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INSIDE AFRICA

Crisis in Darfur Escalates; Interview With FIFA President Sepp Blatter

Aired July 8, 2006 - 12:30:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEMI OKE, HOST (voice-over): This week on INSIDE AFRICA. The fate of the people in Darfur hangs in the balance, as diplomats try to sort out who will be the boots on the ground. We will speak to a UNICEF goodwill ambassador about her recent trip to the region.

And FIFA's President Sepp Blatter talks to CNN about preparations for the 2010 South African World Cup.

And a festival of healing in Morocco. It's all on INSIDE AFRICA.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OKE: Hello, I'm Femi Oke. Welcome to INSIDE AFRICA, our weekly look at news and life on the continent.

New questions today about how long African Union troops will stay in Darfur. In an interview Friday, the head of the A.U. mission in Darfur said the pullout date is September the 30th, unless Sudan agrees to a U.N. presence in the region. This after last weekend's meeting, where it was widely reported the pullout would be at the end of the year.

The conflict in Darfur has gone on for three years. During that time, nearly 200,000 people have been killed and another 2 million have been displaced. Meanwhile, a fragile peace holds in Darfur.

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OKE (voice-over): May the 5th. An agreement was signed by the Sudanese government and the main rebel group, with hopes of bringing peace to the western Sudan region of Darfur. Since that time, those who are displaced by the violence remain so. The United Nations special envoy in Sudan claims the violence in Darfur has escalated. Key deadlines to disarm pro-government militias were missed last month, and the Sudanese government has yet to agree to a U.N. peacekeeping presence in that country. The latest refusal came at last week's African Union summit in Gambia.

But U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan believes it is still a possibility.

KOFI ANNAN, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: In the world of politics, things change, and we hear never, forever, and yet it does come around. And so I'm still expecting that, in time there will be a U.N. peacekeeping force deployed to Darfur.

OKE: One agreement reached at the A.U. summit: African Union troops will stay in Darfur until the end of the year. The U.N. says it will work to strengthen the A.U. force, currently some 7,000 strong. But in the meantime, what Annan calls one of the worst nightmares in recent history continues.

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OKE: Now, we had hoped to bring you the position of the Sudanese government today, but shortly before our broadcast, the Sudanese ambassador to the United States canceled his interview due to an emergency. We hope to bring you that official position on a future program on INSIDE AFRICA.

Moving on, actress Mia Farrow is a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. She's just returned from her second trip to Darfur, and I got the chance to speak with her earlier this week about UNICEF's work there. I began by asking her about how things have changed in Darfur since her first visit, compared to her most recent trip in June.

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MIA FARROW, UNICEF GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: Things are much worse. Eighteen months ago, I was able to travel into west Darfur, along the Chadian border, and this time there - the insecurity is such that even the humanitarian agencies, many have withdrawn, and they have had to reduce their - their size there. There are parts of Darfur that are inaccessible to all humanitarian agencies.

What we're seeing is, in excess of 4 million people now reliant on food aid, and people are receiving less than the minimum of what is required to sustain life. More than 2 million people are actually living in refugee camps. Many others are just on the run, living in - under trees and so forth. People are terrorized. They're running across the border into Chad and back again into Darfur.

I mean, it's really an SOS to say to people - you - you need to approach this problem on two fronts. One, and immediately support humanitarian aid agencies, UNICEF and other agencies there on the ground, doing in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances, sustaining human lives - 4 million human lives.

And the other - the other solution is the political solution this week. You know, urge the government of Sudan to admit the United Nations as soon as possible to support the African Union there.

OKE: You met a number of Darfurians, and they were very eager to tell you their stories. I know you can't retell all of them, but tell us one that was particularly poignant for you.

