MEDIA REPORT -- G8 SUMMIT AND NEPAD

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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