African leaders yesterday lashed out at rich nations for failing to tackle trade inequalities even as they make lofty pledges to boost aid.
The leaders, in Japan for a major development conference, urged industrialized nations to make it easier for them to export food, coffee and other products at fair prices.
“Pursuit of unfair trade practices by the big powers as well as difficult access for African products to markets of developed countries continue to penalize our states and significantly destroy their performance in the creation of riches,” Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore said.
PHOTO: EPA
Forty heads of states from Africa are participating in the three-day conference on economic growth, stability and climate change.
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda pledged yesterday to double aid to Africa by 2012 and to help the continent double rice production to ease food shortages.
In recent weeks and months, soaring prices for essential foodstuffs such as rice, wheat and corn in some of the world’s poorest nations have sparked demonstrations across Africa.
But some African leaders said their countries were more concerned about unfair trade deals than a lack of things to eat.
“There is a big problem of food in the world now and a problem of energy. In Uganda, there is a problem of a different kind. We have too much food and no market to export it to,” Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said. “Why? Because of bad policies in Europe, America and even in Japan.”
He said his country was facing “a real struggle” to get a fair deal for its natural resources, including agricultural and mineral products.
For example, a kilogram of unprocessed Ugandan coffee would be sold for US$1 at home but for US$14 in Britain after it has been refined, he said.
“I see some people here who are called donors,” Museveni told the conference audience. “Now, I really have a problem with that definition. Because I don’t know who’s helping who.”
Fair trade campaigners say that while poor countries have been forced to open up their markets, rich nations have kept unfair practices such as farm subsidies, while multinational companies fail to give farmers a fair deal.
Gabonese President Omar Bongo Ondimba urged Japan to boost direct investment in Africa and open up Japanese markets to African products.
“Japan can weave with Africa a strategic partnership which is mutually beneficial,” he said.
The gathering in Yokohama, near Tokyo, is seen as an effort by Japan to expand its influence in Africa, where China and India are also seeking closer ties and supplies of natural resources to fuel their rapid economic growth.
Japan also announced a US$2.5 billion initiative to help its companies do business in Africa, paving the way for private sector investment, which some African leaders said was sorely lacking.
‘GREAT OPPRTUNITY’: The Paraguayan president made the remarks following Donald Trump’s tapping of several figures with deep Latin America expertise for his Cabinet Paraguay President Santiago Pena called US president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming foreign policy team a “dream come true” as his nation stands to become more relevant in the next US administration. “It’s a great opportunity for us to advance very, very fast in the bilateral agenda on trade, security, rule of law and make Paraguay a much closer ally” to the US, Pena said in an interview in Washington ahead of Trump’s inauguration today. “One of the biggest challenges for Paraguay was that image of an island surrounded by land, a country that was isolated and not many people know about it,”
DIALOGUE: US president-elect Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform confirmed that he had spoken with Xi, saying ‘the call was a very good one’ for the US and China US president-elect Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) discussed Taiwan, trade, fentanyl and TikTok in a phone call on Friday, just days before Trump heads back to the White House with vows to impose tariffs and other measures on the US’ biggest rival. Despite that, Xi congratulated Trump on his second term and pushed for improved ties, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The call came the same day that the US Supreme Court backed a law banning TikTok unless it is sold by its China-based parent company. “We both attach great importance to interaction, hope for
‘FIGHT TO THE END’: Attacking a court is ‘unprecedented’ in South Korea and those involved would likely face jail time, a South Korean political pundit said Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol yesterday stormed a Seoul court after a judge extended the impeached leader’s detention over his ill-fated attempt to impose martial law. Tens of thousands of people had gathered outside the Seoul Western District Court on Saturday in a show of support for Yoon, who became South Korea’s first sitting head of state to be arrested in a dawn raid last week. After the court extended his detention on Saturday, the president’s supporters smashed windows and doors as they rushed inside the building. Hundreds of police officers charged into the court, arresting dozens and denouncing an
‘DISCRIMINATION’: The US Office of Personnel Management ordered that public DEI-focused Web pages be taken down, while training and contracts were canceled US President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday moved to end affirmative action in federal contracting and directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off. The moves follow an executive order Trump signed on his first day ordering a sweeping dismantling of the federal government’s diversity and inclusion programs. Trump has called the programs “discrimination” and called to restore “merit-based” hiring. The executive order on affirmative action revokes an order issued by former US president Lyndon Johnson, and curtails DEI programs by federal contractors and grant recipients. It is using one of the
RSS