BEIJING, July 5 -- African Union Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare calls on the world's richest nations to fulfil their promises of aid to the continent.

 

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (C) talks to African Union Secretary-General Alpha Oumar Konare (L) as Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo (R) looks on during their meeting in Sirte, Libya, July 4, 2005. (Photo: Yahoo)

    Konare opened the AU summit in Libya Monday, saying that since the 1970s, rich nations have not kept promises.

    He says Group of Eight nations, meeting this week, must keep their debt relief promises to the poorest countries in the world.

    He also calls on African nations to explore their own resources to fight poverty.

    Meanwhile, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi urged continental leaders Monday not to go begging at the summit of rich nations in Scotland, instead urging self-reliance and rejecting of conditional aid from the West.

    In a speech at the opening ceremony of the summit, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called upon Africa to accelerate the pace towards fulfilment of UN-sponsored development goals.

    Heads of state and government representatives attended the African Union's 5th summit, Monday in Sirte.

    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)