UN Radio

UN and Africa
Programme Number: 151
Week of: Sunday, 6th May, 2007
Recording Date: Thursday, 10th May, 2007
Topical Issue(s):

" The process leading to the deployment of a joint UN/AU force in the Darfur region of Sudan is slow. The head of UN peacekeeping operations, Jean Marie Guehenno, says the government and rebels in Sudan must come to the conclusion that there is no military option in Darfur.

" Small arms continue to kill and maimed thousands of Africans. So, participants in a worldwide campaign for the adoption of an international treaty to control arms trade, say Africa stands to benefit from such a convention.

" Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila of Botswana who has left the UN after serving in various capacities for almost thirty years, shares his view on the Zimbabwe crisis. He maintains that it is only diplomacy that can help resolve this problem.

RESENTER: This is United Nations Radio in New York.

PRESENTER:

Hello and welcome to UN and Africa. I'm Derrick Mbatha.

PRESENTER:

In today's programme, the people of Darfur continue to suffer as the process to deploy a protection force moves at a snail's pace.
CLIP 1: EUGINE SHANNON
"The first thing is to have a cease-fire. Neither the government, nor the rebels have respected any cease-fire."

PRESENTER:

That was Jean Marie Guehenno, who is in charge of United Nations peacekeeping operations. You will hear more from him in a moment.
Also in this edition, small arms are the second largest killer in Africa. Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, has visited African countries affected by this problem.
CLIP 2: MARY ROBINSON

"I saw first hand that it is the small arms that are the weapons of mass destruction at ground level."

And later in the programme, Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila of Botswana, who has just left the United Nations, shares his views on the crisis in Zimbabwe.

So stay tuned to UN and Africa.

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Head of UN Peacekeeping Says Darfur Situation Remains Bad

PRESENTER:

Reports from Sudan continue to cause serious concern at the United Nations. The UN Mission Sudan says that more people are being displaced throughout the troubled Darfur region because of inter-tribal fighting and militia attacks. There are disturbing reports that aerial bombardments have taken place in North Darfur in recent weeks. The Secretary-General has called on the government of Sudan to stop all attacks and comply fully with the Darfur Peace Agreement, Security Council resolutions and international humanitarian law. UN Radio's Gail Bindley Taylor Sainte has been discussing, with the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations, Jean Marie Guehenno, the ongoing problem of Darfur and the process that is supposed to lead up to the deployment of a joint United Nations/African Union force to protect the people of that region.
The first step obviously is to get this heavy support package up and running which means now getting firm commitments from troop contributors and getting the full cooperation of the government of Sudan for the deployment which will be a very challenging task because Darfur has no infrastructure, Darfur has no water and so for the troops, it's a daunting mission.

Both the Secretary-General and the chairperson of the AU have also expressed concern about the security situation and the humanitarian situation on the ground and the continued attacks. Between the time the new agreement has been reached, which is somewhere between mid-April and now are you seeing anything on the ground that's changing or getting better?

No. On the ground, things have not gotten better unfortunately, and we are very concerned by the very bad situation that exists on the ground. The first thing is if one wants the peacekeeping mission to be successful is to have a cease-fire and on that respect, neither the government, nor the rebels have respected any cease-fire.

There's also been concern about the tensions between Sudan and Chad but there was an announcement that there's been some agreement to normalize relations. To what extent does the easing of tensions there helped the situation?

There have been several agreements in the past between Sudan and Chad but this one looks more promising. It was made under the aegis of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Now the challenge is to follow up on the agreement to make sure that the good intentions that were proclaimed in Riyadh translate into action on the ground.

You've also talked about the importance of having a road map - that the envoys together will come up with a road map. How soon would you expect that that would happen?

Well, I spoke again to Jan Eliasson and he was telling me he was working very closely with the envoy of the African Union, Mr. Salim Salim. And the envoys now, their mission to reach out to all the key regional players and to all the rebel players but in the meantime, what's important is to prepare the ground so that on the key issues -- the issue of distribution of wealth, the issue of distribution of power and the all important issue of security and an effective cease-fire -- the various view points have to be reconciled, and that's what the envoys are doing now so we are beginning to see a road map on the horizon, probably a conference that would bring together the rebels and the government but before that, it is very important to know what will be discussed and what's the basis of the discussion.

One of the things that people are concerned about is the length of time the things are taking and the credibility of the UN in this process. If there was one thing you would want people to know in terms of the fact that things are happening and are beginning, even though they appear to be going slowly, that things are happening, what would you say that is?

Well, of course, I agree that things are going much too slowly, but I would say that those who make peace are those who have made war. That it is for those who are fighting to stop the fighting. The UN stands ready to help but it cannot make an agreement for the parties. It is for the rebels, for the government of Sudan to come to the conclusion that there is no other way than a political solution, that any military option is leading nowhere but to more suffering for the people of Darfur.

PRESENTER:

That Jean Marie Guehenno, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, talking to UN Radio's Gail Bindley Taylor Sainte.
STING UN AFRICA THEME MUSIC

Africa Stands to Benefit from an Arms Trade Treaty

PRESENTER:

It used to be that when people talk about weapons of mass destruction they meant nuclear weapons which have been used only twice in the history of humanity. But on the African continent, as in other regions plagued by conflicts, it is small arms that have brought misery and suffering to so many people. So, the movement that is underway for the adoption of an international treaty to control arms trade will surely benefit the African continent. UN Radio's Ransford Cline-Thomas reports.
NARRATOR:
Small weapons such as AK 47s and handguns are a major source of problems in Africa ranging from civil conflicts to common crimes. In fact, you can argue that small arms also pose a serious threat to the development of the continent because they create a perception of instability and insecurity which, in turn, can scare away possible investors. The gravity of the problem is captured by Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry of the United Kingdom, one of the advocates for an international treaty to control the arms trade.
CUT 1: Emyr Jones-Parry
Small arms is, in Africa the second largest killer. That means it kills more than TB, more than anything other than HIV/AIDS.

