African leaders put their heads together to address key issues facing the continent, writes Gamal Nkrumah from Sharm El-Sheikh African heads of state and government who travelled to the Red Sea resort of Sharm El- Sheikh on Tuesday demonstrated that there was no shortage of goodwill to resolve the many challenges facing Africa. Those who failed to show up were a reminder that an agenda that unifies Africa is sorely needed. The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), widely acclaimed as a blueprint for continental economic survival, is based on the premise that African countries are committed to undertake policy and institutional reforms. In return, the wealthy countries of the North have pledged to create an enabling international economic environment that would permit African countries to develop and prosper. Twenty-nine countries and 10 heads of state and government took part in NEPAD's 13th Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) and the third Peer Review Mechanism. "Africa's economic development is in our hands," Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo boasted at the close of the Sharm El-Sheikh summit. Of vital importance to Africa at this historical juncture is the radical reform of state institutions in countries that lag behind as far as democratic transformations are concerned. The African leaders meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh warned that the development assistant programmes of donor nations and international financial institutions must take into account African considerations and priorities. The talks focused on agriculture, trade, infrastructural development, regional cooperation and intra-African relations. President Hosni Mubarak outlined the defining features of the coming phase of African development, which he stressed were contingent on peace and stability in the continent. African countries have undertaken serious steps towards enhancing the concept of good governance within an authentic African framework. Such countries have also achieved palpable progress in conflict resolution. It was noted with grave concern that the countries of the North spend $1 billion in subsidies to their farmers to the detriment of the African agricultural producers. African leaders urged the rich countries of the North to reduce their subsidies to allow for greater trade opportunities for African countries. It was stressed that a meaningful partnership doesn't mean that the North dictates terms. In addition, the North was urged to honour its pledges. During the closing brainstorming session African leaders sought out means of arriving at a common stance regarding sustainable development. "We have established continental institutions to help implement the programmes that we have devised and launched," Obasanjo noted. Regional economic integration is proceeding at a brisk pace, he declared. But, delegates concurred, there is always room for improvement in economic performance. African leaders at the NEPAD summit were unanimous about the debt relief goals of African nations. Writing off Africa's debt was the single most important move that would help transform the continent's economic well-being and social welfare. The leaders also took stock of the achievements of NEPAD, and reviewed its progress. Many took the opportunity to conduct bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the NEPAD summit. The conspicuous absence of two of the five founding members of the four-year-old NEPAD, however, raised some eyebrows. There was much speculation about the reasons behind the non-attendance of South African President Thabo Mbeki and his Senegalese counterpart Abdoulaye Wade. The Senegalese president has long expressed reservations concerning the lack of progress of NEPAD. He has not shied away from making disapproving statements, much to the consternation of those African leaders who are seen as being more enthusiastic about the prospects of NEPAD's progress and success. In an unprecedented development, the first report of the Peer Review Mechanism was released. Although the report wasn't widely publicised, its focus on certain countries such as Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya was highlighted. None of these countries was represented by their presidents, but they have all been widely acclaimed as models of good governance and are perceived to have carried out sweeping political reforms. Yet, such countries have not necessarily attracted the direct foreign investment and development assistance expected from donor nations in the North. Curiously enough, there was no naming and shaming of African countries, as abundantly demonstrated by the manner in which the prickly problems of Sudan were tackled. Indeed, Khartoum was treated with kid gloves.
