African Union Should Push for Debt Cancellation

This is one of the key points that came up at a forum hosted by Kenya Debt Relief Network (KENDREN) in Nairobi on Thursday, March 10, 2005.

Opa Kajimpanga, chairman African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), said that failure of development in any country should be attributed to those delegated in authority.

AFRODAD is a research, lobby and advocacy regional organisation seeking to secure positive policy changes to redress Africa's debt and development crisis in order to achieve equitable and sustainable development.

"We as people have the right to interrogate the state whenever our rights are violated," Opa said.

For debt cancellation, Opa declared that different states should interact in an equal status and help the weaker one among them.

"The African countries should only pay between 5 to 10 per cent of the debt burden that has accrued over the years," Opa told CISA after the function.

A local co-ordinator for Millennium Development Goals (MDG's), Wahu Kaara, urged participants to act on the millennium goals instead of letting leaders fight poverty alone.

"Let's make poverty history because there are no excuses any more," said she.

While emphasising on the goals that included a global partnership for development, Kaara said that leaders only provide the blue print, while citizens are charged with ensuring that the goals are not only articulated but also become a reality.