FARROW: Unfortunately, the stories are horribly similar. One woman told me that her baby was torn from her back and she struggled to hold on to her, her little boy, and the baby was eventually torn from her arms and bayoneted in front of her. On that day, she lost three of her five children, all killed in front of her, and stuffed -- cut up and stuffed down her well. Her husband, too, was killed; her crops were burned, and her cows were taken. And she stood before me and said, I have nothing. She said, tell people what is happening here, tell people to help us.

So, you know, here I am to tell the story of this woman - I mean, I met so many women with similar stories, who had to flee their burning villages and find themselves in these deplorable camps.

Now, there is an outbreak of cholera. There is not enough clean water, and as I said, not enough food.

So, we need to support our humanitarian agencies, and we need to try to put pressure on all governments of the world to unite to help Darfur. And if the government of Darfur is not willing to admit the help of the United Nations, allow this, then this is just not acceptable. As a human community, a human family, we must all find this unacceptable, and find a way in to help these people.

OKE: Did you manage to meet anybody from the Darfur government? I know that was part of the plans. Did you succeed?

FARROW: No, we didn't. In the end, we were unable to - to meet with any of the ministers there, though I had met, we - I can't quite say that. We did meet with the governors of North Darfur and South Darfur, but not in Khartoum this time. In my previous trip, I did - I did meet with ministries there. Yes.

And - in all cases, they pretty much deny that there is a problem, and they say that they are cooperating. And, you know, it's in the end pointless, you know. When for UNICEF, though, it's very important to work with the government insofar as they're able, because the priority is access, and as long as the government of Sudan is allowing UNICEF and other aid agencies access to the region, then this is the important part of the relationship, and we do have that.

OKE: Tell me about some of the UNICEF programs that you visited, because UNICEF does need more money, does need more aid. What are they managing to do with the money that they have?

FARROW: Oh, gosh, they're building wells as - as quickly as they can. This is the --- the urgency to - to build enough -- to dig the wells so there is clean water available for each community. For instance, in the camp of Zam Zam, which is outside of Al Fasher in North Darfur, there were 40,000 people, 30,000 in the camp and the adjacent village, and one doctor to tend to 40,000. I met a new baby that just entered the world, and was already covered in flies. And my own grandchild was born on that same hour of that same day, and I thought, what a difference in future is for each of the two little girls that entered the world that day.

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OKE: That was actress Mia Farrow, UNICEF's goodwill ambassador, who just recently returned from Darfur.

We're going to take a break here, but there is much more to come on INSIDE AFRICA. South Africa is gearing up to host the 2010 World Cup, but will it be ready in time? Good question. Good answer after the break.

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OKE: Hello again, good to see you. South Africa issued the world an invitation on Friday, an invitation to the 2010 World Cup. For the first time ever, the Cup will be played on the continent. The new logo was unveiled in Berlin with dozen of dignitaries in tow. South Africa President Thabo Mbeki stressed the historic meaning of the Cup coming to Africa.

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THABO MBEKI, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: The coming of the soccer World Cup in 2010 will constitute a tribute to that effort which is not only a South African effort, but an effort of the peoples of Africa to recover from many, many centuries, many centuries of great difficulty.

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OKE: President Mbeki also said the Cup was coming to South Africa, and it would stay in South Africa. We shall see in four years' time.

Meanwhile, the director of communication for South Africa's local organizing committee is confident her country will be ready.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUMI MAKGABO, DIR. COMMUNICATIONS/S. AFRICA 2010: I think we are very ahead, very much prepared. In fact, I believe that it's safe to say we're slightly ahead of schedule.

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OKE: Can this be? That's a blast from the past, Tumi Makgabo there, looking excellent and on form.

While South African officials say things are on track, there are some obstacles they must confront. CNN's Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange reports:

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be organized in South Africa.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the announcement that made World Cup history and gave Africa an opportunity to show it could play on the world stage:

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be a spectacle, and, you know, a lot of people who think we in Africa still live on treetops and ride on monkeys, a lot of them will be shocked when they get here.

IDAH PETER, SPORTS SHOW HOST: The comparison between South Africa today and Germany four years before the 2006 World Cup ..

