Madam, - John O'Shea (January 5th) rightly asks what the role of the EU battlegroups might be in the developing world, in particular in relation to the recent outburst of violence in Kenya.
It should be recalled that many of the same EU countries have a history of colonialism in Africa. At the Berlin Conference of 1884, Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal and others agreed to divide the continent into "spheres of influence", often without regard to tribal boundaries or allegiances. Moreover, Europe must share the blame for instilling a great measure of the greed, corruption, and pursuit of power evident in many African states today.
Europe should now show a willingness to share in the responsibility of preventing violence and possible genocide involving innocent lives. Intervention by peacekeeping forces is the more pressing because of the disturbing trend of tribal conflicts that has bedevilled African political development, a problem that is likely to continue.
John O'Shea is to be commended for frequently drawing attention to another tendency, all too obvious to anyone who has worked in Africa: the shoring up of corrupt regimes with economic aid instead of making the orderly, peaceful transfer of power a condition of development funding.
The government in Kenya is reportedly a case in point. - Yours, etc,
JOHN F. FALLON, Boyle, Co Roscommon.