PIDATO PEMIMPIN LIBYA

Text of Leader of the Revolution at opening of 3rd Meeting of the Forum of Regional and Sub-regional Organizations to Promote Cooperation Between UNESCO and AU

Tripoli, 24.2.2009

The Leader of the Revolution, Chairman of the African Union inaugurated today the 3rd meeting of the Forum of Regional and Sub-regional Organisations to Promote Cooperation Between UNESCO and African Union.
The conference is hosted by the Community of Sahel Saharan States CEN-SAD.
The opening was attended by President Yayi Boni, the incumbent President of CEN-SAD.
It was also attended by the Director General of UNESCO "Koichiro Matsura" and AU Social and Cultural Commissioner as well as the Secretary General of CEN-SAD.

The Secretary of CEN-SAD thanked at the beginning of the session the people's committees and the National Committee for Education, Science and Culture for their support for the convention of the meeting.
He also thanked the World Islamic Call Society which chairs the Nepad committee in UNESCO and made an effort in preparing for the conference.
The AU Commissioner for Social and Cultural Commissioner called for a minute silence over the victims of the assault on the Burundian soldiers in the Somalia capital.
She expressed deep appreciation for the Jamahiriya and pride of the Leader of the Revolution ,highlighting the role that Libya took for the welfare of Africa.
She lauded the initiative that Libya launched in collaboration with UNESCO to rekindle the African history and coordinate African curricula.
She reviewed the joint projects and schemes that the AU is conducting with UNESCO, calling for upholding to African values.

The Leader of the Revolution, Chairman of the African Union, on Tuesday inaugurated the 3rd meeting of the Forum of Regional and Sub-regional Organizations to Promote Cooperation between UNESCO and the African Union.
The leader lauded the important forum that practically embodies a facet of international cooperation, to make the international community a community of peace and cooperation.

The following is the text of the leader's speech:
(In the name of Allah
Dear gentlemen;
Dear brother President Yaya Boni of the Republic of Benin, incumbent Chairman of the CEN-SAD Community:
I am honored to be given the opportunity and address this important forum, which practically embodies a facet of international cooperation.
This how we want to the international community to be, a community of cooperation and peace, its efforts should be directed to culture, science, economy, and people's and environment's interest, and not to direct its efforts to what we see no towards wars, interfering into internal affairs, conspiracy, creating problems, and undermining stability and security in the world, just as in a number of regions in the world.

The problems facing Africa today for example, are not the making of the Africans, but the making of foreign forces that have political and economic ambitions in Africa.
It is not a secret that we have uncovered with unequivocal material evidence that the Darfur problem is motivated by foreign forces, after we have discovered that some dominating rebel forces in Darfur have opened offices in Tel Aviv, and meet with soldiers there to fuel the flame in Darfur.
And if Tel Aviv is behind Darfur for example, then why do we holding Al-Bashir and the government of Sudan accountable, since the problem is the creation of a foreign force?
The International Criminal Court, the United Nations and the international community should hold accountable the foreign side behind this tragic event, it is responsible for the tragedy.
As they say "I f the reason is known, one would not wonder", when we used to wonder how can a problem between two tribes over a camel in Darfur turn into an international problem, now we know the secret.
Herein, we must end all accusations leveled against Sudan, and level them against the side that turned a camel's problem into an international problem for colonial purposes.

The problems facing Africa today for example, are not the making of the Africans, but the making of foreign forces that have political and economic ambitions in Africa.

It is not a secret that we have uncovered with unequivocal material evidence that the Darfur problem is motivated by foreign forces, after we have discovered that some dominating rebel forces in Darfur have opened offices in Tel Aviv, and meet with soldiers there to fuel the flame in Darfur.

And if Tel Aviv is behind Darfur for example, then why do we holding Al-Bashir and the government of Sudan accountable, since the problem is the creation of a foreign force?

The International Criminal Court, the United Nations and the international community should hold accountable the foreign side behind this tragic event, it is responsible for the tragedy.
As they say "I f the reason is known, one would not wonder", when we used to wonder how can a problem between two tribes over a camel in Darfur turn into an international problem, now we know the secret.

Herein, we must end all accusations leveled against Sudan, and level them against the side that turned a camel's problem into an international problem for colonial purposes.

However, this forum is another example and facet of what international cooperation and efforts should be.
The wonderful cooperation between UNESCO, which is an international organization specialized in education, science and culture, and Africa, we must encourage such cooperation and the world must head towards this positive direction and not against it.
As you know, even Mauritania has fallen in an internal problem...the power for struggle, just as in every place in the world, the struggle for power within Mauritania and its people, foreign circle rejoiced, just in Darfur, they want to turn it from a camel problem into an international problem.

We are warning these sides from the repercussions of this exposed and insolent policy.

We are telling them to "stop, do not interfere into Africa's internal problems, Africa is capable of resolving its own problems, and when you interfere, you only complicate it".

