Ministers in UN call for more support for Africa

Foreign Ministers of three West African countries, speaking earlier this week at the 57th UN General Assembly, called on the world for more support to Africa, particularly in dealing with its crises. "African member states feel discriminated against when the response of the international community to conflicts on the continent is muted or lukewarm," James Gbeho, Ghana's minister of foreign affairs, said. "Global peace and security has been aggravated by the multiplicity of conflicts, particularly in Africa," he added. Ivorian Foreign Minister Amara Essy said that even if priority were given to regional efforts to solve crises, that would be an insufficient pretext for the Security Council's lack of involvement. Therefore, he called for further clarification of the UN Charter on cooperation with regional organisations. Appealing for more development aid to Africa, Malian Foreign Minister Modibo Sidibe said industrial nations should honour their previous commitments. In addition, he added, rich nations should strengthen the production and marketing capabilities of poor countries and pay a fair price for African goods.