Jimmy Carter Has a Point (Accra Mail)

[struggle4progress]

23 April 2008
Posted to the web 23 April 2008
A. R. Harruna Attah

... How could the British have had peace in Northern Ireland without all the terrorist groups sitting down to talk at some stage? ... How many people died before Ian Paisely finally sat down with Jerry Adams in a Northern Ireland power sharing government?

Closer to home in Uganda ... Peace is eventually inching its way after decades of bloodletting (some would say acts of terrorism) between the LRA and the government. We are all relieved by that. It means one less hot spot in Africa. The LRA leader has been indicted as a war criminal - I am not contesting that - but the final peace has had to involve him ...

No one is talking to anybody in Somalia and we call it a failed state ...

I could cite many other examples, each with its own peculiar origination and no doubt unique way of solving it, but the one way that has stood the test of time is yes, talking to all sides - if that would eventually end the death, pain and misery ...

http://allafrica.com/stories/200804230507.html