British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called on the world’s powerful nations to act immediately to help Africa extricate herself from problems like conflict, famine and disease.
Speaking on M-Net’s Carte Blanche programme on Sunday night, Blair said it was high time that the world’s major players stopped debating Africa’s problems.
”Has the world woken up to these issues? Yes it has. Have we done enough about them? Obviously not,” Blair, who attended this weekend’s Progressive Governance Summit in Pretoria, said.
He said he felt that the world’s powerful nations had a moral obligation to resolve issues like conflict, famine and disease in Africa.
”There’s no sense in leaving Africa as the only continent anywhere in the world which has gone backwards in the last few decades. There’s such vitality and energy and intelligence here, and it’s a tragedy that this isn’t being used as it should be,” he said.
The interview, conducted by former CCN presenter Tumi Makgabo, was recorded in Pretoria on Saturday but aired on M-Net on Sunday night.
Turning to the cartoon controversy, Blair said the violence that marked the protests was unacceptable.
Blair said although most Muslims took a measured response to the cartoons, others did not.
”What I would say is that [while] the vast majority of the Muslim world has adopted a response that is measured, there are some parts that haven’t.
”But then I think that goes back to the same vein of extremism that is a problem everywhere,” he said.
Blair, who flew to South Africa to attend this weekend’s Progressive Governance Summit just outside Pretoria, said he was uncertain if the reaction to the cartoons surprised him.
”I don’t know that it has surprised me but I think it is very important to distinguish between two elements here.
”One is the genuine sense of offence amongst Muslims at the cartoons that is entirely understandable.
”The other is violence, threatening of individuals, burning of embassies, the attempt to target certain individuals whether from Denmark or elsewhere and that is just completely unacceptable,” he said.
Although no British newspaper published the cartoons, there have been protests against the images in Britain as well.
On Sunday, thousands of Muslims staged a peaceful protest on London’s Trafalgar Square.
‘I like Tony very much’
Former South African president Nelson Mandela and Blair on Sunday refrained from discussing any controversial issues on which they disagreed to make the meeting pleasant, Mandela told reporters.
”I am happy to see Tony. I like Tony very much and I respect him. He’s a good friend of mine even though he is young enough to be my son or grandson. We did not discuss any controversial issues on which we disagree, but it was very good to see him,” said Mandela.
”He turned 50 last year.”
Blair was in South Africa to attend the Progressive Summit.
”We spoke about the work that we are doing in Africa — the relationship between both our countries, the G8 Summit last year and what we are doing to follow it up and things that need to be done this year.”
Blair remarked that Mandela was looking good and that it was a pleasure to have Mandela share his wisdom with him. He described their discussion as ”insightful”.
Mandela stood on the verandah of his residence in Houghton, Johannesburg, and waved goodbye to Blair as he departed in a convoy of black four-wheel-drives.
Blair was casually dressed in a pair of black jeans, a white shirt and suede shoes while Madiba was dressed formally. – Sapa