Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-09-08-Speech-4-132"
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"en.20050908.18.4-132"2
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".
Although this item has the heading ‘Famine in Nigeria’ in the Czech version of the agenda, I intend to discuss the situation in Niger, as stated in other versions of the agenda, including the French, German and English versions, and in the motions for resolutions that have been tabled.
One distinctive feature sets the African continent as a whole apart from Europe. There is a constant stream of hundreds and thousands of people crossing the continent’s borders, which were only firmly established in the first half of the 20th century, and this phenomenon is entirely impossible to control. Many people travel with their livestock and all their belongings, particularly in the Sahel region, to which Niger belongs, and this is why crises spread so rapidly between the various countries in this region. A great many people who are familiar with Niger’s abundant natural resources, such as the large deposits of uranium ore that are mined in the country, would be surprised to learn where the profits from these activities end up. Measures to reduce corruption and to bring pressure to bear on the country’s government to put budgetary resources to efficient use are therefore a logical and necessary first step.
There is no denying that the imposition of VAT on flour and milk could make things worse as far as food supplies are concerned. The fundamental error, however, is the lack of support for modern agriculture, based on the construction of irrigation systems and water resources for the development of crop production. The widespread practice of nomadic pastoralism, which is particularly common in the northern part of the country, leads to desertification and an escalation of the crisis over the years. What is more, the fact that nomads travel across borders could result in the crisis spreading to other countries, in particular Mali and Burkina Faso.
Two decisions must therefore be taken without delay. The first must be to address the immediate need for food aid, and the second to develop a broad-based programme for constructing irrigation and water resources. An essential addition to this programme must be a system for teaching a sufficient number of farmers about rational agricultural practices, based on crop production methods that benefit the area in question. In addition, trees must be planted in order to prevent desertification. It is likely that the most difficult task will be to restrict the practice of pastoralism in areas that are most at risk.
Other countries in the region must also be involved in this programme, since we will otherwise be faced with an ever-increasing number of related problems as the desert spreads south. Food supplies only provide a short-term solution to the problem, and a broader solution needs to be found in the long term. Pressure to liberalise public services and to open markets up rapidly is quite clearly not what is needed, and could make the situation even more critical in the near future. During the vote, we should therefore endeavour to adopt a resolution worded in such a way that it can act as the basis for a genuine resolution of the problems faced both by Niger and by the region as a whole."@en1
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