Africa’s Debt: Statement by U.S. Public Officials

The following statement was issued by The Africa Fund’s US-Africa Advisory Council of Public Officials. Please note that The Africa Fund has since merged to form Africa Action and the web site and e-mail below is no longer active.

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The Africa Fund · 50 Broad Street, Suite 1701 · New York, NY 10004

E-mail: africafund@igc.org · Web: www.theafricafund.org

For Immediate Release: September 20, 2000

Contact: Richard Knight (212) 785-1024

State and Municipal Officials Call for Cancellation of Africa’s Debt

A group of 15 distinguished state and municipal officials from around the country issued a statement today calling for the cancellation of Africa’s debt. "African countries are facing a crushing debt burden of over $300 billion, which constitutes chains of slavery in the 21^st century," says the statement. Among the signers are Denver Mayor Wellington E. Webb, President of the National Conference of Black Mayors and Chair of the Sub-Saharan Task Force of the U.S. Conference of Mayors; Connecticut Representative Reginald Beamon, Chair of the International Affairs Committee of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators; and Boston City Councilor Charles C. Yancey, Immediate Past President of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials.

"African political and civil society leaders and the All Africa Conference of Churches have called for this debt to be canceled," notes the statement. "This debt burden is a major obstacle to economic development. Most African countries pay more servicing their international debt then they do on education and health care combined. African countries, facing an AIDS crisis greater than anywhere in the world, are unable to meet the health needs of their citizens or the millions of orphaned children."

The statement comes as Congress is considering the level of funding for bilateral debt cancellation and multilateral debt relief through the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Expanded debt relief is scheduled to be on the agenda of next week’s meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund but Congress has failed to appropriate the U.S. share of the current plan adopted in June 1999.

"For decades Western governments, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have come up with a series of plans to reduce this debt, but in fact the debt has increased" noted the officials in their statement. "President Clinton pledged to cancel much of the debt owed to the U.S. government but Congress has failed to act. Africa’s economic development, the expansion of mutually-beneficial U.S.-Africa trade, and most importantly the health and well-being of African people, depends on this debt being canceled. Congress needs to appropriate money to cancel both bilateral and multilateral debt. The time for Congress to act is now."

The signatories of the statement are members of The Africa Fund’s U.S.-Africa Advisory Council of Public Officials. Others include former Representative Dr. Irma Hunter Brown (AR); Representative G. Spencer Coggs (WI); Representative William Crawford (IN); Representative Helen Giddings (TX), Senator Avel Gordly (OR); Assemblyman William D. Payne (NJ); Representative Beryl Roberts (FL); Councilman George Stevens (San Diego, CA); Representative Charles Quincy Troupe (MO), Representative Velma Veloria (WA), and Assemblyman Albert Vann (NY). The full text of the statement follows.

Founded in 1966 by the American Committee on Africa, The Africa Fund supports human rights, democracy, peace and development and a positive U.S. policy toward Africa.

Statement of Public Officials on the Urgent Need to Cancel Africa’s Debt

African countries are facing a crushing debt burden of over $300 billion, which constitutes chains of slavery in the 21^st century. African political and civil society leaders and the All Africa Conference of Churches have called for this debt to be canceled. This debt burden is a major obstacle to economic development. Most African countries pay more servicing their international debt then they do on education and health care combined. African countries, facing an AIDS crisis greater than anywhere else in the world, are unable to meet the health needs of their citizens or the millions of orphaned children. The debt is owed to Western governments, including our own (bilateral debt) and international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (multilateral debt). Much of this debt was incurred at the urging of Western governments, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for failed and misguided projects. Other loans were made during the Cold War to prop up dictators. Now poor people in Africa, many who live on less than one dollar a day, are left to pick up the tab.

For decades Western governments, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have come up with a series of plans to reduce this debt, but in fact the debt has increased. President Clinton pledged to cancel much of the debt owed to the U.S. government, but Congress has failed to act. Africa’s economic development, the expansion of mutually-beneficial U.S.-Africa trade, and most importantly the health and well-being of African people, depends on this debt being canceled. Congress needs to appropriate money to cancel both bilateral and multilateral debt. The time for Congress to act is now.

U.S.-Africa Advisory Council of Public Officials

Reginald Beamon, State Representative, Connecticut; Chair, International Affairs Committee, National Black Caucus of State Legislators

Dr. Irma Hunter Brown, President, Shorter College; former State Representative, Arkansas

G. Spencer Coggs, State Representative, Wisconsin

William A. Crawford, State Representative, Indiana

Helen Giddings, State Representative, Texas

Avel Gordly, State Senator, Oregon

Marc H. Morial, Mayor, City of New Orleans, Louisiana; Vice President, U.S. Conference of Mayors

William D. Payne, State Assemblyman, New Jersey

Beryl D. Roberts, State Representative, Florida

George Stevens, Councilman, City of San Diego, California

Charles Quincy Troupe, State Representative, Missouri

Albert Vann, State Assemblyman, New York

Velma Veloria, State Representative, Washington

Charles C. Yancey, City Councilor, Boston, Massachusetts; Immediate Past President, National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials

Wellington E. Webb, Mayor, City and County of Denver, Colorado; President, National Conference of Black Mayors; Chair, Task Force on Sub-Saharan Africa of the U.S. Conference of Mayors

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Posted on RichardKnight.com

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