Plea for African peace role

African countries have to be allowed to take a leading role in peacekeeping operations on the continent, South African Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota was quoted by the ‘Financial Times’ on Monday as saying. Lekota was speaking ahead of a conference in London on resolving conflict in Africa. “Africa should be given greater say and accountability, greater responsibility in the point of view of these missions,” Lekota said. He added that other countries should not resent Africa taking a greater role, nor should African countries reject the partnership of countries friendly to the continent in peacekeeping initiatives. He said there was a “real probability” of a military pact among Southern African Development Community countries to promote peacekeeping and early intervention in conflict. The pact would cover training, the purchase of military equipment and regional peacekeeping missions. Meanwhile, the South African government said at the weekend that it was sending the first six of 86 soldiers to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of the UN peacekeeping mission.