Africa talks begin without key men

DAKAR, Senegal (Reuters 16.04.2002) -- An African summit to court money for an ambitious revival plan opens without its anticipated fanfare on Monday after three of the project's main architects said they could not come.

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) aims to propel the poorest continent from the margins of the global economy through massive investments from richer countries, in return for democracy and good governance.

This week's meeting in Senegal is to court business support and discuss financing for the plan, which is estimated to need $64 billion a year -- more than four times aid to Africa in 1999 and seven times foreign direct investment.

But the leaders of South Africa, the continent's biggest economy, and Nigeria, its most populous nation, said they would not be able to come. Algeria's president, another driving force behind NEPAD, will also not attend.

There was no official explanation from Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade's office, but conference sources said South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki was working on a peace deal for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had been due to open the conference on Monday, was staying at home for a visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

"There are many other heads of state. It will be a good occasion to see what kind of business we can do in their respective countries," said Frank Savage of the U.S. Corporate Council for Africa, a group promoting business ties.

As well as asking hundreds of business representatives to come and discuss projects for roads, telecommunications, energy and agriculture, the meeting will serve to prepare proposals for a Group of Eight summit in Canada in June.

The G8, the world's main industrialised countries plus Russia, have given moral support to the Africa plan.

In Canada, G8 leaders will discuss what they can do to ensure it meets with more success than failed Africa-wide development schemes of the past.

In return for their support, rich countries expect African countries to make good on promises of greater respect for democracy, human rights and the fight against corruption.

Western countries have welcomed Nigerian and South African backing for Commonwealth sanctions against Zimbabwe, after elections that were widely condemned as fraudulent, as just the example of peer pressure that is needed to back the plan.

To try to end another African crisis, Wade has asked Madagascar's rival presidents to meet in Dakar on the margins of the summit to try to break an increasingly violent deadlock.

A full summit of African heads of state is due to be held on Wednesday in Dakar.