News / Africa
Mugabe pledges to pull Africa out of UN
31 Jan 2016 at 10:30hrs | Views
President Mugabe has threatened to drag the entire Africa continent out of the United Nations if Westerners continue to block efforts to reform.
Mugabe gave the warning in the presence of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in Ethiopia.
UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-Moon sat at the high table with President Mugabe, and nodded his head.
"We are supposed to be free and independent Mr Ban Ki Moon; supposed to be free - the 54 countries (of Africa). We come to the United Nations for the ceremonial (General Assembly); every year, September, we are there.
"We pay lots of money, go there and attend the General Assembly and make speeches, go back home: year in year out.
"But the bosses in the Security Council say you shall never have the powers that we have as permanent members … Reform the Security Council!"
He added "I want to tell you, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, you are a good man. But, of course, that does not make you a fighter; it's not what your mission was."
"We will fight for our own identity, for our own integrity and personality as Africans. We are Africans. If we decide - and we shall certainly do so one of these days - that down with the United Nations, (then) we are not members of it.
"Others are real members of it, we are artificial members of it. We can't continue to be artificial members of it
How can only a handful of people (dominate the Security Council)?
"In fact, there is only America and the Europeans – those who say they are white-skinned. . .because they are white-skinned.
‘Anyone who is not like us shall not have the powers, strength and integrity that we have.' If the United Nations is to survive, we must be equal members of it; equal members who can say when we go to the body, that we are now speaking fully as members with a voice that's understood, respected and honoured.
"But no, that's not it. We met in Swaziland years ago and we came up with (the) Ezulwini Consensus. We have said we want two permanent members with a veto if the veto is to continue. We don't like it, but if the veto is to be retained those (African) members must also have IT, but if the veto is to be abolished they shall be like others."
Britain, China, France, Russia and the US are the current veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council.
China and Russia have been open to discussing reforms, as have emerging powers like India and Brazil who also want to sit on the Security Council.
Mugabe gave the warning in the presence of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in Ethiopia.
UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-Moon sat at the high table with President Mugabe, and nodded his head.
"We are supposed to be free and independent Mr Ban Ki Moon; supposed to be free - the 54 countries (of Africa). We come to the United Nations for the ceremonial (General Assembly); every year, September, we are there.
"We pay lots of money, go there and attend the General Assembly and make speeches, go back home: year in year out.
"But the bosses in the Security Council say you shall never have the powers that we have as permanent members … Reform the Security Council!"
He added "I want to tell you, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, you are a good man. But, of course, that does not make you a fighter; it's not what your mission was."
"Others are real members of it, we are artificial members of it. We can't continue to be artificial members of it
How can only a handful of people (dominate the Security Council)?
"In fact, there is only America and the Europeans – those who say they are white-skinned. . .because they are white-skinned.
‘Anyone who is not like us shall not have the powers, strength and integrity that we have.' If the United Nations is to survive, we must be equal members of it; equal members who can say when we go to the body, that we are now speaking fully as members with a voice that's understood, respected and honoured.
"But no, that's not it. We met in Swaziland years ago and we came up with (the) Ezulwini Consensus. We have said we want two permanent members with a veto if the veto is to continue. We don't like it, but if the veto is to be retained those (African) members must also have IT, but if the veto is to be abolished they shall be like others."
Britain, China, France, Russia and the US are the current veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council.
China and Russia have been open to discussing reforms, as have emerging powers like India and Brazil who also want to sit on the Security Council.
Source - Sunday Mail
