Rich nations seen as reneging on aid pledges as China tightens grip on continent
G8 accused of leaving Africa in the cold
June 4, 2007
By From AFP and Bloomberg
Paris and Rostock - The Group of Eight (G8) rich countries, gathering for a summit this week, are under fire from Africa and activist movements that accuse it of reneging on aid pledges at a time when China is looming large on the continent.
"I am sorry to say that the promises made at Gleneagles have not been kept," said Niger's Prime Minister Hama Amadou at a recent meeting to prepare for the G8 summit, due to be held from Wednesday to Friday in the German Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm.
It was at a G8 gathering in Gleneagles, Scotland, two years ago that the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US vowed to increase aid to developing nations by $50 billion (R354 billion) a year by 2010, of which $25 billion would be earmarked for Africa.
It was also agreed that the multilateral debt of 18 of the world's poorest nations would be immediately cancelled.
While the debt commitment has been met, according to non-governmental organisations, the aid pledge made at Gleneagles has languished.
Action Aid recently released a report in London sharply critical of G8 compliance with commitments made at the Gleneagles gathering, which was backed by mass pop concerts in cities worldwide calling for an end to poverty in Africa.
"In 2005 there was a massive public mandate worldwide calling for an end to poverty, but the G8 is just defrauding the public and failing Africa," said Collins Magalasi, the head of the Action Aid South Africa programme.
Oxfam International said that the G8, under pressure from Canada and Italy, was in fact hesitant even to renew its Gleneagles promises.
"It is outrageous that the countries of the G8 are not even in a position to reiterate their 2005 commitments," said Sebastien Fourmy of Oxfam France. "They are breaking their word and dodging their responsibilities."
Oxfam estimates that G8 nations are $30 billion short of meeting their increased aid pledge at a time when their economies are flourishing to a degree not seen in 30 years.
A report in early April from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development concluded that aid to poor countries provided by its industrialised member nations declined 5.1 percent in 2006 and was likely to fall even further this year.
The Gleneagles summit also made a commitment to spurring progress at deadlocked Doha round of multilateral trade liberalisation talks to boost living standards in poor countries through the fruits of freer trade.
Western powers fear that China, anxious to secure access to African natural resources, might be lending money too freely to the continent, paying very little attention to the political soundness of beneficiary regimes and their ability to repay loans.
That practice, according to G8 officials, could saddle Africa with a new round of crippling debt obligations.
Meanwhile, German police in the northern city of Rostock and protest organisers said about 1 000 people were hurt after violence erupted at the weekend during demonstrations against the G8 summit.
The protest organisers said about 80 000 people had met to denounce G8 policies that they said harmed the poor and the environment.
|
|
