You main problem is that your think because Africans are dying; so Africans need to be involved either as AU or Africa gov. I see human beings needing to do something about fellow human being sufferings. The EU leadership have to do this. And the reason..this is humanitarian crisis at the gates of EU..not an African crisis. EU leadership have to stop cowering to racist right wing and enact progressive immigration policies that treat all refugees fairly.
You continue to let emotion get the better of you. Please try to calm down. Let me, again, explain some things for you:
(1) Omollo has, for example, pointed out that Nigeria is not a poor country and Nigerians on those boats are simply fleeing societal inequities. I've stated that that fundamental problem can be solved only by Nigerians. If you suggest otherwise, then I'd like to hear how the external world should solve the problems of inequities in Nigeria. It won't do to simply keep insisting that Africans have too many problems and can't be expected to do anything for themselves; nor will it do to keep repeating that China will solve it all.
(2) The simple fact is that European countries are not going to make major changes in their immigration policies any time soon. This hard fact should be taken into account after all the demands have been made for "progressive immigration policies".
In the interests of objectivity: As all sorts of claims and calls are made, we must keep in mind that since the start of 2014, the Italian government's claimed record is that it has taken about
200,000 people from those waters. Those people were then been processed in some standard manner. So one of the things that needs to happen in this debate is a dropping of the idea that someone is always happy to let these people drown.
Yes, all refugees must be treated fairly. But the fact is that
all countries make a distinction between purely economic refugees and those fleeing war, political persecution, and so forth. (That is where the "international obligations" come in.) What's more, I don't see that changing any time soon.
That EU won't probably do nothing because those dying are Africans. What bollocks is that.
I stated above that I'm sure the EU will do something; they have in fact been doing a lot more than many on the African side. My question is whether the something will be of a sort that will result in long-term, positive solutions. Other than that, I've simply noted the rather obvious fact that racism against Africans (blacks) is part of
mzungu make-up.
Something very important about such discussions: It is important to be aware of views on the other side, even if we don't agree with them. And this requires a calm and objective consideration. Of course, one can simply insist that this and that must be done, but for the matter to be handled properly, all views must be considered.
Here on Nipate, we might dismiss a view such as the following, but questions are being asked and comments are being made, and all these feed into whatever final action if taken. A competition to portray oneself as more "humanitarian" or "more teary" or whatever will not achieve much. Speaking of different, here's something from an African article I read just a short while ago ... and which attempts to look at both sides:
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-04-22-analysis-the-migrant-boat-crisis-is-not-just-europes-problem/#.VTlz7GdFAzt(
Others elsewhere have similar comments/questions, and some of those others are in a position to have a say as to what happens.)
To my mind, even if one disagrees with or finds such comments and questions distasteful, it is unwise to simply dismiss them without some hard, objective logic.
Similarly, while we can appreciate and praise novel ideas on how the world would be such a better place if all was shared equally and we all just got along as human beings, the rather unpleasant fact is that those who have and those who control---whether individuals or nations---are never keen on any equal sharing. On the contrary, the drive seems to be to have more than others. We can decry that, on whatever grounds, but that alone is insufficient.
In order not to get side-tracked some more, may I propose the following:
(a) We all agree that you and Omollo are great humanitarians, with very noble hearts and excellent ideas.
(b) We all agree that when it comes to such a tragedy, everything must be done by all. Further, we all agree that racism, right-wing sentiments, etc. are all to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
(c) Given the projections of the numbers who might die in that sea this year, we then move to a discussion on what can be done this year and in the short term (to avoid an annual repeat).