AFRICA - “The G8 decision to cancel debts of the poorest countries is excellent news”: Fides hears from the voice of the Church in Africa

Rome (Fides Service)- Local Catholics and missionaries in Africa expressed satisfaction tempered with prudence as to the application of debt reduction after a decision by the G8 to cancel the debts of 18 countries in Africa and Latin America: Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The agreement concerns debts in 40 countries for a total 55 billion dollars of debts cancelled: 40 billion immediately and the sum will rise to 55 when the first group of 18 is joined by the rest. It is hoped that the resources released will not be used for arms or to enrich local governments but rather to build schools and hospitals and offer the people of these countries opportunities for development. Many people of different political and religious convictions have called for the cancellation of international debts of poor countries. Pope John Paul II repeatedly called for the cancellation of debts.
“We are obviously pleased with the G8’s decision” Archbishop Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M. of Addis Ababa, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Archbishop was a member of the delegation of cardinals and bishops who toured Europe in May calling for the cancellation of poor countries’ debts. Besides Archbishop Souraphiel, the delegation included Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo Archbishop of Ranchi (India), Cardinal Oscar Andrés Maradiaga Rodríguez Archbishop of Tegucigalpa (Honduras), Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja (Nigeria) and Archbishop Medardo Joseph Mazombwe of Lusaka (Zambia). “Our request has been granted. Now we insist that rich countries must commit themselves for real development in the poorer areas of the planet assigning 0.7% of the Gross National Product for this purpose” said the Archbishop of Addis Ababa.
“We are overjoyed and we welcome the news” Archbishop Michel Christian Cartatéguy of Niamey, capital of Niger told Fides on the telephone. Niger is suffering a serious food shortage (see Fides 28 May 2005). The Archbishop recalled that “Niger’s debt was cancelled in already in 2000 and the government used the money to build schools and hospitals. Unfortunately however it lacks the funds to make these structures function. And so we have schools without teachers and hospitals without doctors or nurses”.
“The G8 decision to provide 4 billion dollars by 2015 to vaccinate children and promote universal access by 2010 to anti-AIDS therapy is positive but it is too slow. Immediate help is needed” said Italian born Davide Naggi head of the AVSI Medical Centre (Italian Catholic volunteers). “Moreover donor states must monitor the situation to ensure aid is given where it is most necessary because local governments often tend to favour certain areas for ethnic reasons, according to the ethnic origin of the political leaders”.(L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 13/6/2005 righe 46 parole 570)