The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Hamburg, Germany | AFP | G20 nations launched an unprecedented initiative Saturday at the group’s summit in Germany to fight poverty in Africa, but critics called the plan half-hearted.
Under German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “Investment Compacts”, an initial seven African countries would pledge reforms and receive technical support in order to attract new private investment.
More than half of Africans are under 25 years old and the population is set to double by mid-century, making economic growth and jobs essential for the young to stop them from leaving, Merkel has said.
Germany’s partner nations are Ghana, Ivory Coast and Tunisia, while Ethiopia, Morocco, Rwanda and Senegal are also taking part. Far poorer nations such as Niger or Somalia are so far not on the list.
“We are ready to help interested African countries and call on other partners to join the initiative,” said the G20 in their final communique.
The plan, as well as multinational initiatives on helping girls, rural youths and promoting renewable energy, would help “to address poverty and inequality as root causes of migration”.
Some 100,000 people, most of them sub-Saharan Africans, have made the dangerous journey to Europe across the Mediterranean in rickety boats this year as the migration crisis shows no sign of abating.
Anti-poverty group ONE said that the investment compacts “promised much, but too many G20 partners missed the memo and failed to contribute.
“The flimsy foundations must now be firmed up, follow through and improved, especially for Africa’s more fragile states.”
The group’s Jamie Drummond said that “this will be the African century and Chancellor Merkel wanted the G20 to get on the right side of history, but internal strife and division scattered the G20 away from this visionary path.”
Oxfam judged that the plan “rests on the dangerously naive assumption that boosting private investment will automatically help the poorest in the continent.
“If left unchecked, the Compact might simply line the pockets of wealthy foreign investors.”
Thanks a global community for your plan to fight poverty in our African, besides this we Ethiopian need democratic government and good governance please make sure your plan including this issue. Thanks
please, don’t give help for dictators of ethiopia. because they will buy guns by your money to kill poor people
You must be ignorant or Shaabia. The Gov’t and the people are fighting with poverty? Where did you get this absurd news, doesn’t exist in Ethiopia.
Why do we write so much nonsense here people. They are more intelligent than you guys and they know what they are doing and how to do it. They know all the politics and not our lies. Better to keep your dignity while you lie. especially the Abe…s
He did say the right things, aid and investment must be given with conditions. If any government of Africa don’t respect humanity and human rights then they should some kind of consequence when it comes to investments.autocrats and dictators should not given a green light to kill their own peoples. Ethiopian GOVT. is the good example followed by Rwanda.
You are another b**l s**t.