argentina's president expects search teams to find his navy's missing submarine within days they did not though say whether the navy anticipates finding survivors the san juan disappeared days ago with forty four crew members on board canada's prime minister justin trudeau has apologized to people from indigenous communities are a force a place separated from their families around twenty thousand children were taken from their homes in the one nine hundred sixty one nine hundred eighty s. and placed in either foster care or with non-indigenous families termes president is holding talks with party leaders to end a political deadlock on forming a new coalition government social democrats leader martin shells has ruled out taking part in another government headed by chancellor angela merkel previously insisted sparty should go into opposition but now he says party members will get a vote on any coalition deal the top administration has decided to keep the palestinian diplomatic office in washington d.c. open we could go at it said the office would be shut because palestinian leaders

call for the international criminal court to prosecute israel over illegal jewish settlements the us said that statement was a breach of its laws in response the p.l.o. threaten to cut off all communication with washington those are the headlines the news continues here on al-jazeera after talk to al jazeera and visit our web site al-jazeera dot com keep it or. setting the stage for a serious debate up front at this time on al-jazeera. you will. see. typically associated in international media with political instability disease poverty corruption dictatorships and the lack of human rights and democracy african

countries struggle to deconstruct the stereotypes. one of the few exceptions seems to be the republic of ghana having gained its independence from the u.k. in one nine hundred fifty seven ghana today at least on the surface is enjoying political stability the multi ethnic population coming together in peaceful democratic elections but why is ghana so different from its neighbors in this respect and how has the country managed to solve social and political problems the rest of africa is dealing with was there still work to be done here we will find out is not out of president of ghana talks to al jazeera. president or governor a very warm welcome to talk to. you to have me appreciate it thank you africa going through a lot of developments at the moment many of the countries seismic changes for some

if you look at what's happening in zimbabwe d r c turn on your border the state capture in south africa so there's lots to talk about there as an african leader but let's first talk about. the domestic issues and how your country stands out against many of these countries because it's considered so successful why is that while as you know we were the first of the sub-saharan african countries the hooks suffered colonialism to get free. sixty years ago so that sort of his condition. the development of our country. and then the first three or so decades after independence or a very turbulent volatile we went through all kinds of issues one party

state and the government. a succession of military governments and i think that by the beginning of the ninety's especially with the what happened of the downfall of the soviet system was a strong recognition in ghana really we needed. to go down the path of democratic and gate. and that having been taken in one thousand nine hundred eighty two we had the first of a lexus. and the determination of again people to go through democratic principles. election after election has been stronger terms of its credibility and its transparency and there's also meant that the willingness of the population to accept the results of our national council has heightened but how did you get it

right when so many countries are struggling with that concept because we have power on because we have it in your filter down to the people because we have our problems we're the first we have the problems first what is the kind of system and after after the turbulence of the volatility of the first thirty odd years after independence the people of ghana of the really determine. the evolution and the outcome of. made up their mind that they want to democratic government they were determined on the multi-party state and they would insist that we the political actors also act with them so three times in ghana recent history. all. changes of government from opposition to government of metropolises and it has been done in the context which is

a mouthpiece to flourish in the country and also for. principles of democratic accountability that women do look at a country like zimbabwe we've seen the military step in and take over basically i mean do you think that eventually it will rise like the phoenix to once it goes through some of the processes. that you did though is this a totally different story and a different ideas at play here and i think i think the end of the day will also in the the determination to. engage democratic values i believe will triumph in zimbabwe it's a pity that. the current political situation has degenerated to the extent that the army has found itself to come directly into play is that ever solution. would be a long term solution obviously it can never be a long term solution but i have got enough information about what actually took

place and why. the situation is a war for be be able to say this is my professional group of the show how important is it for stakeholders then to get involved in the democratic process in a country like gun i mean you've got different tribes you've got different ethnic groups you've got different religions how do you make sure that everybody feels that they are involved in the democratic process in the education system that they're all benefiting equally first of all you know. the political parties in ghana have a. deafening coloration has been very important the two main parties and. while represented in all parts of the country. they have been strong regional or ethnic strongholds no two ways about that but nevertheless the coverage the reach of the parties is truly national. the language of our constitution is also

insisting on a national response to. all kinds of principles in the constitution director principles that insists on the canadian as the gays in regional or ethnic response to events but then i keep coming back to the experience of our people who have gone through some very difficult times in the. love of turbulence and have now decided that they want democracy they want democratically i think the one you have the bedrock it provides the contours contacts with. the state action and the response of state and how stable is that bedrock on on your border you've got togo it's got massive problems there demonstrations trying to overthrow the president obviously good ties strong ties with the country refugee situation happening. are you worried that that could provoke some sort of

