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afrol News, 29 January - The Danish government today announced it would "end all development aid to Eritrea (suppression of opposition and media), Malawi (systematic intimidation of opposition, corruption) and Zimbabwe (president who is greedy for power, economic chaos)." These characterisations were given as official explanations in the account assessing Danish aid. Aid to Burkina Faso, Uganda, Kenya and Egypt is also cut on human rights bases. The reduction of cooperation with the second group of countries was explained as follows: "Burkina Faso (violations of UN embargoes), Egypt (need to take greater responsibility for poverty reduction), ... Uganda (ignores plundering in the DRC)." Denmark, after the proposed cut in its development aid budget by 200 million euro (US$ 175 million), still will remain the world's largest donor per capita, spending 1 percent of GDP in development aid. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Per Stig Møller, presented the account today, saying the time had come to "give Danish development aid a needed renewal." - If poverty is to be eradicated, the most importing demand is that the developing countries themselves are implementing a reasonable policy, Møller today said in Copenhagen. "When that happens, the rich countries in return also have to contribute with aid." Møller said Danish aid, in cooperation with the receiving countries, should be aimed more directly at the poor, but that Denmark also would be clearer in demanding government "respect for human rights and democracy." The 164-pages account, entitled the "Danish Government's review of Denmark's official development assistance and environmental assistance to the developing countries", contains a number of thoughts abundant in Western cooperation agencies, but never articulated this clear in an official document. The Danish government says its aim will be to pursue an assistance policy with a higher degree of consistency. "Systematic, constant violations of human rights and democratic rules will no longer be accepted." Therefore, development cooperation with Zimbabwe, Malawi and Eritrea and their status as programme countries would cease.
Zimbabwe - The desperate attempts of President Mugabe to maintain in power and consolidate his power have resulted in a further escalation of the political crisis now before the presidential elections, the account says on Zimbabwe. "Under the cover of the international struggle to fight terrorism, the Zimbabwean government is planning to approve legislation targeting the political opposition in Zimbabwe." - There are no prospects of an improvement of the political situation in Zimbabwe before the presidential election, rather the opposite, the account claims, concluding Zimbabwe should immediately loose its status as a programme country. Minister Per Stig Møller this afternoon however told the Danish press he promised to review the bilateral assistance to Zimbabwe "if the country obtains a new leadership after the presidential elections in March." Malawi After a positive trend of democratisation in Malawi in the 1990s, the account summons up, there had been a trend of increased political intolerance over the last years. "Lately, a row of examples of politically motivated violence, constitutional changes and steps towards limiting the independence of the judiciary have given rise to concern both nationally and internationally." The account also mentions the delicate corruption investigations in Malawi, initiated by Danish authorities last year. Again, a Danish government report indicates the Danish ex-ambassador to Malawi may have been denounced and intimidated by high-ranking Malawians for reviewing a concrete development project, where there were clear indications "Danish aid resources have been abused by politically influential persons in Malawi." The assessment concludes Malawi should loose its status as a programme country and assistance should be phased out within two years. No new projects are to be financed.
Eritrea - Power in Eritrea in concentrated with President Isaias, his closest councillors, the ministers and the only party, PFDJ," the account criticises. "During the summer of 2001, a group of politicians ... from the governing PFDJ party split from the party line, criticising the 'authoritarian leadership' of President Isaias. Meanwhile, the growing private press grew markedly opener in its critics of the country's leadership." Further, the government had embarked on confrontations with the university students after an arrest. All this, according to the report, led to the closure of all privately owned newspapers and the arrest of reformist politicians starting in September 2001. "Today it is uncertain whether President Isaias really is interested in a political liberalisation," the introduction to the situation in Eritrea concludes. Eritrea is to loose its status as a programme country, because the government had not "shown the necessary will to establish a democratic system," the country had "refused to enter a dialogue with donors regarding democratic setbacks and political violence," and it had not been willing to "implement the necessary economic liberalisation ... being a precondition for growth in the private sector." Other countries In addition to these countries, a group of seven others - Benin, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Egypt, Nepal, Nicaragua and Bolivia - will have annual programmes in the range of DKK 150-175 million (20-23.5 million euro). Finally, two programme countries - Kenya and Bhutan - will have quite limited country programmes of DKK 70 million and DKK 65 million (9.5 and 8.7 million euro), respectively. Reactions Mrs Krogh says she cannot understand why the government wants to cut all assistance to Malawi and Eritrea, "two of the world's poorest countries." The Danish reactions against admitted human rights problems were "too forceful to make sense." - We should rather have staid there and continued to pressure for more democracy, Mrs Krogh was quoted saying by the Danish daily 'Jyllandsposten'. If the Danish cooperation agency DANIDA "only was to operate in those countries where human rights and democracy are in good shape, what are we then to do with our human rights and democracy projects?" she asks. Minister Per Stig Møller met the critics saying anyone could see that Denmark still was spending more than any other country per capita on foreign assistance. Further, the aid would now be more concentrated and better structured, especially referring to the new emphasis on HIV/AIDS. The Danish press commented the changes in Danish development policy with modest interest. 'Jyllandsposten' concluded it was "the environment and the developing countries ... that will pay the [new] government's promises to change" Danish public services without increasing taxes. Other reforms presented at the same day drew more attention.
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