(February 20, 2004) A successor to the Jubilee 2000 UK movement has accused the United States government of a "glaring double standard" in its approach to debt relief for Iraq, compared to Ethiopia.
African advocates to U.S.: Reduce our debt like Iraq’s
(February 20, 2004) In their financial histories, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo share something in common: billions of dollars in international loans that vanished into the coffers of their former dictators, Saddam Hussein and Mobutu Sese Seko.
True North?
(February 20, 2004) Canada’s auditor general dropped a bombshell on the country’s ruling Liberal government last week in a report roundly condemning it for the misuse of at least CDN$100 million in public funds.
Sponsorship scandal is like cancer on Liberal party: Mills
(February 18, 2004) Liberal MP Dennis Mills says the sponsorship scandal is like a cancer eating away at the party – and the public trust.
Editorial: Welcome moves for whistle-blowers
(February 18, 2004) Astonishingly, Canada has no such "whistle-blower" law to shield people from reprisals, unlike the United States, Great Britain and Australia. The government is planning to introduce a draft bill by late March.
House to debate ‘culture of corruption’
(February 17, 2004) Describing the Liberals as "corrupt" has caused several days of hand-wringing and backroom debate among senators in the Upper Chamber, but the term will be front and centre for a full day of debate today in the House of Commons.
Canadian finance scandal taints upcoming election
(February 17, 2004) Canadian officials at international summits are fond of lecturing their counterparts from poorer countries on the debilitating effects of corruption. Now opposition politicians say Canada has produced a corruption scandal to call its own.
A link between reparations, forgiving African debt
(February 16, 2004) What do The Washington Times and the AfricaFocus Bulletin have in common? In editorial policy, they are miles apart. Yet, both published articles during this Black History Month likely to kindle heated discussion about a controversial but curious link between reparations for American descendants of African slaves and cancellation of African debt.
US should not decide apartheid lawsuit: Switzerland
(February 13, 2004) The Swiss government has spoken out against an American court deciding a class action lawsuit seeking reparations for apartheid from dozens of international companies.
Sponsorship report leaves reader feeling numb
(February 12, 2004) If the stale Liberal party can emerge from this mess with a fresh majority mandate this spring, Canada is indeed a nation with too many cheques and not enough balances.
Descendants of slaves revive lawsuit
(February 12, 2004) The descendants of African American slaves are pressing on with what is being called an historic class-action lawsuit claiming 19 corporations profited from the forced labour of their ancestors.
Swiss govt against apartheid reparations case
(February 10, 2004) An American court should not decide a class action law suit seeking reparations for apartheid from international companies, the Swiss government said on Tuesday.
Government mulls African debt write-off
(February 9, 2004) The government is considering writing off the debt owed to it by several African countries, said Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Africa’s debt: who owes whom?
(February 5, 2004) Africa is center stage in the struggle for human and economic rights. It is home to the world’s gravest health crises – including the HIV/AIDS pandemic and chronic famine. Even though Africa has only 5 percent of the developing world’s income, it carries about two thirds of the debt – over $300 billion.
Government pooh-poohs Tutu’s apartheid appeal
(February 2, 2004) “If the archbishop had sat down with the Minister of Justice (Penuell Maduna) to discuss the issue, he would have had a clearer understanding of the government’s position on the litigation in the United States.”


