China must play central role in Darfur, says Geldof

BOB GELDOF admits to have underestimated the significance of China during last year’s Live8 rally but now he sees its role as central to ending the “ongoing massacre” in the Sudanese region of Darfur.

“No one wants to accept responsibility. Now, I think it is down to China. If you are the major emerging economy; by definition you are a global power.

“You must assume the responsibilities of that, you must do that or nobody is going to play ball with you.

“Part of that is not arming the Khartoum army or by restraining the Khartoum Government and not building arms factories outside Khartoum, part of it is perhaps getting your proxies to intervene.”

He said that the stance western countries have taken in Iraq has left them “hamstrung” in the inter-Islamic crisis in Darfur.

Instead, only countries like Pakistan, Jordan and especially China have the ability to broker a ceasefire.

Moreover he feels sensitivities between Islam and the West cannot stop people from saying what needs to be said.

“I don’t know why we let these creeps off the hook.

“(We should say to them) What are you doing? You claim to represent a vast swath of the world yet your co-religionists, your fellow Arabs are slaughtering your co-religionists, Africans. What is going on?

“It isn’t our place to intervene, you should be doing that.”

Speaking in advance of the Thomas Crosbie Holding’s annual dinner, Mr Geldof said Ireland has a role to play by leaning on the Arab countries who wield power in Africa.

Conceding that while he does not pay great attention to Irish politics he feels this week’s saga involving An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern over-shadowed Darfur, in terms of press coverage.

He said that at the time of his divorce he was helped financially by friends and while Mr Ahern’s explanation has merit it deserves to be examined thoroughly in light of previous scandals.

He said: “It is very plausible if you are going through a divorce it is going to cost you and people do do a whip around, in fact it is very common and not bizarre. In my instance two of my mates came up to me and offered without me even asking.

“It seems an innocuous thing and probably was innocuous if there was not all this tribunal thing floating around.

“It is a good and correct newspaper story and in fact you would be remiss not to go into this and really examine it.”