Geldof asks Museveni not to stand again

Mar 12, 2005

In an impassioned speech at the launch of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa report in London yesterday, rock star and developing world campaigner Bob Geldof (left) said President Yoweri Museveni should not stand for a third term.

By Stuart Price
in London

In an impassioned speech at the launch of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa report in London yesterday, rock star and developing world campaigner Bob Geldof (left) said President Yoweri Museveni should not stand for a third term.

The Commission for Africa was established in February 2004 to examine how best the world can help tackle Africa’s problems.

Taking the podium at the British Museum after British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Geldof applauded Museveni’s achievements but advised him against staying on at State House.
“The President of Uganda, who implemented poverty measures and AIDS measures that all worked with debt relief, is now trying to be president for life. Get a grip Museveni. Your time is up, go away,” he told the gathered international media and dignitaries.

“Africa is stagnating in poverty while the rest of the world streaks away from it. Why? Is it the stupidity and brutality of the thugs that still operate governments throughout Africa?” Geldof asked.

He praised President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi. “Here is the President of Malawi. He’s a guy there who tried to clean up the government. Suddenly his party left him. Hullo!” he said.

After criticising Museveni, Geldof said: “Mugabe, that aging creep. Get out! Let Africa breathe. It is stirring.”

“It (Africa) has been a giant asleep in an enforced slumber, but it is stirring. There are free and fairish elections. There are 16 countries with enviable economic growth, from a low basis but getting there,” he concluded.

Geldof said the difference between this and previous reports on how to end poverty in Africa was the level of political commitment from those in power in the world’s richest countries.

But he said the key to development was ending misrule in Africa.
Geldof also spoke of the time he spent filming in northern Uganda and Blair’s reaction to the footage he saw.

“When the Prime Minister asked me ‘what is that?’ I explained it was (the sight of) 40,000 kids in northern Uganda being sent by their mums and dads from the villages that surround the town of Kitgum every night for 10 years to escape the thugs that will raid their village and take their children to be sex slaves and child soldiers,” he said.

“In our world,” he continued, “last night and tonight, 40,000 children will be walking up five dust roads to sleep on the rocks and rubble of a deserted town like Kitgum.”

With anger rising in his voice, Geldof declared, “how dare we let that happen?”
A personality that brushes aside bureaucracy and officialdom, Geldof proclaimed: “I don’t care what it costs. I do not want 40,000 children walking up a road every night to escape being killed.”

Highlighting the injustice between the industrialised and developing world, Geldof continued by saying: “Let me tell you what the cost is, let me tell you how pathetic this is. Let me tell you about all the NGO arguments for Gleneagles (the venue for the G8 meeting later this year).”

“Do you know how much it costs? One half a stick of chewing gum for each citizen of the G7 countries a day; no jobs lost, no taxes raised, no farms closed, no factories closed,” he said.

“What are we doing?” Geldof asked in respect to the rest of the world neglecting the only continent to have grown poorer over the last two decades.

The Commission for Africa proposed that wealthy countries increase their aid to Africa, raising it to U$50 billion over the next 10 years. It also highlighted the need for African governments to root out corruption that exists in many quarters.

Blair said Africa was the fundamental challenge for the present generation.

“Africa can change for the better and the report shows how. There can be no excuse, no defence, no justification for the plight of millions of our fellow human beings in Africa today,” he said.

The report’s overall findings and recommendations are to cancel debt, spend more on health, especially on HIV/Aids, provide free primary school education and the creation of fairer international trade rules.

It also says the West should fund African peacekeeping activities, return the money stolen by past and present corrupt politicians and officials and end the sale of arms to conflict zones and warlords.
Ends

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