Iraq war worries Africa
There have been negative reactions across Africa to the start of the US-led war against Iraq.
President Thabo Mbeki, whose country South Africa has been a prominent opponent of attacks on Iraq, expressed regret saying he would have preferred the matter to be dealt with by the United Nations.
He said the war "is a blow to multilateralism", according to his spokesman quoted in the Mail and Guardian newspaper.
Ex-president Nelson Mandela, who has already strongly and publicly attacked US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair for their stance against Iraq felt he had nothing to add, according to his spokesperson.
Demonstrations have begun in some cities across Africa, especially in countries where there are large Muslim communities.
However, Nigeria, which has an election looming and a big Muslim population, has banned public demonstrations.
But Reuters news agency reported that the country's national police chief Tafa Balogun, told regional police officers: "Security reports have revealed that some Nigerians have been recruited and are ready to be taken to Iraq".
Main developments across Africa
Protesters clash with police on the streets of Cairo chanting anti-American slogans.
The United States shuts its embassies in South Africa and Kenya.
Kenya which suffered terror attacks in 1998 and 2002 is publicly critical of the attacks. Foreign Minister Kalonzo Musyoka said full scale war could have been avoided through dialogue.
In Mauritania, a Muslim country, several hundred people including MPs, take to the streets of the capital in a march against the war.
In Somalia, which has denied links to a terrorist network, people are glued to their television sets and businesses express concern that goods from the Gulf region could be interrupted by the war.
Eritrea, one of two African countries to join Mr Bush's' "coalition of the willing", said in a statement that it did support the war but added that it was not directly involved in actual conflict. The other coalition partner, Ethiopia, has said it has given the US the use of its airspace and also landing rights, as requested by the USA in relation to the Iraq war.
Mauritius described Thursday as "a tragic day for Iraq and for the rest of the world".
Cameroon's President Paul Biya, seen to be a close ally of France, left on Thursday for a surprise trip to the US prompting the press to put Cameroon's president "in the war camp".
Algeria and Morocco regretted that military force had supplanted diplomacy as the means to defuse the standoff.
African Union Secretary General Amara Essy said the launch of the war had caused grief and deep regret among its members.
Tanzanian, also attacked in 1998 said it was saddened by America and its allies for attacking Iraq.
Madagascar's Foreign Minister General Marcel Ranjeva told national radio: "Our hope is that the war does not last because peace is more important than anything else."
Burkina Faso's prime minister told parliament it "stands resolutely on the side of the peace camp and calls for an end to hostilities." Ghana, chair of the west African regional body Ecowas has so far said nothing although its president has cancelled a planned trip to Britain.
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Published: 2003/03/20 20:05:23 |
