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'Leave peer review to Africans'
25/09/2003 16:03 - (SA)
Berlin - Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa said on Thursday that reviewing and rating how African leaders perform should be left to fellow Africans following talks in Berlin with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
"It will take longer - but the results will be more lasting," said Mkapa.
Mkapa said rating the performance of African leaders - known as peer review in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) initiative - could only work if it was guided by Africans who knew the conditions and sensitivities of the continent.
Peer review is a key part of Nepad which was launched in 2001 and is backed by the Group of Eight (G8) industrial nations. Nepad offers aid and assistance while calling on African states to help themselves by building good government along with social, economic and political reforms.
There has been concern among some countries outside Africa that peer review is not being followed in a thorough manner in the case of African countries such as Zimbabwe.
Turning to the issue of HIV/Aids, Mkapa said $3bn was needed for the Global Fund to combat the disease by next year.
Schroeder vowed Germany would make a fresh contribution but declined to say how much.
The German leader pointed out that 25% of all European Union (EU) funds for HIV/Aids were paid for Germany which is the biggest member of the 15-nation bloc.
On other issues, Mkapa said his country backed calls by Schroeder for Germany to be given a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.
- SAPA
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