Blair: 'Duty to act' for Africa

Blair is beginning a tour of some west African states

LONDON, England -- The international community now has "the best chance in a generation" to relieve poverty in Africa, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has said.

Blair, speaking on the eve of a tour of several west African states, said that the rich world had "a duty to act" and he said helping Africa would be a key foreign affairs goal of his second term.

He warned that neglect of failing states by the developed world ran the risk of a repeat of the situation in Afghanistan.

But his visit, which starts on Wednesday, is being overshadowed by continuing ethnic violence in Nigeria where heavily armed troops restored an uneasy calm in Lagos on Tuesday after four days of clashes.

VIDEO Nigerians in Lagos are recovering from the latest incident of ethnic violence. CNN's Jeff Koinange reports (February 6) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES • Lagos calmed before Blair visit  • On the scene: Shocking brutality as thousands flee     QUICKVOTE Can Nigeria's government and military keep control of the country? Yes No View Results    QUICKVOTE Is it the West's duty to act for Africa? Yes No View Results

The Nigerian Red Cross said 100 people had died in the riots, many of whom had been hacked to death or left burning on the roadside, with a further 430 residents wounded.

Blair told the London-based Times newspaper: "We have got a duty to act. We can act.

"The reason I'm so passionate about this is that I think we have got the best chance in a generation to make a difference."

Blair said that September 11 had strengthened his view that Britain had a duty to help Africa, not only because of the "obvious misery of people living there", but also because "in today's world, mutual interest and selfinterest increasingly walk hand in hand."

He expressed hope that his African tour -- which is expected to include Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and possibly Sierra Leone -- will pave the way for agreement from the world's richest states at June's G8 summit in Canada on the implementation of the New Partnership for African Development (Nepad).

Nepad offers a package of trade and aid help for Africa, coupled with assistance in ending civil wars and improving governance across the continent.

Blair, who last year described the state of Africa as "a scar on the conscience of the world" in a keynote speech to his party's conference, stressed that support for Africa was in richer states' self-interest.

Drug-producers and terrorists had taken over Afghanistan because it had failed as a state, with appalling consequences for the West, he said.

The same could happen in Africa, he warned, saying: "If you allow a series of failed states to rise, then sooner or later you end up having to deal with them."

Blair's visit to Africa comes as he comes under fire at home over the state of public services, in particular the railways. Travellers are facing strikes across Britain's network and the prime minister is under pressure to solve his domestic problems before embarking on overseas diplomacy that critics say should be left to his foreign secretary.