KOINANGE: But not a day passes in South Africa without some hand- wringing and self-doubt about the challenge ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's my concern. We don't have.

PETER: Public transport .

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this country any kind of public transport, any kind of transport at all, and the roads .

KOINANGE: Four years before the tournament begins, the South African government insists it's well on track to ensuring a successful event.

Construction has begun to add a third terminal at Johannesburg's International airport, the main entry point for the 2 million or so spectators expected. More than half the games will be played in the Johannesburg area.

An elaborate subway system, nicknamed the Hal Train (ph), is planned for the region, but contractors have already admitted that only one leg of the triangular system will be ready in time for the World Cup.

And the cost of the Hal Train (ph), about $3 billion, has already provoked plenty of grumbling in a country whose public transport system is decrepit.

(on camera): And then, there is that other nagging issue that seems to be on everyone's mind here. An issue that seems to permeate just about every level of South African society, and which could potentially harm the World Cup -- namely crime.

(voice-over): Almost daily, the headlines here help reinforce the view that South Africa is the crime capital of the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The public perception is that we have crime levels that are totally out of control and totally unacceptable, and if that continues, it could frighten away potential visitors to South Africa.

KOINANGE: To some, that perception is overdone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have hosted the World Cup, Rugby World Cup, we have hosted the Cricket World Cup. There were no problems as far as crime is concerned.

KOINANGE: Neither event, though, nearly on the scale of the World Cup. As the scene in Germany has shown, it's the world's biggest sporting event, attracting millions of fans and a global television audience of billions.

According to some, an intense focus may even help South Africa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think anybody can find negatives in South Africa because of the many problems, but I'm confident that the World Cup is being used as a catalyst to solve some of those problems.

KOINANGE: One thing that's guaranteed -- South Africa's enthusiasm for the events. In this sports-mad country, football is the sport among the majority black population. It may still be four years away, but already the anticipation, as well as the apprehension, is almost tangible.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Johannesburg.

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OKE: Thanks, Jeff.

Now, CNN's Becky Anderson spoke with FIFA President Sepp Blatter in Berlin Saturday. They talked about the World Cup coming to South Africa and the challenges ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sepp Blatter, we're delighted that you've joined us today. This has been a fantastic tournament. But now, we move on to 2010 and the World Cup in Africa. Will Africa cope as well as Germany, do you think?

SEPP BLATTER, FIFA PRESIDENT: Absolutely. But it will be a different World Cup. The ambience (ph) in South Africa and in Africa is different than in Germany, but the South Africans, they will organize a wonderful World Cup. And they will do this World Cup, the first one in Africa, exactly with the African touch. And the African touch not only the one which is generally identified with Africa, because South Africa is a multi- cultural country, and therefore it will be a melange of all the cultures living in South Africa, but naturally they feel pressure from South Sahara countries therein, and it will be something absolutely marvelous when football, world football will be at this rendezvous.

ANDERSON: What do you think hosting the World Cup means for Africa?

BLATTER: In my opinion, and this was my first reason or my will to go once with the World Cup to Africa is to make justice to Africa. Because during the years -- I don't speak about colonialism, because this is out of football, but still, during years, especially European football has taken out the best of African football. The African footballers, they play in Europe. And they took out the best and also (inaudible), and they took it out from Africa. To give back something, nothing. So there are no professional leagues, or very few professional leagues.

So with this World Cup in South Africa, it will be justice to give something back to South Africa, and with a lot of institutions and organizations, they want to help us to bring something else in football to South Africa. I think that we will realize, we will realize what it is -- what I call justice. Justice. Give them back something.

ANDERSON: Will South Africa be ready?

BLATTER: Ready? Yes, sure, they will be ready. Listen, South Africa -- the Republic of South Africa is a well-organized country. It's a country where we have the highest, let's say, the gold and the diamonds, and the telecommunications system in South Africa, the organization of the big cities. Naturally, there is poverty also in South Africa, but there is everywhere in the world when you exclude some of the so-called rich countries in Europe, and even though you can have a look that not everything is OK.

