Africa deal seeks end to misery

Angola: Diamond rich but civil war has kept the country in poverty

ALEXANDRIA, South Africa (CNN) -- From poverty to war, Africa suffers from a multitude of problems, and its leaders are offering a deal to secure extra help from the world's richest countries.

They want support from the G8 summit of industrial nations for projects in health, education and water. In exchange, they are offering good governance.

Currently, Africa's combined gross domestic product is $424 billion -- only 0.33 percent of the world's economy.

The continent's external debt is about $276 billion -- some 65.1 percent of GDP, although down from $303 billion seven years ago.

None of Africa's 53 states is among the top 40 of the world's most competitive economies.

In southern Africa, more than 20 million people are starving or facing starvation.

EXTRA INFORMATION Key facts on the G8 Summit    MORE STORIES • Africa seeks aid pledge  • Russia joins top table    Africa factfile: - External debt is $276 billion, down from $303 billion during past seven years - None of Africa's 53 states are among top 40 of world's most competitive economies - African leaders want G8 support for projects in health, education, water supply; in exchange they are offering good governance - More than 20 million people face or are suffering from starvation in southern Africa

South African President Thabo Mbeki and his fellow African heads of state have developed a home-grown Marshall Plan for Africa -- the New Partnership for African Development, or NEPAD.

Mbeki has crisscrossed the globe seeking support for the ambitious plan.

"I'm absolutely sure it is right for Africa, because we can't continue with the situation where you have millions of Africans suffering the way that they do," he said.

"We've got to arrive at a situation where the Africans are as successful as everybody else in terms of the improvement in the condition of life and general upliftment of the people."

Mbeki, an economist by training, says he and his colleagues are not holding out a begging bowl.

They have already sold the G8 on NEPAD's new deal: African states would commit themselves to democracy, good governance and peace, in exchange for increased aid, investment, debt relief and trade opportunities.

Mbeki said: "What all of us have said on the continent is the actual African experience over the last 40 years shows that where you don't have democracy, where you've got military governments, where you've got civil conflict, where you've got no observation of the rule of law, then all of these things need to be addressed as a basis for development."

Even some of Mbeki's toughest domestic critics support him on NEPAD.

Tony Leon of the Democratic Alliance said: "The good and great thing about NEPAD is it actually says here we are, we're standing on our own two feet as Africans. We are prepared to engage the world on the terms of the world."

Mbeki says that what he and the others are looking for from the G8 now are concrete projects that will help Africa out of poverty.

"I don't have any anxieties if both sides -- the Africans and the G8 side -- keep to the commitments they've made," he said.

No anxieties, perhaps, but lurking in the background are leaders like Libya's military ruler, Moamar Ghadaffi, who has called NEPAD a racist tool of neocolonialists.

The only thing that will blunt that and other criticism of NEPAD is for the G8 to help deliver Africa out of its misery.