instability in the country could you have tension you have to be worried of course you can't be complacent i mean i remember vividly. twelve years ago when the father of the current president. the first. president he had a mother who was a crisis in the success and the issues of emerge from the men the one hundred thousand to winnie's came across the border to settle in some are still there in the way that it is true for the people who live on the border of children than i sensed in the same people is that the target problem i mean god has been accused of meddling in the past is it something that should be dealt with internally. we will do whatever we do we can to assist a brother and a neighbor and they say that when your neighbor's house is of intelligent thing is to help them put it out before the fire. and we're doing we're

playing a role in trying to see to what extent. discussions can take place among the main actors a solution a peaceful solution can be found but they have a peculiar history. and is that history that is playing itself out but i am confident that the if you like the march of democracy in africa is something that is going to be very difficult to reverse now because democracy represents different things to different people and that the way it should be. universal appeal it has. freedom of expression and that's to do with freedom of association it has to do having a compact the capacity peacefully to change governments if you put somebody there

good for five years later you go up to the brother put your ballot. you have that i think all people. are there whether certain opportunities take. south africa which has been a strong force for democracy on the continent ever since apartheid was. the even though you've been a party. of almost overwhelming support in the country that party was very careful not to close the democratic space in terms of rebuilding credit now what's happening i mean using a system that is being. it's changing it's changing raped it's been abused i mean this is also one of the problems of the liberation parties is that changing it has to change i don't think that the a.n.c. and even those who needed to think that they would have the predominant have in

south africa forever there will be some stage or another the. mechanics. of development will mean. you political configurations will emerge mechanics are strong enough inside. africa i know there's a strong did it judiciary an independent media the state all those factors strong enough do you think to. balance because you don't hear language. of those who think that another system. you hear people say protect the press. fair enough but i think that the attachment to the values on the part on the pen democratic against them i feel the strong and. proud of africa pan

africa you know a strong africa when you see what's happening in countries like kenya the voting process the election electoral process that that seem to have gone through great difficulties at the moment south africans and maybe does it worry you. when you see that worry me out even where is the same time for me i think the we. have the end of the bay also to be historians and to recognize that the evolution of democracy even in the areas of the world where it has been consolidated and europe and america we went through many many many stages and many events some of them very turbulent. and out of potentially destructive of them but they were on the end of the day to overcome it and in the systems of the principles and institutions that have been. very strong that it has become becomes difficult to contemplate being

set aside even today in europe in the current with the populist right wing movement taking place some of those on the turn certainly antidemocratic but they're still taking place within the democratic space i think because the institutions of european the world. i'm are very strongly entrenched within the body politic of the various nation states of europe i believe that the problems that we see on our continent i'm not saying we have to be complacent and thing that all it's happened elsewhere so we should just sit back and it will happen to us when we need to work at it we need all those of us who are attached to it have to be active in going to pick up so on something you you said a little earlier on about freedom of expression so i want to ask you about what is happening in your country and homosexuality for example which i believe is illegal

and it's punishable i mean why is homosexuality still illegal in your country. these and social cultural issues if you like. and don't believe that in guyana so far. a sufficiently strong coalition. which is having that impact on public opinion that will say change it then haven't you. said something you would get behind i think that is something that is bound to happen and when that happened what's going to provoke it what's going to make it. like like like elsewhere in the world like elsewhere in the world. of individuals of groups i grew up in england i would school and i grew up on the timing when i was that he was banned. and i lived the period where british politicians thought. enough of my even to think about changing the law and suddenly

the activities of individuals or groups or a certain awareness. grew and grew and grew stronger and it forced to change at the leave of those of the same processes that will bring about changes. in our situation the moment i don't feel i don't see that there is. a straw current of opinion that is saying this is something that we need deal with it's not even if it's not so far a matter which is on the agenda let me ask you about something you tweeted about you said critically men and boys must take responsibility to say responsibility rather say no more no more child marriage how big a problem is that a problem in the country why do you think it's still there is it in education. of this culture of the educational stroke cultural and.

economic the economic difficulties of force people to be a certain sort of way but these are these are nothing that. we are determined to try and do something about because it has a devastating impact on society does it does the. this is a big campaign to to raise awareness on. the determination. of the more force. and the general awareness of the society was on the matter is growing stronger and stronger so when i'm stronger and stronger position. the matters of equal concern. there's also human trafficking right is very much a function of of conditions of poverty and of of extreme poverty unfortunately in some parts of the country and therefore also now the. criminal syndicates prey. to organize.

