Post date: Aug 25, 2011 6:16:18 PM
Only four heads of state show up for African fundraising meeting as aid groups say another $1bln needed to stop deaths.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (AUGUST 25, 2011) REUTERS - A much-delayed African Union summit held on Thursday (August 25) to raise money to tackle famine in Somalia and drought across the Horn of Africa attracted only four heads of state, despite furious criticism of the continent's response to the crisis.
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi - who hosted the event in his country's capital Addis Ababa - attended alongside the heads of state of Somalia, Djibouti and Equatorial Guinea.
Many aid experts, analysts and diplomats said they expected little from the 54-member organisation that has often been perceived as toothless and has seen its funding battered by the absence of its main bankroller, Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.
About 12 million people need emergency food across the 'triangle of death' region, straddling Somalia -- where famine was declared in five regions -- Kenya and Ethiopia.
The AU itself has so far pledged just $500,000 from its emergency funds to a relief effort that aid groups say is still short of an estimated $1.4 billion.
The chairman of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, and other speakers acknowledged the criticisms but said they needed time to prepare and that they had already donated money.
"The fact that the conference is being attended by our highest authorities, the heads of state and government, leaders of our private sector on the continent, representatives of governments and regional economic communities, the United Nations system, representatives of various inter-governmental organizations from inside and outside of Africa, civil society organisations, among others, demonstrates our collective commitment to our shared responsibility to our brothers and sisters in the Horn of Africa and Somalia in particular."
Some critics alleged that the African Union and its members states have reacted too little, too late, Ping told delegates. Ahead of today, many pledges had been made.
Jerry Rawlings, the former Ghanaian president, who is also the African Union envoy to Somalia urged the leaders present to show commitment to assisting the Horn of Africa region.
"The entire world is looking up to Africa today and your presence here is enough commitment to our determination to back the trend and make a profound and significant statement and the desire of Africa to take the responsibility for her problems." said Rawlings.
According to aid agency Oxfam only a handful of African nations have donated money so far. Egypt led with a pledge of $16.8 million, followed by Algeria's $10 million.
Tiny Gabon has donated $2.5 million and Equatorial Guinea has found $2.8 million.
"Your presence here once again is just not an opportunity to make pledges however modest to the famine afflicting the Horn of Africa but to send a convincing message to the rest of the world that we are not incapable of supporting our own when the need arises." said Rawlings.
Perhaps it is out of embarrassment at what the tally would be when one considers that the government of South Africa, whose economy accounts for nearly one-third of the continent's GDP, has so far pledged a pitiful total of just over $1 million and paid only half of that.
Kenya and Ethiopia have had to deal with an influx of Somali refugees fleeing a prolonged conflict that aid experts say has worsened the impact of a bad drought and led to famine.
Analysts say African governments' refrain of pleading poverty when asking for donations, rings hollow with several economies now oil-rich and others seeing double-digit growth over the past five years.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the situation in the refugee camps was dire and that Somalis need to be given aid in their own country despite most of the regions affected being under the control of the Islamist al Shabaab rebel group.