Bashir. Do you remember Charles Taylor, why didn't this Gadaffi of yours defend him? Taylor is an african man. Gadaffi has always being a trouble maker, you remember Lockerbee, Scotland, Pan AM flight bomb? I bet you don't.
Grow up and face the facts. Africans are suffering at the hands of rogue leaders who hunger for power to the grave. Stop blaming colonialism, you cannot arrest anyone for it, but you can arrest african tyrant leaders now, Charles Taylor is gone. I hope this will be a wake up call for you.
Have a very nice African day, my brother.
This is ludicrous. I have always said in the past that the leaders of Africa do not represent an iota of what the people of Africa stand for. I have also hoped that the leaders of this poverty stricken continent would proved me wrong but they are determined to forge ahead with anything that is sure to leave the continent stagnated or revert to ancient norms. Two things for sure are the underlying current that drifted their ship to where we see it today: (I) the inflow of Gaddafi’s oil wealth into their private bank accounts and (II) their own fear of drifting in the same direction of Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Charles Taylor or Robert Mugabe. When the drunkenness of power beseeches them to do what African leaders have always done, they do not want to answer questions tomorrow. Impunity, corruption, lock of accountability, bad leadership is the insignia of African leadership. They want us to be content with these and be assured that we can’t do better. Africans, we can do better and we should do better. We most demand from them what is ours. We most demand good governance. I applaud the government and people of Boswana.
Jay,
You raise important issue on Bashir being of Arabic origin. The same can be said for Gaddaffi. I however, never want to argue on those lines. But what I know and have observed is that once Takunya and company realise they have been colonised by Lybya, they will then raise the race card. They will start asking for their land from the Arabs. Why are they grabbing land from the white farmers in Zim? Why the race card now that was never an issue when they gave the land to the whites? I know they are going to argue that the land was taken away from them...yet they are now praising Gadaffi for telling them that he wants to rule Africa. Why did he get bestowed the king and kings of Africa? What more he want now? President of presidents of Africa? Mmmmmmm...wake up guys before you cry foul again....
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