- South African President Thabo Mbeki saw the urgent need for greater cooperation between Africa and the diaspora.
Mbeki, who made the comments at the opening of the African Diaspora Ministerial Conference in Midrand, Johannesburg on Friday, believed this would enable the continent to successfully respond to challenges such as the attainment of peace and stability.
South African leader said despite making “huge contributions” to the freedom struggles by the diasporans in the Americas, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and France, African countries are yet to reciprocate.
He expects a cut in telecommunication costs in Africa by the end of 2008 when a 9,900km-long submarine table between Durban [South Africa] and Port Sudan becomes operational.
Mbeki said apart from financing 33 different projects [costing US $800 million] under New Economic Partnership Development (NEPAD), the African Development Bank had also made US $1.6 billion available for the improvement of infrastructure, especially rail, road and energy sectors in Africa.
"If we are able to work together with the Africans in the diaspora, utilising the skills and expertise that many of them have, many of these programmes and projects will be implemented faster and more efficiently,” President Mbeki said.
A Caribbean pan-Africanist, Ambassador Dudley Thompson, could not hold his anger against the disempowerment of Africa, six centuries of “white capitalistic hegemony”, among others.
He said two million black babies die from preventable diseases each year.
"We find ourselves at the bottom of the totem pole economically, militarily, culturally,“ he said, wondering why black people were made to that they descended from an inferior slave race. Thompson described slavery as an interruption of black people’s history.
"Let us begin to write our own history at this conference," he said, urging blacks to dedicate themselves to black empowerment through pan-African philosophy.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Alpha Oumar Konaré drew the attention of the conference to “our brothers in Zimbabwe" who according to him, are in dire need of help to solve their problems.
The former Malian President urged for the creation of a unity government in Africa.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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