Yes, they will be ready, and we will help them. The football will help them. But a lot of other people will help them. And I'm sure that the Africans, they have the ability to do so. And I will tell you why. Because the market, the market, and the market being the economic partners, but being also the television, they trust South Africa.

We know that the World Cup is number one in the world now, and football is a wonderful product. But why then television and our marketing partners, they invest more now in South Africa than they have invested in Germany? Because they trust South Africa. And if the market is trusting South Africa, then how we in football, we should not do it?

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OKE: Good point. The FIFA President Sepp Blatter with CNN's Becky Anderson, looking ahead to World Cup 2010.

Now, for more on the last few hours of World Cup 2006, you can log on to our Web site, cnn.com/worldcup. That's cnn.com/worldcup. And there you will find the latest on upcoming matches -- upcoming match, I should say, and joining the fun of (inaudible). That's all at cnn.com/worldcup.

Now, there's more to come on INSIDE AFRICA, of course. Join us as we travel to Morocco, where we'll visit a mystical festival, celebrate healing through the use of magic and music. See you on the other side.

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OKE: Good to see you again. You're watching INSIDE AFRICA.

Now, is it old world magic or traditional healing? The Gnaoua festival draws thousands of people to Morocco. The festival itself features healing music, said to secrets from slaves that once lived in Essaouira.

Sylvia Smith was with the crowds.

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SYLVIA SMITH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A very conservative and traditional parts of the Kingdom of Morocco. An area that has kept alive a mysterious form of healing, using trans-fade (ph) and ecstatic music to cure a whole range of sicknesses.

These were the slaves known as Gnaoua, perhaps because they originated in Guinea. These are the men who brought with them from black Africa the secrets of driving out spirits that possessed people, bringing ill health and even death.

Today, the old belief has been given a new lease on life by a festival that brings over 400,000 to the narrow streets of the town of Essaouira.

The knowledge of how to cure is passed down through generations of masters, or maalem, that keep the arcane mysteries a deep secret.

This maalem says that there are now two systems, the true mystics and believers who are able to cure, and the new generation, for whom Gnaoua is all about music and enjoyment.

Most of the participants at the festival know the familiar sound of the music -- the rattle, which is the reminder of slave chains. But for many of the young people here, the magic seems to have taken second place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): First of all, we're third generation. The traditional Gnaoua music has (inaudible) secrets. That means that nowadays, there are many true masters who can carry out these night-time sessions 100 percent. But not so long ago, it was all about going into trans and people believing in it.

SMITH: The festival's all-night sessions may not have the same overwhelming power as of old, but there are many who still benefit from being in contact with the spirit world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I went to Lelas (ph). I was there, very much present, and I've seen people being cured because of the Gnaoua music. I can testify this. And they know people who have really been cured by Gnaoua music.

SMITH: The hordes of people who come to the town for the four-day festival to experience the Gnaoua don't leave unsatisfied. Their mass presence is proof that the power of this ancient belief system still holds over modern minds. And the town authorities are aware that to turn the event into something purely materialistic would be to destroy the allure of Essaouira.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We have the onus of preserving the soul of the town of Essaouira, and keeping the serenity which it creates and which is our most bankable asset.

SMITH: Gnaoua have raised the profile of the town, bringing enormous material profits, and incidentally, introducing an unusual form of slavery tourism. But for the town and its inhabitants, being famous for four days is just the tip of the iceberg. The real Gnaoua force is still a part of the culture.

For CNN's INSIE AFRICA, I'm Sylvia Smith in Essaouira, Morocco.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OKE: Thanks, Sylvia. And thank you for watching. I'm Femi Oke at the CNN Center. That's all for this weeks' show, but join us next week when we do INSIDE AFRICA from inside Mozambique. Catch you in Maputo. Take care.

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