Ghana committed to transforming conflict zones

Accra, May 25, GNA - Nana Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and NEPAD, on Thursday said Ghana was committed to help other international and national bodies in ensuring that the progress so far made in resolving some of the conflicts on the continent became truly irreversible.

He said it was in the self-interest of Ghana to help transform conflict zones on the African continent into "comfort zones" where children would no longer carry bullets but rather carry books to school. Nana Akufo-Addo said this in a speech read for him at a flag-raising ceremony and lecture organised by the W E B DuBois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture to mark the 2006 African Union Day celebrations in Accra.

The ceremony, which brought together participants from Pan African clubs from various second cycle institutions in Accra and Keta in the Volta Region, and members of the PANAFEST Foundation, was on the theme: "Working Together for Integration and Development".

Nana Akufo-Addo said peace and democracy would provide the base for regional integration initiatives to thrive.

"For African countries, the pursuit of regional integration has become an inevitable choice, which we make if we are to be competitive in the global village, where other regions are coming together to harness their resources more effectively," he said. He said the theme for this year's celebration reflected the vision that Africa's potential to become part of the developed and prosperous world might best be realised if member-states pooled together the enormous human and material resources that abound on the continent. "The success of our regional integration programmes will depend to a large extent on the training of the requisite human resources, which will be equipped with the skill to handle multi-national projects. "It will further require a change in mindset to engender acceptance of the strains on the traditional concepts of sovereignty that this will entail."

Ms Joyce Aryee, Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Chamber of Mines, stressed the need for those in authority to speak clearly on African Union and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) for the understanding of all.

"When I listen to people talk about the AU initiatives like the NEPAD, they often use words that are above the heads of many Africans. When we speak, we speak for the people we serve, majority of whom are not privileged to have the education we have had.

"When we speak, we speak for the entire population of Ghana and Africa, and therefore must condescend. We must speak for them to understand the ideals behind AU and other initiatives as well as their roles at ensuring the objectives."

Ms Aryee mentioned democracy, good governance, people centred development, peace, stability and security, co-operation and partnerships, economic independence and good neighbourliness as the seven points that summed up the ideals of the African Union. She said based on these ideals, it was obvious that it was not only governments' responsibility to ensure their fulfilment and attainment but every African on the continent and in the Diaspora had a role to play.

Ms Pamela Bridgewater, US Ambassador in Ghana urged the youth to have commitment, civility and compassion to avoid numerous conflicts on the Continent.