AU chairman Obasanjo blames African crises on underdevelopment

LAGOS, Nigeria, Nov 29, 2004 (PANA) — President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also the current chairman of the African Union (AU) has attributed the numerous conflicts in Africa to lack of development.

President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In his monthly “Media Chat” programme Sunday night, Obasanjo said although such crises were also part of development, people in the continent`s troubled regions were “clamouring for development.”

He said visitors to southern Sudan and Khartoum, for example, would perceive the two as “different worlds” in terms of development, adding, “the situation is even worse in Darfur.”

Since assuming the mantle of leadership at the AU, the Nigerian leader has intervened in the crises in Sudan`s western Darfur region, Cote d`Ivoire and DR Congo among other hotbeds on the continent.

He said that while visiting Sierra Leone recently, he asked some young men still carrying arms while they resorted to such extreme measures.

“They said they want good governance. That is why they take up arms,” Obasanjo recalled.

Good governance is a key component on the AU`s development blueprint, the New Partnership for Africa`s Development (NEPAD), which seeks to boost foreign investment and aid to the continent.