Posted on 08/10/2003 2:10:47 PM PDT by Pikamax
African media fears over Liberia The arrival of Nigerian peacekeepers in Monrovia received a cautious welcome in African newspapers this week.
But Africa's ability to tackle the situation and Nigeria's offer of asylum to beleaguered President Charles Taylor were questioned, and there was scorn for the US's apparent decision to be only "symbolically" involved.
The New Democrat , a Netherlands-based web newspaper styling itself "an independent Liberian voice", had stern warnings for those seeking to restore order in the country.
On the one hand, it said, Liberians should abandon any thought of the USA riding to the rescue.
"All players... should shame those who, with the means, refused to help, believing their soldiers are too good to be caught up in an African mess," it urged.
"It is time to rely on Africa, for there is no one else to rely on, however foolhardy Liberians have become over the decades about their 'special relationship' with America."
Reprieve from violence
But Liberia's would-be helpers from the West African regional grouping Ecowas had to mend their ways too.
They "must turn a leaf on the failed concept of African solutions to African problems", it declared.
"Violence as a tool for power must be discouraged, so that this region, so much in need of reprieve from the Charles Taylors of Africa, can pick up the pieces."
The very idea of Taylor coming to stay in Nigeria does violence to our honour and our humanity This Day Papers in Nigeria, which is leading the initial peacekeeping force, have followed Liberian developments closely.
A commentary in This Day had no doubt that Mr Taylor must go, but feared that President Olusegun Obasanjo may have misjudged the situation into which he was dispatching his troops.
"Without removing Taylor from the scene there will simply be no peace to keep," Kayode Komolafe wrote.
"If he decides to stay, the peacekeepers will have to do battle with the forces who are bent on ousting him. Obasanjo may have grossly underestimated the task."
Asylum scorned
There was also condemnation of the offer of asylum to Mr Taylor.
Nigeria deserves "something more substantial than a dubious tourist attraction called Charles Taylor", Paul Nwabuikwu wrote in The Guardian .
An unsigned commentary in This Day agreed.
"The very idea of Taylor coming to stay in Nigeria does violence to our honour and our humanity," it said.
"Only an Obasanjo can grant a specimen like Charles Taylor asylum."
The US approach to the crisis also went down badly.
In the Daily Independent , Paul I. Adujie warned that George W. Bush's Africa policy could be "no more than a symbolic one, full of ringing soundbites and hollow pledges".
It is time to rely on Africa, for there is no one else to rely on Netherlands-based Liberian paper New Democrat "Africa needs a lot of things, but symbols aren't high on the list," he noted.
"Liberian children are not being slaughtered offshore, but on the ground, and that's where troops are needed."
Redemption?
In Ghana, there was a feeling that the crisis gave West Africa's leaders a chance to redeem themselves.
"The new crop of Ecowas leaders has realised that part of the problem of the subregion stems from poor leadership," The Accra Mail said.
"The warlords of Liberia must not be allowed to disgrace us. The people of Liberia deserve better."
Themes aired in West Africa were also reflected in other parts of the continent.
A commentator in Uganda's New Vision looked forward to the day when "Charlie Boy and his immediate wrecking crew leave for their sunset asylum in Nigeria", but shared criticism of the offer of refuge.
Whatever one might feel about the US's policies about invading other countries, saving foreign lives is not high on the list Mail and Guardian "Getting him out of Monrovia does not translate into impunity," Tujadeen wrote.
"Taylor has no hiding place. There is enough to hang him even in Nigeria!"
He was equally emphatic in rejecting past African approaches to such crises.
"On no account should the armed rebels be allowed to capture power. For once, Africa has to show that it is no longer willing to reward militarists," he warned.
'Foreign lives'
Suspicion of perceived US inaction was echoed in South Africa's Mail and Guardian .
"I'm surprised that Africa is so surprised that Darth Vader Jnr has failed to take action against the lethal chaos of Liberia," wrote John Matshikiza.
"There is really no reason for the US to invade Liberia - not even to save lives," he declared.
"Whatever one might feel about the US's policies about invading other countries, saving foreign lives is not high on the list."
Liberia's recent prominence has also turned it into a metaphor for internal strife elsewhere.
Zimbabwe's opposition Daily News was not slow to draw parallels, in an account of a violently suppressed demonstration in Bulawayo that passed unnoticed in the media.
"If these small protests fail to shift history here, we too may slide into anarchy and chaos, like Liberia," the article said.
"The likely impact of such a tragedy would spread far beyond our boundaries," it concluded.
BBC Monitoring , based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
"There is really no reason for the US to invade Liberia - not even to save lives," he declared. "Whatever one might feel about the US's policies about invading other countries, saving foreign lives is not high on the list."
Africa is waiting for Darth Vader Jr. to come save it.
Hooo boy.
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