If Jack Straw gets censured for shaking Robert Mugabe’s hand, what are we to make of Tony Blair visiting Khartoum and chatting with President Omar Ahmed al-Bashir?
During the talks, Mr Blair coupled his message with a new £100m aid package for the country next year.
But he also pressed home the international community’s concern over the Darfur conflict.
“We can’t have a situation where thousands of people are dying, and nothing is done,” he said.
The United Nations World Food Programme say they are now feeding more than 1.3m people a month in Darfur.
It was important that people in Darfur realised the international community was determined to ensure the government of Sudan realised its responsibilities, he said.
The rebel forces must also recognise their responsibilities, he added.
So we’re rewarding Bashir for his actions in Darfur with a £100m aid package. And which rebel forces is Blair referring to? All those women who rebel against being raped? Or the men who rebel against being marched out of their villages and shot?
Blair has often been criticised for his messianic streak, particularly in relation to Iraq. His current jaunt around Africa, and his avowed determination to make a difference there, are evidence that there may be something to it. Not that there’s anything wrong in expressing a desire to help Africa, but if it’s in the form of jetting around making feel-good speeches and dispensing aid packages to tyrants, then we could probably do without it. But really, coming just a few days after his heart operation, this is surely aimed at domestic consumption – no lame duck prime minister here! While the Tories blather away in Bournemouth, Tony is the world statesman, energetically working towards international peace.
Leave a Reply