Africa must heal internal problems

Bravo to the world leaders of the United Nations Millennium Summit who called for a renewed commitment to bringing hope and stability to Africa. \nThey've taken the first step. The society and culture of Africa is largely unknown to many of us because we only hear about the wars, famine, economic struggles and AIDS epidemic. \nThese complex problems need further study. Massive debt, poverty and violence have paralyzed the "dark continent" because people know so little about Africa. As well-intentioned as world leaders might be, Africa needs more than a summit. \n About 150 world leaders -- the greatest assembly of presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and other rulers in history ' listened as Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Bill Clinton, Cuba's Fidel Castro and others addressed the session.\nOf course, world leaders don't want people to die. The question is how far they are willing to go to save lives. According to the Associated Press, the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations has taken on enormous duties in recent months in Africa, but keeps meeting defeat because of poorly trained soldiers. In Sierra Leone, 500 U.N. peacekeepers were taken hostage last May by rebels from the Revolutionary United Front ' an embarrassing debacle that led to calls for U.N. member states to provide peacekeeping troops who are trained, equipped and willing to counter such challenges with force, the Associated Press reported. \nAs a possible remedy, a recent U.N. report, commissioned by the secretary-general for the summit, recommended a complete overhaul of the peacekeeping department. It called for the equivalent of a ministry of defense to modernize and professionalize the peacekeepers, so troops can deploy rapidly and take action in clear cases of aggression. \nWorld leaders applauded the report because it's a clear way to avoid the disasters that happened several years ago, when peacekeeping men and women were killed. He called for a new concept of operations that would include rapid-reaction regional peacekeeping capabilities.\nBeyond peacekeeping, several African speakers called for the United Nations and its members to address the root economic causes of violence.\nAlgerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the chairman of the Organization of African Unity, decried the fact that the world's wealthy countries continue to become richer while Africa's poor suffer under crushing debt, according to the Associated Press. He sought solutions to free Africa from the devastation the continent now suffers. Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano agreed. \n Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi seemed to look at the situation more objectively. While agreeing with his colleagues, he criticized fellow African leaders for having allowed wars to fester and allow Africans to become refugees in their own homes, according to the Associated Press.\nMoi has the best vision for that very reason. If Africa is indeed going to work toward becoming a leading power, the nations are going to need help. But first, they are going to have to stop fighting among themselves.