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Posted June 30, 2006
The Taylor Issue
Ghadaffi, Bongo make sound points But.......
News Analysis
By Thomas Kai Toteh
Libya’s
Colonel Ghadafi’s utterances immediately after Charles Taylor was turned
over to UN War Crimes Court might have created a thick cloud over the
security of the detention facility, where the UN war crimes suspect was
being held.
Libya’s
Moamar Ghadafi is slowly but certainly lobbying African Leaders to support
his campaign against the extradition of former Liberian dictator, Charles
Taylor and his subsequent transfer to The Hague in Netherlands.
The Libyan
leader, immediately after Charles Taylor was extradited to Liberia and later
turned over to the UN War Crimes Court in Sierra Leone, frowned on Nigeria’s
Obasanjo for what he termed, “Betrayal of African Solidarity.” “This act
was an unacceptable precedent that threatens all African Leaders…,” Colonel
Ghadafi warned.
Charles Taylor’s
presence in the African nation of Sierra Leone might have eased Colonel
Ghadafi’s agitation, but the recent relocation of the former African
dictator and his scheduled trial in that European nation has aroused him to
another action. This time, the forceful and one of African longest serving
leaders has a partner. He is Gabon’s Oman Bongo.
Oman Bongo, according to
FrontPageAfrica, was in Libya at the invitation of Ghadafi. While in Libya,
Bongo and his counterpart discussed African and world affairs, but Charles
Taylor’s transfer to The Hague dominated their meeting. Oman Bongo has
thrown his support behind Ghadafi to condemn those African Leaders, who they
said violate Charles Taylor’s political asylum right and African tradition.”
The two leaders must have made a sound observation when they said, “Handing
Charles Taylor over to The Hague in Netherlands represents an insult and
humiliation of Africa, which deprives it of its credibility in the eyes of
the world.”
Well, as the saying
goes, “When your house sells you the street buys you.” There are many
circumstances that led to this episode. If Colonel Ghadafi’s concern is
genuine about the embarrassment the Taylor’s fracas has caused Africans,
then he is not alone. After the hullabaloo in all African communities around
the globe for Charles Taylor to face trial, millions shared tears, other
hunched in disgrace, and disbelief when Charles Taylor was returned to his
homeland in handcuffs.
Charles Taylor was not
willingly turned over to the UN War Crimes Court in Sierra Leone and The
Hague in Netherlands respectively by Olusegun Obasanjo and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
Colonel Ghadafi, in his defense against Charles Taylor’s extradition and
subsequent transfer to the UN War Crimes Court via the Sierra Leone, has
always missed the point. In fact, the leaders Colonel Ghadafi continues to
hold responsible for the so-called “Betrayal of African solidarity and
credibility are Liberia’s Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Nigeria’s Obasanjo.
Before Charles Taylor
escaped his asylum haven in Calabar, Nigeria, there were mounting
international pressures on Liberia’s Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Nigeria’s
Olusegun Obasanjo to bring him to face war crimes he committed during his
arms struggle and when he was president of Liberia.
Liberia’s Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf,
on numerous occasions, said, “Our government does not intend to prioritize
Charles Taylor’s issue now.” She added that Charles Taylor’s trial is an UN
affair, “and is beyond our reach.” Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo said, “When
the Liberian government requests Charles Taylor, we will terminate his
asylum.”
Before Charles Taylor
went into exile Liberia’s capital was besieged by armed men from two rebel
groups. Liberians were crying for intervention. Liberian babies, the
elderly, pregnant women and children were desperate for any solution to end
their sufferings. The whole world was alarmed by the imminent catastrophe
facing some 2 million people.
West Africa, after the
alternative that brought Charles Taylor to power in 1997, pulled out
immediately. The onslaught of 2003 on Liberians in Monrovia was beyond West
Africa’s immediate attention. African Union (AU) was no where in the
spotlight to rush to stop the carnage.
The credibility and
solidarity of Africa and its leaders was critically reviewed in another
round by western nations, United Nations Security Council, and the backbones
for the UN: Britain and the US. During the review, the world’s body and its
strong facilitators concluded African leaders were killing their own people
and African organization, AU is incapable of intervening.
France, Britain, and the United
States of America went from consultations to consultations on finding an
urgent solution for the onslaught in Monrovia and other parts of Liberia.
Charles Taylor is an
alleged Libyan trained guerrilla whose policy Colonel Ghadafi denounced
lately. But up to the time Taylor was ousted, and to present, the colonel
has yet to reject or accept his role in Liberian 14 years civil war which
took away over 200, 000 lives and devastated the lives of million others for
ever. Ghadafi is an influential leader in Africa who has the capability
financially and militarily to have thwarted the atrocities in Sierra Leone
before Charles Taylor was charged with war crimes and crimes against
humanity. Charles Taylor’s alleged imported war to that country cut off
limbs of thousands of young and elderly.
“When your house sells
you the street buys you” is a common saying that neatly fits the current
situation. Colonel Ghadafi and his supporters are embarrassed by the
humiliation of one of Africa’s leaders. They feel Africa is insulted and
degraded. But Since Africa’s independence she and her people have been
degraded and insulted by armed dictators.
The credibility and
solidarity of Africa and its leaders were critically reviewed when African
leaders continue to deny their people the right to life, happiness, and free
movements. Solidarity is a mutual agreement and support: harmony of
interests and responsibilities among individuals in a group, especially as
manifested in unanimous support and collective action for something. In 1990
Nigeria headed the ECWAS Peace Monitoring Group in Liberia. In 2003 Nigeria
showed her solidarity with Liberia by sending troops to the UN Peace Keeping
Force which is currently in Liberia.
Colonel Ghadafi failed to show his African solidarity by not sending a troop
to Liberia in 1990 and in 2003. The world body stepped in to save Liberians,
especially the children. And before the world body stepped in, Charles
Taylor was already wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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