Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Maputo (Fides Service) – “The African Union Summit meeting in Maputo affirmed an African policy for Africa” says Archbishop Jaime Pedro Gonclaves of Beira referring to the meeting of African heads of states 10-12 July in Maputo, capital of Mozambique. “The African leaders are determined to empower NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s development) promoted by South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Algeria and Egypt and to begin the study of a series of projects to solve the continent’s serious economic problems. A study group was set up to examine the present situation of farming in Africa. Results will not be immediate, but the important thing is that Africans have taken their future in their own hands” the Archbishop said. “It is no longer the Europeans and Americans who are pointing the way, we Africans must find the best way ourselves. Foreign help is certainly indispensable, but only to sustain projects born in Africa, not to impose measures which may work elsewhere but are useless or even harmful on our continent”.
“We must make sure that NEPAD is not perverted”, the Archbishop warns. “In fact one of the objectives of NEPAD is greater collaboration between African economies and those of developed countries. The danger is that the commercial interests of the latter may prevail. Personally I was impressed by the intervention from the representative of the International Monetary Fund at the Maputo Summit, who reaffirmed his organisation’s support for African development programmes. Besides good intentions, which deserve appreciation, care must be taken to see that the original project is not deviated”.
“However I am confident, the Archbishop says -. “The international community must sustain the efforts being made by the African Union. In this regard many were surprised that the American president Bush did not include Maputo on his recent African journey. In the Mozambican capital he could have met most of the African leaders and affirmed in front of a large gathering the United States’ commitment to help Africa”. LM (Fides Service 14/7/2003 EM lines 39 Words: 458)
