MEDIA REPORT -- G8 SUMMIT AND NEPAD

UNCLAS HARARE 001576 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER LONDON FOR GURNEY PARIS FOR NEARY NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO ZI SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT -- G8 SUMMIT AND NEPAD ¶1. Under headline "G8 summit a damp squib for NEPAD's lofty goals," the independent daily "The Daily News" dedicated its July 3 editorial to stating that the G8's proposed aid package to Africa falls short of expectations. Excerpts: ¶2. ". . .The Group of Eight (G8) summit paid more attention to the Russians and their problems. To be sure, they did pledge to give Africa some aid, but it was far, far less than what had been promised earlier. Vladimir Putin left the summit with a smile as broad as the Volga River on his face while the four African leaders invited to the summit must have left the Canadian Rockies feeling as barren in their hopes for the future as the Sahara Desert. They had been invited to the summit because of their starring roles in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). What the rich nations eventually undertook to do may go a long way in improving living standards on the continent. Individually, the rich countries pledged to increase their aid to Africa, to cancel the crippling debts of the poorest countries and generally to boost trade between themselves and the continent. But none of this was enough to satisfy critics of the G8 leaders who felt they had fallen far short of their earlier promises. For NEPAD and its lofty goals, the summit was truly a damp squib. . . ." SULLIVAN