your wife is very involved in fighting hiv aids which is very outspoken about it how big a problem is it in ghana is it and do you think that african countries are doing enough to defeat this. not the only one size fits all. i wouldn't want to but i think that we're making a good fist of it in. the the prevalence rates are declining. in the awareness of the issues very strong much stronger in gaza today than it was say ten years ago and all of that is part of the response of there's been two governments determination to make it an issue people around which people tend to get to talk about the stigma it's been important but it's something

that we can sort of sleep on we have to continually be active. quite active on twitter and i see that you met donald trump. that would say you're traits are very different what do you think of him. the figure on television and what you read about. volatile picture that you get of seems to change but then there's a person that we met i was with a group of. african media during the last u.n. general assembly in september in your. eight or nine of us were invited by him to want the impression that he can convey. the sense of themselves

very different from the public image where first of all a certain humility he walked. i don't know too much about your place. called you hear from tommy and so i can. just say when i have two friends in the. middle name lots of money. but the attitude that he. learns i think most of the people. in leadership in africa or what but some of the would be for a long time i could see were. significantly surprised. by his manner when it comes to africa do you think donald trump will be good for africa obviously he touches america first policy you seem to have negated what

a lot of people thought that possibly doesn't know much about africa that is not going to be good for africa where do you think that relationship will go and could it be a competitor held a competitor to china. the. residence . it's not something that is necessarily negative as far as i'm concerned being the when you're the leader of a nation that has to be your concern with the interests of your people in your country for us and i think that what we on the continent our server acquire to do at all times is to define for ourselves what our interests what. and one of the instruments we need to assemble to be able to prosecute them and realize these goals and you think it's a healthy balance or do you think africa is a able to retain enough of what it needs when it comes to the big players like the

u.s. and china maybe because of the end of the day even the period of liberation was undoubtedly helped by the cold war reality of the west and the subnets bloc so to that extent two i think yes there could be a positive aspect of it for us this competition between the two great. players which allows us also to chart our own independent response to what we need to do to develop our continent you also tweeted that you believe it's time for africa to come of age and hold its rightful place on the world stage this africa will be neither victim no opponents africa will be honest to itself and to the world i do think it's ready for that now. how does africa achieve that it has to be because. the caricature of us as either paul victor. there's nothing for

a. self-evident through africa's own fault because of the story that's been told about africa do think there's a misunderstanding. of fault if you're weak people will take advantage of and that's what we have been for a long time week take the issue that has become a big issue for us. sixty years after independence we are still dependent on so-called donor support to finance important parts of our budget health education. and on the acceptable situation for any sufferance you think of a government will will achieve will will have. the balances corrected by policy is corrected by internal mobilisation if it's corrected by

a focus the really that's an intolerable situation and we should be in a position to finance our own development let me just ask you about your big government forty eight ministers foreman is a state sixty deputy minister is i believe it's the largest government in africa what is the thinking behind that because i know that many people do look at gun as a right when it comes to transparency and. corruption. are ranking very low so how does this. then when you see a gun and ten years from now the the big government as you call it is because we need that capacity. you have we can we can sit you still structure. you have. some public services. for moving things in a particular direction may not be a strong as it should be and therefore to have

a political handle that is saying this is where we're going where we're determined to go is extremely important ten years from now i'm looking at a government that is so much. much greater self-confidence and. now financing its own that. has reduced considerably its dependence on it because its economy it's working the private sector of our country is growing stronger and stronger and the arrangements that we need to make with the outside world increasingly raise was the guy on our to the garment that we're looking at there's a guy on the others come of age. ten years to garner some tears from independents by the time you really standing on our own feet. a great deal of confidence that that can those within reach is within reach because of the focus the we're trying to bring to national development i think that we have that focus succeeds. in ten

years time. i think within that time. the image of the framework within which people look at gun and see it will be radically different president i'm gonna. thank you for talking to. indulge your five senses. employed to tackle pollution in one of china's showcase

cities a thing that my twenty two might see all of the time since what to me only online. and how environmental grassroots campaigns are joining forces in the us there is a global connection that is happening and we want to utilize that power to make changes not only for today but for future generations as well. this time on al-jazeera. and on the put it world on. u.s. and british companies have announced the biggest discovery of natural gas in west africa but what to do with these untapped natural resources is already a source of heated debate nothing much has changed they still spend most of their days looking for the for the dry riverbed like this one five years on the syrians still feel battered or even those who managed to escape their country haven't truly been able to escape the war.

news has another the noise of a liberal but the message is a simplistic and misinformation is rife the listening post provides a critical counterpoint challenging mainstream media narrative at this time on al-jazeera. with. egypt against three days of mourning after a bomb attack on a mosque in the.