The IHRC Africa Region HQ is undertaking an exposition to address the conflicts and political instability that have characterized African countries history as a result of the abundant solid minerals and natural resources. Iron, Coal, Limestone, Granite, Gypsum, Copper, Diamonds, Uranium, Cobalt, Silver, Gold, etc., that abound in large commercial quantities all over the place in Africa and have become the main reason for the conflicts in Africa.
H.E Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure, the Director/Ambassador of the IHRC Africa Region HQ has made it clear that it is as a result of the solid minerals in all the nooks and crannies of Africa that we have witnessed terrible wars in history and in contemporary time and this is still compounded by the corruption and misrule that have had such corrosive effects on Africa. Dr. Ahure has been holding discussions with Stakeholders to demand that the African peoples have right to live in peace instead of to constantly be in wars or terrorists attack because Africa is blessed to have natural resources categorized here as solid minerals. Ironically instead of this factor helping Africa’s greatness, it is a rather a tradegy that is very saddening.
The IHRC Africa Region HQ’s Ambassador has been faulting the policies on natural resources in the African countries for not properly addressing potentials for conflicts, making them perhaps the most controversial and causes of conflicts which has been killing the African people and retarding economic progress in the nations. Dr. Tivlumun Innocent Ahure tracing several conflicts in Africa because of the need to access and control the minerals blamed insecurity of lives and property on the policies on solid minerals in Africa. He cited the cases of the use of foreign mercenaries, the increasing prominence of warlords’ activities, and the deep involvement of external actors, especially multinational corporations and international nongovernmental organizations, in African civil conflicts as a result of the adopted views in our policies not being in tandem with the United Nations principles on the exploration of solid minerals and called for understandably going beyond the scope of the guiding principles for the peoples sake and peace in Africa. A recommendation for hosting a meeting of all African countries Ministers of Solid Minerals Development has received the approval of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals and Steel Development in Nigeria.
The partnership of the African Region HQ and the Ministry will bring the representatives of African Presidents and officials including all African Ministers of this discipline to discuss why solid minerals in Africa have been linked to recent African conflicts and take resolutions to empower the IHRC Africa Region HQ with other stakeholders to closely be monitoring to ensure that the African countries are working to end the senseless conflicts. In the meeting to finalize arrangements for this meeting of all African countries Ministers of Solid Minerals Development slated to be held in the month of February 2021in Abuja, the Nigerian Honourable Minister of State for Solid Minerals and Steel Development Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah agreed and saw the need for the negative reputation of the solid minerals in Africa to be changed to a favourable stand and the African countries will be benefiting from the solid minerals underground.
Honourable Minister Dr. Ogah stated that his opinion is in line with the IHRC’s call for Governments policies to take into consideration how to enforce the protection of these resources and noted that the high profit margins from the solid minerals could attract the attention of an array of interest groups, including armed groups, international business interests, political elites, criminal gangs, local and international civil society, and multinational corporations and this calls for devising yardsticks to discourage future occurrences and also end the present conflicts. Already the necessary authorization and official approval for holding this Pan African summit have obtained while the process of registration of the continental parley with the UN system has been initiated.
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