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Ethiopia: Meles Zenawi betrays Africa at Copenhagen climate change negotiations

THE misunderstanding among Africans when it comes to making crucial decisions came to light last week during the  conference held in the Danish capital Copenhagen.

After two weeks of intensive negotiations, the African group made a formal submission to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on Africa’s position on dealing with climate change.

Unfortunately, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who is the spokesman of Africa on climate change uncharacteristically teamed up with France and heavily doctored the African document, a move that shocked the African negotiators.

Following this unprecedented move, more hard questions were asked by the African negotiators, journalists and members of the civil society but there were no readily available answers. Who formed the Ethiopia-France alliance to represent Africa? How was France picked to represent Africa on climate change issues?

Why Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of Africa, took a  decision to compose a text for presentation to the  (COP 15) leaders which was contrary to earlier agreement by the continent’s negotiators?

All this amount to the betrayal of the African continent. Period.

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As the high level segment got underway, sharp divisions emerged between African leaders. Delegates are accusing Ethiopian president  Meles Zenawi of doing an underhand deal with developed countries to short change Africa. NTVs Pamela Asigi reports on the latest twist and what it means for the continent.

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Ambassador Lumumba, What Do You Really Think? by Naomi Klein With The UpTake On Wednesday in Copenhagen, Naomi Klein interviewed Lumumba Stanislaus Di-Aping, the chief negotiator for the G77, the largest developing country bloc represented at the climate summit in Copenhagen. Over the course of the negotiations, Ambassador Lumumba has gained a reputation for candor, putting the stakes for Africa in stark, emotional terms. This was Ambassador Lumumba?s first chance to react to the shocking news that Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi had crossed the G77 and backed the EU position for 2 degree temperature increased and only $10-billion in financing. He was clearly not pleased, but neither does he think the game is over. We talked about this and many other issues.

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Freelance journalist Doug McGill, a former New York Times reporter, argues that Ethiopian dictator Meles Zenawi should not be allowed to represent all of Africa at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15). Also interviewed: Ethiopian immigrant Magn Nyang, PhD, who speaks of the genocide in his native Anuak region in 2003.

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Naomi Klein, author, acivist, and columnist for The Nation, tells The UpTake’s Jacob Wheeler what she thinks of Obama’s language of hope permeating the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen. In short: The action and funds it would take to make a real difference are not even on the table.

Klein does find hope, however, in the new alliances forming around the environment. Organizations previously focused on international trade and poverty are starting to work on climate change.