G8 extends debt relief programme
O N the last day of their summit, G8 leaders have agreed to extend a debt relief scheme for the world's poorest countries by two years.
The initiative, managed by the IMF, provides support to 27 nations, mostly from Africa, but was due to expire at the end of this year.
But there has reportedly been no agreement on a British proposal to cancel all debts owed.
However, 23 of the 27 countries that have qualified for debt relief under the so-called Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative are in Africa.
Originally conceived as a way to relieve $100bn of debt for countries that have sound government, the plan has in fact only cancelled $31 billion so far.
The group called on Sudan to disarm militias in western Darfur.
Blaming the rebels for massive human rights violations, they urged both sides to respect the cease-fire.
The G8's statement on Sudan said the group - made up of the UK, U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia - looked to the United Nations to lead the international effort to avert "a major disaster" in Darfur, described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
"There are continuing reports of gross violations of human rights, many with an ethnic dimension.
"We call on all parties to the conflict to immediately and fully respect the cease-fire, allow unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need, and create the conditions for the displaced to return safely to their homes.
"We call especially on the Sudanese government to disarm immediately the Janjaweed and other armed groups which are responsible for massive human rights violations in Darfur," the statement said.
Earlier, the G8 leaders, meeting on Sea Island off the coast of Georgia, met with six African leaders - from Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda - to discuss a plan to train 75,000 peacekeepers for Africa, and programme to co-ordinate research to find a vaccine for HIV/AIDS.
"We are committed to fully implementing the HIPC initiative and to supporting debt sustainability in the poorest countries through debt relief and grant financing," the G8 leaders said in a joint statement.
Now the initiative will run until 31 December, 2006.
