Africa seeks aid pledge from G8

African leaders want to form a pact with the G8 to help reduce debt relief

KANANASKIS, Canada -- African leaders are attending the G8 meeting of industrialised nations in an attempt to secure greater aid.

Four African leaders are attending the talks, seeking to secure a commitment that 50 percent of future aid from the G8 should be devoted to their continent.

The G8 has already agreed to a $1 billion increase in African debt relief during the annual two-day summit being held in the Canadian Rockies.

The heads of Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa -- backed by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan -- will argue that increased aid is crucial to their own attempts at reducing debt.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said the rich countries should throw an aid lifeline to bolster the continent's Marshall-style recovery plan, called the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). (The NEPAD plan)

EXTRA INFORMATION Key facts on the G8 summit    MORE STORIES • Africa deal seeks end to misery  • Russia joins G8 top table  • Mideast, markets in G8 spotlight    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

"We hope ... that we show on both sides that we are mutually serious," he told a reception in Calgary late on Wednesday.

NEPAD promises corruption-free governments in return for aid.

CNN Johannesburg Bureau Chief Charlayne Hunter-Gault quoted South African President Thabo Mbeki, an economist by training, as saying he and his colleagues are not going to the G8 with a begging bowl.

African states would commit themselves to democracy, good governance and peace, in exchange for increased aid, investment, debt relief and trade opportunities.

"Mbeki says what he and the others are looking for from the G8 now are concrete projects that will help Africa out of poverty -- clean water, better health delivery, improving agriculture and education and structures for peace and security and good governance," says Hunter-Gault.

The United States and Japan are reported by the The Associated Press as being less keen on an additional 50 percent aid pledge, saying such a specific target was unsatisfactory.

An aid to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien was reported by Reuters as saying: "(Thursday) is not a day when the G8 will put together a global fund for Africa."

African nations suffered a setback earlier this month when the U.N. was criticised for failing to act on its 1996 promise of slashing world hunger, including in Africa. (Hunger summit)

The Canadian government has been keen that the issue of African aid be high on the agenda of the G8 summit, but it has had to compete with U.S. President George W. Bush's Mideast peace proposals and the tumble of world markets following the announcement of alleged fraud at WorldCom. (Mideast, markets in G8 spotlight)

Russia has also become a focus of the summit, having been formally welcomed as a member of the Group of Eight and invited to be host of the 2006 summit. (Russia joins G8 top table)