'Give us trade, not aid', says African nations

SIRTE - No to Begging. No to Foreign Aid.

The placards were the only signs at an African Union (AU) summit this week in this Libyan city of African unease about Britain's campaign to press rich nations to do more for the continent.

Although the summit is likely to look favourably on British Prime Minister Tony Blair's call for more aid and freer trade, many middle-class African professionals find the outpouring of Western concern condescending and misguided.

Some find Blair's aid push, however well-intentioned, uncomfortably reminiscent of utterances about the alleged backwardness of Africa by European missionaries and explorers of 150 years ago, reflecting deep wells of prejudice.

"Africa's image is that of a child. We are infantilised by this campaign," said Nigerian analyst Tajudeen AbdulRaheem.

"There is no difference between Bob Geldof and the missionaries."

What many business people want is not aid but the opportunity to invest and trade under fairer international rules of commerce and under cleaner African governments.

"A lot of people have told Blair: 'We don't want to be saved. We want to trade'," a senior African diplomat in London said.

African bankers, teachers, lawyers and engineers like to point out that Africa does not lack wealth - but that much of it has been siphoned off by leaders long coddled by both sides during the Cold War.

Economists Leonce Ndikumana and James Boyce estimated that US$187 billion ($275.68 billion) left Africa between 1970 and 1996.

And African Business magazine estimated last September that Africa had 100,000 US dollar millionaires worth a total of about US$600 billion.

"It is exasperating that in 2005 Western politicians need to be told Africa is not a poor continent without hope outside continued charity and aid," wrote Ian Taylor, of St Andrews University. "It is as if Africa is utterly poverty stricken and totally dependent on foreign aid."

- REUTERS