In Addis, Jammeh told the AU Assembly that without peace and stability, anything they desire will become an elusive dream (Photo credit: SEYLLOU/AFP). |
President Jammeh has said African
leaders have now realised that “we have to work together”.
“Africa is the richest continent on
earth in terms of mineral resources and we have human resource too,” Jammeh
said on Tuesday. “If Japan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar can develop, why can't the
continent of Africa develop? Now we realised that we have to work together.”
Jammeh, who was speaking to State TV
following his return from the AU’s 21st General Assembly in Addis
Ababa, said the “Arabs speak with one voice regarding an issue, but, when you
come to Africa we speak with ten or twenty different voices.”
Reconciliation and permanent peace in Africa
He reiterated his proposal to the AU to spare at least 10 years of its 2013 to 2063 development plan - a decades of African reconciliation and establishment of permanent peace in Africa.
In Addis, Jammeh told the AU Assembly that without peace and stability, anything they desire will become an elusive dream.
"With regards to peace and security in Africa, I think we have committed ourselves to 2013 and 2063 - that is 50 years,” Jammeh said according to media reports. “We all know development cannot take place without peace and stability and unless we commit ourselves to resolving all the problems that we have in the continent whatever we yearned for in the next 50 years would become an elusive dream."
While in Banjul, Jammeh further
elaborated on his proposal, saying: "As we are celebrating at the
celebration venue (in Addis) most of us are fighting each other either directly
or indirectly.”
How can you integrate Africa when we
are fighting each other? So the most important thing is to engender peace and
security in Africa, he said.
The Gambian leader believes some of
these crises are deeply entrenched that it will require concerted effort of all
African leaders.
He said: “It will take almost ten years
for us to end all conflicts and reconcile and ensure peace and security. Until
we so do, this coming 2013 to 2063 would be an elusive dream. So without peace
and stability let us not talk about development."
Written by Modou S. Joof
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