Visiting South African President Thabo Mbeki pushed on Wednesday for more United States economic aid to Africa and logistical support for African peacekeepers in Darfur in a meeting with US President George Bush.
Bush appeared unwilling to budge on economic aid ahead of a G8 summit where the fate of a multibillion-dollar rescue plan for Africa will be decided, but the two leaders agreed African nations should take the lead on Darfur, the Sudanese province where hundreds of thousands have died in fighting between local rebels and pro-government forces.
”Our view has been that it’s critically important that the African continent should deal with these conflict situations on the continent — and that includes Darfur. And therefore, indeed, you would notice that we haven’t asked for anybody outside of the African continent to deploy troops in Darfur. It’s an African responsibility and we can do it,” Mbeki said.
”So what we’ve asked for is the necessary logistical and other support to be able to ensure that we discharge our responsibilities.”
The United States has offered aircraft to transport African Union peacekeepers to Darfur, and has approached Nato for help as well.
But Washington has been lukewarm to British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa, which calls for a doubling of aid with an extra $25-billion annually until 2010 and then, following a review, an extra $50-billion per year.
Blair’s initiative also proposes 100% debt relief for poor sub-Saharan countries and cautions donors against attaching too many strings to their money.
The Commission for Africa will be among the main points of discussion at the summit of the Group of Eight countries in Gleneagles, Scotland, on July 6-8.
While Washington has not clearly stated its position on the Commission for Africa, it has said that it cannot commit itself financially to any long-term proposal.
”It doesn’t fit our budgetary process,” Bush said flatly.
”On the other hand, I’ve made it clear to the [British] prime minister I look forward to working with Great Britain and other countries to advance the African agenda that has been on the G8’s agenda since I’ve been the president.
”By the way, the thing I appreciate about [Mbeki] is he understands it’s a two-way street we’re talking about. Countries such as ours are not going to want to give aid to countries that are corrupt or don’t hold true to democratic principles such as rule of law and transparency and human rights and human decency.
”That’s where the president has played such a vital role, because South Africa has been a stalwart when it comes to democratic institution. We’ve got more work to do; I look forward to sitting down at the table not only with leaders from the G8
countries but the continent of Africa and other leaders coming. It’s going to be quite a meeting.”
Washington has been irritated by South Africa’s so-called ”quiet diplomacy” towards neighbouring Zimbabwe — which Washington has branded ”an outpost of tyranny”.
Long-serving Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is accused of stifling democracy and leading the nation to economic ruin.
”We’re concerned about a leadership that does not adhere to democratic principles and obviously concerned about a country that was able to, for example, feed herself now has to import food, as an example of the consequence of not adhering to democratic principles,” Bush said, insisting that Zimbabwe remained a problem. – Sapa-AFP