posted                      

quote:

---

In the future if despots like Taylor could not trust any brokered deal for them to vacate power for peace. It may wind up costing more life than necessary. If Taylor knew that this will happen to him he may have stayed and fight to the last blood thereby spending more innocent bloods.

---

posted                      

quote:

---

Originally posted by Biafra:
Ednut

You are absolutely right, but unfortunately African despots does learn or listen to reason, except Mandela, many Africa despots would rather die than leave peacefully.

---

posted                      

quote:

---

For Immediate Release March 29, 2006


REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BUSH

AND PRESIDENT OBASANJO OF NIGERIA

IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY


The Oval Office


10:30 A.M. EST


PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, welcome back to the Oval
Office. We have just had a discussion that covered a lot of topics.
Every time I meet with the President he brings a fresh perspective
about the politics and the situation on the continent of Africa, and
I want to thank you. I want to thank you for your leadership.


The President and I talked about Darfur and the Sudan, and I
made it very clear to him that we're deeply concerned about the
humiliation, the rape, the murder that is taking place among the --
against the citizens of Darfur. He agreed. And I want to thank you
for your compassion.


We talked and strategized about how to move forward, how to make
it clear to the Sudanese government that there will be a
international response in working toward a peace. We talked about a
dual track, that the rebels must come together and negotiate with the
government, and at the same time, we talked about bolstering the AU
peacekeeping force with a Blue Helmet force. And I explained my
desire to have a NATO overlay, to make sure that force is robust.


We talked about economic development. Of course, I brought up
energy to the President. He's -- and I talked about the situation in
the Nigerian Delta. He talked to me about his strategy to deal with
the energy issue.


And finally, I appreciate the decision he made regarding Charles
Taylor. In my visit last week with the President of Liberia, we
talked about Charles Taylor. The fact that Charles Taylor will be
brought to justice in a court of law will help Liberia and is a
signal, Mr. President, of your deep desire for there to be peace in
your neighborhood.


So welcome to the Oval Office. It's good to have you here,
sir.


PRESIDENT OBASANJO: Thank you very much. And as usual, I want
to thank you for the warm and hardy reception that you have accorded
us.


The areas that I would call the areas of concern, by the time I
arrived here last night, seemed to have been definably dealt with by
this morning, particularly the issue of Charles Taylor. And as I
said to you about a minute -- a few minutes ago, Charles Taylor
should be landing in Liberia by now, which should start putting the
issue of Charles Taylor behind us.


I appreciate the understanding of everybody and the way that the
issue has been handled. I met the press earlier today to actually
give what was our own position and how we were hoping to deal with
the issue of Charles Taylor's disappearance. And of course, I do not
agree, must disagree that we have been negligent in the way we
handled the Charles Taylor issue. If we had been negligent then
Charles Taylor would have got away. He would not have been arrested
if there was negligence or condonation on our part.


Having said that, we, of course, talked about the general
situation of peace and security in the West Africa sub-region, and
how West Africa sub-region, with Charles Taylor issue behind us, how
West Africa sub-region is gradually becoming a haven of peace. We
have dealt with Togo, we have dealt with Guinea-Bissau, we have dealt
with Sierra Leone. Hopefully, we are now dealing with Liberia. And
things seem to be going fairly well in Cote D'Ivoire. Well, of
course, we are keenly watching the situation in Guinea Conakry.


Then we looked at the rest of Africa, particularly Democratic
Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the Great Lakes,
generally. Then we talked about the issue of development,
particularly security -- supplies, security, stability, and also --
of hydrocarbons from the Gulf of Guinea area, and how we are working
hard to establish a Gulf of Guinea commission that will also deal
with the issue of reconciling and dealing with ending
misunderstanding among those in that -- among countries that are in
the Gulf of Guinea, how we can protect and how we can monitor what
happens in that area, because the hydrocarbon we need for our own
development and we need for the economic development and progress of
the world. We are moving in this regard not only by ourselves, but
also by our -- with our development partners.


Then, of course, we talked about NEPAD, which is where we work
with the G8 and -- politically and individually.


And we -- I briefed the President on what we are doing with the
Niger Delta, which is very important. And we are very grateful that
the measures we are taking, which are essentially socioeconomic
measures, to address some of the grievances, identified grievances,
will resolve the issue of the Niger Delta.


I think these are some of the points. And I think -- I want to
thank President for remaining his charming self. (Laughter.)


PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir.


END 10:38 A.M. EST

---

posted                         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Addy

For an 'illiterate', this is a good speech.

---