AU alarm over Darfur

ADDIS ABABA – The crisis in Darfur took centre stage yesterday as a major African Union (AU) summit opened here with UN chief Kofi Annan warning the catastrophe in western Sudan would worsen if no action was taken.

But countering the pessimism surrounding this and other conflict areas on the continent, the AU’s chief executive issued a rallying cry at the meeting in Addis Ababa: “Africa is back.” “Africa is often presented as a risk for itself and the rest of the world,” said AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare.”We reject this image.””For us, Africa is a great opportunity… You will continue to make history, to accelerate history…You will see clearly that Africa is back,” he said.Konare has led efforts to revitalise the continent’s collective body, transforming the much-maligned and ineffectual Organisation of African Unity into the AU, injecting it with a fresh determination to drag the continent from poverty and conflict to prosperity through greater unity and security.”This continent, this land so rich in natural resources is a demographic force,” said Konare, noting that by 2025, there will be some 1,3 billion Africans, “almost as many as China, or India, more than the US and the European Union combined.””Tomorrow we will be the new market.We will be the young market,” he said, explaining that some 800 million Africans will be under the age of 15 in 2015.But alongside his upbeat message came the UN Secretary General’s warning of potential catastrophe in Sudan’s Darfur region.- Nampa-AFP”Africa is often presented as a risk for itself and the rest of the world,” said AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare.”We reject this image.””For us, Africa is a great opportunity… You will continue to make history, to accelerate history…You will see clearly that Africa is back,” he said.Konare has led efforts to revitalise the continent’s collective body, transforming the much-maligned and ineffectual Organisation of African Unity into the AU, injecting it with a fresh determination to drag the continent from poverty and conflict to prosperity through greater unity and security.”This continent, this land so rich in natural resources is a demographic force,” said Konare, noting that by 2025, there will be some 1,3 billion Africans, “almost as many as China, or India, more than the US and the European Union combined.””Tomorrow we will be the new market.We will be the young market,” he said, explaining that some 800 million Africans will be under the age of 15 in 2015.But alongside his upbeat message came the UN Secretary General’s warning of potential catastrophe in Sudan’s Darfur region.- Nampa-AFP