There was a three hundred year conflict in northern Ireland between Britain and Ireland and no one interfered, and finally, the Irish and Britons resolved the problem among themselves.
There are numerous problems in Europe and north America, and we have not interfered, why are they interfering into our problems?
We do not want any help from them, if their help ignites the flame of unrest and wars, and turn a small problem into a big one, we don't want any help, leave us alone, and even is these problems go on for decades, we are responsible.

All of this is to esteem this gathering and this forum, which is the example we wish and encourage and wish it for the entire world, to cooperate just we are doing here in this international forum.
For regions taking part in this forum, we salute them and welcome them in Libya.

However, in the presence of the representatives of these regions in this forum, I want to present a brief idea on these regions:
There were regions created to after we, the Africans, sensed that the Organization of African Unity have failed, we sensed that it has accomplished its task, which was the stage of liberating Africa, but when the world changed, it changed around us and we have not changed, we were going in circles for 40 years.

A matter that made us begin to think about creating anything that is positive and fruitful, especially from the economic point of view, which could make up for the failure of the Organization of African Unity that did nothing but hold regular meetings where presidents meet annually.

These periodical gatherings in every African capital, were entertainments for the presidents to host the conference, every one in every year and chairs the conference, without any jurisdiction naturally, just as it is now, without any jurisdiction.
Neighboring country consult and meet, and could have done something to fill up the vacuum and make up for the failure of the Organization of African Unity, especially in the vital and economic fields.

Then afterwards, as an end, to make up for the failure of the Organization of African Unity in the presence of regions and economic gatherings, came the idea of the Sahel and Saharan (CEN-SAD) Community, which was the final attempt after the establishment of all the regions to pave the way for the transforming continent from the Organization of African Unity to the African Union.

The (CEN-SAD) Community is a political gathering, which did not stop at borders of economic region gatherings, rather, it included numerous economic regions that joined "ECOWAS", "CDO", as they say west Africa, "EGAD", "Arab Maghreb Union" and some members of "SIMAC"...it is a political organization which extend from the Comoros Islands to the Island of Sao Tome Principe.

It was the founding stone of the African Union, from this came the complete step, which is transforming the Organization of African Unity to the African Union, on 9/9/99, in the city of Sirte, Libya, all of us people of the region met at the table of the African Union and all of us are members of the African Union and its structures that gather and integrate us.

And just before the establishment of the AU, there was an economic thought that gathers all of Africa and not only regions, to negotiate with the world on Africa's economic needs, which is the new partnership with Africa "NEPAD".

However, the idea of the AU dominated the idea of NEPAD, we discovered another situation which was much better than NEPAD, which was an economic process.

And little by little NEPAD was abandoned, and it was integrated into the AU.I think we can benefit from NEPAD by transforming it into a federal ministry for international cooperation, since the world knows NEPAD and cooperated with it.

Despite all the promises, grants, programs and aid projects for Africa, it remain ink on paper...mere words.And most of it was elections publicity for European and US governments and parties, he who want to win votes of African expats in the US or Europe, and want the support of African countries, they play with our emotions with these promises, that he will ask the EU to allocate a few billions to help Africa, and if he wins, he will give significant aid to Africa of few billions, and all of this evaporates and will give nothing after wining, and we did not get anything until now.

And until yesterday, when the AU Commission met and we reviewed the files, we discovered that no promise was fulfilled which were made by the EU European countries, US, Japan or any other, all of it mere promises.

On behalf of the AU, we will confront these sides with promises they made, will expose them in the end, and we will tell the Africans this an election publicity for these people and they will give you nothing, and if they provide, we will them they provided so and so.

If the AU was not established and NEPAD was not integrated into the AU, Africa would have been in difficult situation.Because without the AU, regions would have turned the continent into five continents, Africa will not remain one continent, rather at least five African continents, according to the number of regions. Each region would have had its own international identity, and instead of the international identity of Africa, there will be five international identities.
Each region would link its economic and political relations with a major global entity, which would lure this region with its great gravity, since the gravity of entities...the major spaces in the world are greater than the gravity of the African region on its own. A region could link itself with the United States of America for example, and another with China, another with Europe, another with India and another with Japan? Regions would turn into multiple conflicting provinces, which would devastate the African unity.

If we thought more and say if these regions were to succeed - which fortunate it did not, and unfortunate for region enthusiasts - and actually came into existence, in addition to dividing the continent into five part and multiple provinces, it could - rather definitely - it would create conflicts, especially if every region had an army of its own, there would be wars amongst them over borders, tribes and rivers.
Since we have a continent with rivers passing through a number of countries, and intertwines with borders of these countries, and sometimes it is at country borders, there would be conflicts over rivers between regions...when these region build dams on a river which another region needs, armies could mobilized and war starts over this river.

