ABUJA, Nigeria - Gathering at an impromptu summit, African leaders on Tuesday tackled the thorny issue of Western demands for economic and political reform ahead of a massive aid influx to combat poverty, disease and conflict gripping the world's most underdeveloped continent.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, in remarks at the beginning of the one-day meeting, called on presidents and diplomats from 19 countries to decide upon a code of conduct for African nations requiring assistance.
The assistance plan, dubbed the New Partnership for African Development or NEPAD, is the brainchild of Britain, South Africa, Nigeria and Algeria. The plan was accepted in principle at a summit of the Group of 8 wealthiest nations in Genoa, Italy last year and details are to be hashed out at the upcoming G-8 summit in Canada in June.
Before then, African leaders need to agree upon clear conditions for development assistance including peace, security and stable conditions for banking, agriculture and other sectors, Obasanjo said.
After meeting for five hours behind closed doors, the summit concluded Tuesday evening with a joint communique calling for the creation of an African Peer Review Mechanism and a "Council of the Wise," consisting of respected Africans, to monitor abuses of human rights and democracy and "demonstrate to the rest of the world that African leaders are prepared to engage on the basis of integrity and mutual respect."
The summit leaders also urged the creation of new parameters for the relationship between poor African countries and Western governments and creditors, giving the underdeveloped nations access to more funds to kickstart trade and economic rebirth.
Addressing the forum, South African President Thabo Mbeki warned that NEPAD deliberations may be moving too slowly to demonstrate clear successes before the G-8 summit.
"Peace and security form the bedrock of achieving sustainable development," Obasanjo said earlier, adding that African leaders were also required to show a commitment to developing health and education in their countries.
Ravaged by AIDS (news - web sites), wars and other forms of civil unrest, Africa is home to the bulk of the world's 50 poorest nations where several hundred million survive on less than a dollar a day.
After decades of aid cutbacks, rich nations agreed earlier this month at the U.N. Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey, Mexico to pump billions of dollars into poor countries in exchange for their efforts to stabilize governments and economies.
Arguing that aid is no longer a case of altruism, the world leaders said richer nations make better markets for their products — and breed fewer terrorists.
In Tuesday's communique, the African leaders also condemned terrorism and expressed the hope that Western aid promises will be "speedily actualized."
Aside from President Obasanjo, the leaders attending the conference included the presidents of South Africa, Mozambique, Rwanda, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Algeria and Gabon. Ministers and diplomats from Ethiopia, Mauritius, Tunisia, Egypt, Mali, Botswana, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Sao Tome were also present.
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