No, We Have No Bananas

Cheers to the best quote of the week from Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The Darfur peace talks have resulted in a tenative accord between the Sudanese government and the rebel groups who have gone on a three-year long genocidal rampage in the region, displacing millions of refugees and killing and raping thousands more. There were many diplomats and mediators at the table for the talks, but Obasanjo sealed the deal in the end.

From the Washington Post:

In the final hours, Obasanjo played a pivotal role, participants said. Though not a tall man, he has an imposing presence, and he repeatedly pressed the rebels to accept the amendments crafted by Zoellick and Benn. "Obasanjo knew how to cajole, bully and flatter," de Waal said.

The Sudanese government suddenly wanted to fly Bashir {the Sudanese president] to the [signing] ceremony, but Obasanjo would not risk any delays. He pulled a banana off the table, peeled it, split it in two and rubbed both parts in the dirt, saying that in Nigeria if you give a monkey a banana it will do that so you do not take the banana back.

"This is my banana, and I'm not letting you take it back," he told the Sudanese envoy.

One only hopes that this accord will do some good since so many people have suffered for so long.