Since we have mobile tribes in Africa and were not settled in the past, regions would divide us just as we are now into fifty countries, conflicts between tribes of every region would erupt at borders.
And if regions had an armies, there will be fierce wars just as in Europe in the previous decades.

If each region made its own currency for example, Africa would have five or eight currencies instead of a single currency just like the Euro in Europe of the dollar in America.

There will be problems for people and goods crossing, since African people move...they do not recognize borders, there will be immigration problems within Africa.

For those who are truly sincere towards Africa, they should ponder on the notion of regions, they should strengthen the AU, the crucible where all regions and facts melt.
This in itself calls for a cultural revolution...calls for unitary and cultural curriculums.
This is the duty of the "African and UNESCO" forum.

We value and thank Mr. Matsuura UNESCO 's director general for what he has done and the outstanding work for Africa, namely the volumes that were published containing the general history of Africa.. Because this idea is wondweful , Libya valued it highly , therfore Libya supported Mr. Matsuur's idea and that of UNESCO to publish these volumes that contain the general history of Africa . We are still ready to support UNESCO's efforts to publish the rest of these volumes.

Africa must benifit from UNESCO because we have problems we prefereto be tackled by UNESCO instead of the 7th charter of the United Nations or by International Security Council or any other party that want to intervene in Africa and exploit these problems.
UNESCO is a friendly and peaceful party and it has cordial policies, so we can cooperate with and benifit from.
But that who intervenes with ( Afrocom ), with forces and by plotting . We despise these tough entries which are of no avail to any one or to world peace.

Gentlemen, we are in a big need to UNESCO specially concerning languages' issue. We are one black nation living almost in isolation from the rest of the world, a nation consisting of up to ( 1000 ) tribes , each has its own language and we are speaking in almost one thousand African languages.

Unfortunately, the intelligentsia and this political class learned languages of countries that colonized Africa .. They learned English and French, some learned Portugese and Spanish. Since the intellegensia are the ruling class and they learnt these languages; they have imposed these languages on Africa and its peoples, so English and French Languages have become official languages in Africa and in Organization of African and in the African Union, unfortunately.

IN the AU's statute we decided - because it is a reality - that the official languages are, French, English, Portugese, Spanish, in addition to African languages if found, because we have no assurance that we will speak in African languages like Arabic, Hawsa, Swahili and al-Amhariya. These are distinguished languages , but there is a real historic problem that affects our life, namely the problem of languages.

I see that from now on , in addition to the gains we realized from UNESCO under the presidency of our competent dear friend Mr. Matsuura, we must benfit from UNESCO another very important gain and that is helping us in solving the problems in Africa.
There are those who raised the idea of choosing widely prevailing African languages and teach them to everyone, so that who speaks Arabic in north Africa speaks other languages like Sawahilli, al-Amhariya and Folani for example. THese languages must be part of the curriculum of African student. He must learn these African languages which in the future can melt together and become one language.

Our present situation is wrong, since the intelligentsia speak foreign colonial languages, the rest of the population of around one billion living in forests and deserts. They do not know any of English, French, Spanish or Portugese languages, but they speak their local languages.

You know that Arabs were in Arabia speaking several dialects , each tribe has its dailect , but there was a big tribe named '' Quraish '' to which the Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH ) belongs . Allah chose him an Apostle and the last of prophets and the Quran was revealed to him in the Quraishi dailect , So this dailect prevailed and has become the Arabic language though it was a mere dailect of a tribe , but the Quran imposed it as common language to all Arab tribes that speak different dialects.

Now, Arab Berbers, Arab Tawareg, Arab Fulani, Arab Tabu , Arab al-Quraan and Arab al-Zaghawa .. All these were ARab tribes that migrated before Islam and they came with their languages that they still preserve these languages.

The Arab Berbers or al- Amazegh are preseserving their local language that they brought from Arabia ( 5000 ) years before Islam , So is the case with Atab tribes of al-Tawareg and al-Fulani and perhaps even al-Hawsa, Tabu, al-Zaghawa, al-quraan, al-Amhariya, Affar and Issa which as I said all of them came before Islam , Therfore, they speak dialects of Arabic origin . In other words, they are Arabs , but with their local tribal dialects.

For this reason , they have a problem with language with the exception of those who learnt the Quraishi dialect.

This is a sample.
Africa may take these existing languages and make them prevail by teaching them to our children in schools.
We have to agree on this seriously with UNESCO and to be approved in curriculum .I am ready in the name of the African Union to do every effort to to establish a historical cooperation with UNESCO regarding language in Africa.

We appreciate the presence of Mr. '' Matsuura '' UNESCO's Secretary General and I thank him for his efforts.
We are also honored by our brother and friend the incumbent president of (Cen-Sad) Community, the President of the Republic of Benin, the dear brother president '' Yayi Boni '' who is with us here at this forum and all those figures that represented Regional and Semi-Regional Organizations and other international institutions.
With this, we declare the opening of the functions of this forum .
May Allah grant you all success.
Thank you.