NARRATOR:
One problem is that the guns which are so prevalent in many African countries are not manufactured there. Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, notes that these small arms may be brought into the African countries concerned through legal trading channels but then end up in illegal sales. Mrs. Robinson says because of her first hand experience travelling throu gh many African countries, she feels strongly that there should be a global treaty to control trade in small arms.
CUT 2: Mary Robinson
I saw first hand the reality that it is the small arms that are the weapons of mass destruction at ground level, whether it was in Sierra Leone, in various parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and I often sat with those who were the victims and very often, of course, they were the women and children.

NARRATOR:

In addition to causing death and destruction in conflicts, small arms have also encroached into the lifestyles of rural communities. Ambassador Zachary Muburi Muita of Kenya says in the failed state of Somalia small weapons are now readily available in rural communities.
CUT 3: Zachary Muburi Muita
What this has meant is that in rural communities -- in the Horn of Africa pastoralism is a major way of life -- spears and arrows and bows have been substituted with small arms. So innocent communities that had never known any major conflicts today have assumed and adopted the Kalashnikov, for instance, as a standard weapon instead of the spear that has traditionally been the weapon.

NARRATOR:
Ambassador Muburi-Muita points out that African cities are not immune to the negative impact of small arms as is evident in the increased number of muggings and carjackings. But the good news, according to Joseph Dube, Coordinator of the Africa Section of Control Arms Campaign which is jointly run by Oxfam, Amnesty International and the International Action Network on Small Arms, is that ordinary citizens are now actively involved in calling governments to do something about small arms.
CUT 4: Joseph Dube
We have got the consultations happening in Africa, countries like the DRC, South Africa and Nigeria. The exciting part is that people actually are actually sharing their views. They are actually sharing what they feel and what they are experiencing everyday.

NARRATOR:
Last year, the General Assembly, adopted a resolution, supported over one hundred and fifty countries, which requested the United Nations Secretary-General to get feedback from governments on what should be in the legally-binding international treaty to control the import, export and transfer of small weapons. Reporting for UN Radio, I am Ransford Cline-Thomas.
STING UN AFRICA THEME MUSIC

Veteran African Diplomat Says Only Talks Can Help Zimbabwe Crisis

PRESENTER:

Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila of Botswana, who served at the United Nations in various capacities for thirty years, has left the organization. As you heard in our programme, I had a long discussion with Ambassador Legwaila on various issues of concern to the continent. And of course, Zimbabwe is one such issue, as the country continues to face serious political and economic problems. African leaders have given South African president Thabo Mbeki the task of promoting dialogue between the government of President Robert Mugabe and the opposition. But people have criticized President Mbeki's quiet diplomacy, saying that it has not helped resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe, while giving the government of President Robert Mugabe more time to clamp down on the opposition. Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila takes issue with such criticism.
When people say president Mbeki shouldn't be pursuing quiet diplomacy, I say to myself, what do they want him to do? They want him to go to 'freedom square' and start insulting the government of Zimbabwe. What does he achieve by doing so? We diplomats see a lot of virtue in what is called quiet diplomacy. And therefore, the only way you can help Zimbabwe is to sit down with the government of Zimbabwe, understand what their problems are and say to them, this how we see your problems from our own vantage point, and this is how we think we can help you, especially talking now about the neighbours, because you are not an isolated island isolated from the cares and worries of your neighbours,

Now you have been serving as the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Africa. As you know Zimbabwe is facing serious problems, socio, economic and political problems. What do you think the Untied Nations should do to try to help this country?

I think they should try to help the country. I don't think it will be helpful to come here and adopt a Kamikaze resolution condemning Zimbabwe. Even the sanctions haven't been able to help the situation because to say the Cabinet of Zimbabwe shouldn't visit New York or London -- these are the so-called smart sanctions, -- they don't need to come to New York to buy suits. I am talking as a diplomat who believes that talking is better than shouting.

Some people have even suggested that perhaps it is time that the issue of Zimbabwe be put before the Security Council. What would you say to such a suggestion?

Put before the Security Council to do what? You know, if you put it before the Security Council what is going to happen? The Security Council will be divided between those who will defend Zimbabwe and those who would want to scream at Zimbabwe. And in the end you may have a resolution which will be vetoed or you may not have a resolution. You may have a festival of condemnation in the Security Council which comes to naught in the end, doesn't produce anything. What is the use of going to the General Assembly and saying, O.K. let's debate Zimbabwe. Debate Zimbabwe to what effect because what we need for Zimbabwe is to help that country to deal with the problems which we know exist. And they know exist.

And South Africa and Botswana, of course, it's in their interest to find a solution.

Yes exactly. Those people are not aliens somewhere in the bundus of the Arctic region there. Those people are our own flesh and blood, the Zimbabweans. They are our neighbours.

But do you see a solution on the horizon as far as Zimbabwe is concerned?

Well I can't see a solution in the horizon concretely, but I can say that every problem, especially a human problem has a solution in the end. It may take years. It may take a few minutes, but if you sit down calmly and discuss a problem, eventually you will find a solution. And I think there is going to be a solution to the problem of Zimbabwe.

PRESENTER

That was Ambassador Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, the former representative of Botswana to the United Nations and Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Africa.
SIG TUNE ((Bring up briefly, dip and hold under)
PRESENTER:
And that's all for this edition of UN and Africa. Our Production Assistant was Nyi Nyi Teza, our sound engineer was Carlos Marcias and I am Derrick Mbatha saying bye bye.
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