O.A.U. parley erupts into violent row

Press, 20 July 1979, Page 5

O.A.U. parley erupts into violent row

NZPA-Reuter Monrovia Africa’s annual summit meeting has exploded into violent arguments over the fugitive Field. Marshal Idi Amin, former dictator of Uganda.

They broke out last night after a blunt address to the African Heads of State by Uganda’s new President (Mr Godfrey Binaisa), attacking Amin.

“He is a primitive fascist with an insatiable appetite, for the blood of his victims,” President Binaisa said. “Sometimes Amin would take out the bowels of a man he had killed and eat a bit of the liver for breakfast to stop the ghost from haunting him.”

The Organisation of African Unity summit session began with a walk-out by Arab and Left-wing African leaders when the Egyptian President (Mr Anwar Sadat) took the podium to defend his peace treaty with Israel. It was led by the new Algerian president (Mr C'hadli Benjedid).

President Binaisa, who strongly defended Tanzania’s

military intervention to oust Amin, said half a million people in Uganda had died during Amin’s eight-year rule. He said African leaders should draw the lesson of his rule and speak out in defence of human rights. “I warn you I am going to propose this assembly condemn Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Empire which massacre children while you sit here and do nothing,” President Binaisa said. He attacked the Presidents of Nigeria and Sudan for their criticism of Tanzania’s intervention and after describing the killings in Uganda under Amin added: “And this is the man the President of Sudan called my brother.” The Nigerian Head of State (General Olusegan Obasanjo) who was in the chair, replied: “If we sacrifice principles I believe Africa will be the worse for it.”

The Ugandan President also attacked Libya for sending troops to prop up Amin’s Government.

The Libyan Foreign Minister (Mr Abdelsalam Tureiki) who spoke earlier in the debate, said the Tanzanian in-

tervention had set a “dangerous precedent in bringing the downfall of a regime in another country.” The Libyan Minister, whose country is affording refuge to Amin, said there were 5000 “freedom fighters” training in his country to join Africa’s liberation struggles.

President Binaisa said he was astonished that the delegate of Libya had spoken of Uganda “when the interference of Libya is well known. “We are prepared to talk to the Libyans and we shall forgive but of course we shall not forget,” the Ugandan leader said to loud applause.

In the Zimbabwe Rhodesia debate, Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister (Mr Feleke Gedle Giorgis) added his voice to the general condemnation here of Bishop Abel Muzorewa’s Government. “Any move to recognise the puppet regime of Muzorewa or to lift sanctions imposed upon the illegal regime in Salisbury would be tantamount to an aggression directed against all the independent States of Africa,” he said.