| With all eyes being placed on the G8 meeting at
Kananaskis in Canada, Africa should be well aware that the outcome from the meeting could
be different from what was required or expected. The 4 member team of African leaders
which includes SA president Thabo Mbeki will have an opportunity to address the group
which is something that has never happened before. No outside party has ever been given
the privilege of addressing the G8 in it's 27 year history. The Nepad plan which requires
$64 bn a year in order to succeed will not be the topic of conversation, but rather a
subject of how to work out an "enhanced partnership" between African countries
and the G8. Robert Fowler, a Canadian diplomat has already stated that this will not be a
pledging conference. The G8 already account for 74% of all foreign aid flows to Africa and
have increased their contributions by $12 bn a year since the Monterrey Development
conference. Under these circumstances one could safely say that Africa must start showing
some goodwill. Various African countries are still not aware that what they do affects the
entire continent from a sentiment point of view, and this needs to be addressed post
haste. |
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