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FREE ZIMBABWE-YOUTH CRY OUT
Story: Nana Sifa Twum
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GHANA'S PRESIDENT J. A. Kufour whilst giving a lecture in London recently as part of his state visit was on four occasions interrupted by members of a Zimbabwean youth group protesting against the government of President Robert Mugabe.
One after the other they rose from the audience with loud voices deploring what they described as the AU's indifference to what the people of Zimbabwe especially the opposition are going through. Hundreds of eminent citizens of the UK forming the Chatham House had sat attentively to listen to the AU Chairman on issues about Ghana - the past, now and the future.
Two minutes into his speech, a man in his late twenties who had handcuffed himself raised his voice and the two hands in handcuffs, calling vehemently on President Kufour to "do something about the situation in Zimbabwe". "As chairman of the African Union, we call on you to condemn Zimbabwe," he added.
"There is no democracy in Zimbabwe", he claimed. He questioned the importance of the AU and abilities. The President diplomatically paused his speech. Stood at the podium and watched the unfolding drama.
Thanks to the efficiency and the effectiveness of the Number 10 and Accra Castle security system personnel within a minute he was taken out of the hall.. .
About two minutes later, while the audience appeared to be enjoying the President's delivery, one more male protestor displaying a newspaper banner report and picture of the battered and tortured Zimbabwean opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai screamed thus getting some audience frightened. For him there was the need for the President to openly condemn the actions of President Mugabe. "He is killing us the and destroying our heritage, nothing good is coming from him" he lamented.
Like a biblical story about Ananias and Sapphira "look the feet of the men who sent your colleague out at the door, and they will carry you out also" and surely he was also sent out in no time.
After this it appeared that all was set for the smooth delivery of the speech but it was not. The next was a woman protestor, with a louder voice than the first two males. She was drawing President Kufour's attention to the severe suffering of the Zimbabwean women.
She was also forced out of the hall. At this juncture, the security personnel became well awake. Three of them took positions at vantage points. They set eagle eyes on the corners of the hall spotting almost all the audience in the hall.
As President Kufour gathered momentum for his speech, the last one also a woman, sensing the alertness of the security apparatus, stood with her handbag wailing loud enough for all in the hall to hear whilst searching for the exit. With this, the security had very little to do because she was already on her way out.
Despite the dramatic disruption of his speech by the apparent desperate Zimbabwean youth, President Kufour did not react until the fifth Zimbabwean youth, perhaps part of the protest sat until the end of the speech and had the opportunity to ask, "Mr President what is the AU doing about the political turbulence currently going on in Zimbabwe?"
"Please don't think Africa is not concerned. Africa is very much concerned but we cannot use force to resolve the problem in Zimbabwe" softly but confidently the President answered. The African Union is very uncomfortable and and embarrassed at what is happening".
According to the AU chairman, "there were "various ways" in which African countries were trying to influence Mugabe.
He said the African Union wants to do something but it's only two years old and there are many challenges confronting it," he said, citing problems in the troubled western Darfur region of Sudan and Somalia.
"I know that presidents like (Olusegun) Obasanjo (of Nigeria) and (Thabo) Mbeki (of South Africa) tried desperately to exercise some influence for the better but they came against stiff resistance."
Outside the hall were a number of placards bearing protestors chanting "AU liberate Zimbabwe". They also shouted "Mugabe is killing people and our African leaders are not doing anything," Later at the Number 10 Downing Street where President Kufour and Tony Blair addressed a press conference, journalists also quizzed them about the same issue.
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