United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged tormented leaders in the North Africa and Middle East to listen to the wishes that belongs to their own folks, as riots spreads over the region. Thousands of people took to the streets of Cairo on Friday to call for an end to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian 30-year rule.
In World Economic Forum Ban told that he was worried on the rising prospective for violence, and had called on political leaders to act responsibly. "Leaders possess a ... responsibility to pay attention more attentively to the challenges and wishes of their own folks," he said, urging them to "provide decent jobs and possibilities to engage more constructively within their social and political life – this is what has been lacking.
"I happen to be urging the officials, first of all, freedom of association, freedom of expression ought to be fully cherished, and they should also protect the human rights of those folks." Ban said he expected the region's leaders would begin to see the scenario "as a chance to pay attention towards their own folk’s wishes," and called on them to protect democracy and restore stability and peace.
His precursor as United Nations chief, Kofi Annan, told it had been "too fast" to say if the disputes would spread further within the upcoming weeks. "What is crucial is the fact that folks are clamouring for democracy along with the right to participate in government.
"These are signs that there is a need for serious changes in these countries, as well as the leaders need to catch that on board and respond properly," he said. "We have to be careful that some leaders might believe 'It's time for you to relax -- you allow an inch and you will be beleaguered that approach wont work.
"It's gone ahead of that and I believe they have to find out a way of working out [the] changes which are required."
