Obasanjo blames African leaders for continent’s conflicts

ADDIS ABABA—Some of Africa’s leaders are responsible for the instability on the continent because they failed to manage diversity in their societies, former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has said.

Similarly, he noted that outside interference in Africa had been responsible for conflicts, citing the NATO air strikes in Libya in 2011 that led to the removal from power of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

“The repercussions are now being felt in Mali, Nigeria and the Sahel,” Obasanjo told a press conference on the upcoming Tana High-Level forum on Security in Africa,  in Ethiopia. Asked whether African leaders were to blame for the conflicts on the continent, he said “yes and no.”

He said leaders were failing their people because they had not been able to prevent marginalisation in their societies, prevent injustice, reduce unemployment, reduce poverty, adding that they had not embraced democracy and good governance. The theme of this year’s Forum is Africa in the Global Security Agenda. /

Obasanjo blames African leaders for continent’s conflicts