The 'cancer from within we need to fix' in Africa.

Kofi Annan asserts to NewsWeek that this 'cancer' is the lack of a constitutional structure within Governments in Africa that distributes power evenly, and so governments that fail to let people of different ethnic groups [as in the case of Kenya] " feel that the cloth of government is stretched to cover everybody, that nobody is left out or discriminated against in terms of economic well-being and resources, access to money and power". Too true.

Peace and sustained prosperity could only be a possibility when there arises among African leaders, an earnest committment to honest leadership. A committment to honest leadership immediately appreciates the dangers inherent in creating a climate of distrust among different ethnic groups.

Honest leadership would recorgnise that faced with the situation of having to deal with different ethnic groups, equitable disribution of wealth and resources is perhaps the only sure way to unity, sustained prosperity, and ultimately peace.

Responsible leadership, and Peace: The Chadian story

The denouncing of rebel attacks in chad by the French government last week, on the grounds that the Chadian government was legitimately elected, brings into sharp focus the way that irresponsible leadership impacts on Peace.

The Chadian government seems not to have fulfilled its promises to the man, woman and child on the streets, to provide the basic amenities that would make their lives worth living.

This has clearly led to the people applauding rebel attacks on the infrastructure of their government, even if these rebels do not neccessarily guarantee unity, prosperity and ultimately, peace.

The current situation is a recipe for the perpetuation of conflict in Chad, and for that matter any other country in the same predicament.

Perhaps Western governments should spend time visibly encouraging the governments of countries where they have interests, to provide for the needs of their people.