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Somali, Zanzibar, Djibouti presidents arrive
Kampala, Uganda - FOUR heads of state arrived
yesterday to attend the official opening of the Gadaffi National Mosque and
thanksgiving prayers.
Presidents Pierre Nkurunziza (Burundi), Sem Ismail Omar Guelleh (Djibouti),
Amani Abeid Karume (Zanzibar) and Abdullahi Yusuf (Somalia) were invited by
Libyan leader Maummar Gadaffi, who is on a four-day visit in Uganda.
Gadaffi funded the completion of the national mosque at Old Kampala hill.
Abdullahi was the first to arrive at 9:00pm on Monday night. Karume, the
chairman of the Zanzibar Revolutionary Council, is also the vice- president
of the Republic of Tanzania. He landed at Entebbe yesterday afternoon.
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Somali President
Abdullahi Yusuf, Zanzibar’s Amani Abeid Karume and Djibouti’s
Ismail Omar Guelleh |
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Guelleh landed at dusk and was received by the Third Deputy Prime
Minister, Kirunda Kivejinja.
In the evening, Entebbe Road witnessed a flurry of activity as the Police
escorted various convoys to and from Entebbe airport.
As Guelleh was being driven to Munyonyo resort, his convoy met a long
procession of ambassadors’ cars at Kitubulu as they headed to State House
Entebbe for a state banquet.
At Kitala, Guelleh was driven past the convoy of President Yoweri Museveni,
who was heading to Entebbe to meet his guests.
Today, the presidents of New Guinea, Kenya, Rwanda and Chad are expected to
join their colleagues. Sources said Gadaffi sent several aircraft to
various African countries to ferry Muslims for the mosque inauguration and
the prayers at Nakivubo Stadium.
Meanwhile, Madinah Tebajjukira reports that Gadaffi has blasted African
leaders who have not prioritised the interests of their people, especially
the marginalised women and vulnerable children.
Meeting women leaders from various institutions at Serena Hotel in Kampala,
Gadaffi said African leaders should perceive the change sweeping through
Africa as a social rather than a political one.
“The thinking of African leaders is directed towards election and political
parties. They have no time to think about the youth, women, families and
children. An African woman should think about herself and do something
instead of paying attention to politicians,” he implored amid chants of “Allahu-Akbar.”
“You can have a dialogue with an African leader thinking he is thinking at
the same level with you, yet he is thinking about future elections,” he
added, to more chants of “Allahu-Akbar, the president of the people.”
“You are all aware of the situation and reality of Africa today. It’s
shifting from one position to another, and I wish it could be a social one
to include the women, children and the youth,” Gadaffi said. He repeated
his earlier comments that African leaders are distracted by imminent
elections, and whether their constitutions allow them more terms. “This is
a problem.”
He explained that the electoral system was copied from western countries
and was not suitable to the African culture and environment.
“We have imported western systems and we have changed Africa. We are now
grounded on political problems.”
He cited the post-election violence that gripped Kenya after the disputed
presidential elections last December.
About 1,000 people were killed in the ethnic clashes that followed.
Source: New Vision, Mar 19, 2008
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