(July 6, 2005) Writing off Africa’s debt, boosting aid and improving trade conditions are not enough to bring the continent out of poverty, Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai has said.
G8 debt relief proposal: preliminary estimates and issues
(July 6, 2005) A presentation based on a leaked report by World Bank senior officials Geoffrey Lamb and Danny Leipziger claiming the G-8 debt relief proposal for poor countries, most of which are African, lacks sufficient compensation to the World Bank’s low-interest lending arm most affected by the debt relief plan, has now been posted to the Odious Debts Web site.
African firms back corruption war
(July 5, 2005) African business leaders are urging world leaders to help them fight corruption in their home countries, reports Jorn Madslien for the UK’s BBC News.
Nigeria wins debt relief
(July 5, 2005) The Paris Club of rich nation lenders has agreed in principle to a debt relief package for Nigeria. The club of 19 member nations is expected to write off about $18 billion of Nigeria’s $35 billion debt and Nigeria plans to buy back its remaining loans using funds from a windfall in oil revenues.
Nigeria gets $20 billion debt pardon
(July 4, 2005) Forty percent buy back option; President Obasanjo blames debt on criminal corruption.
Corruption’s take: $148B
(July 4, 2005) By the African Union’s own estimate, Africa loses as much as US$148-billion a year to corruption, reports Peter Goodspeed in a three-part series on Africa for Canada’s National Post.
Saviour Blair makes African professionals wince
(July 4, 2005) No to Begging! No to Foreign Aid!
Nigeria’s debt relief: a news analysis
(July 3, 2005) Nigeria’s tortuous road to debt relief: the Tony Blair factor.
The failure of altruism
(July 2, 2005) Well-intentioned efforts have failed to improve life for most Africans.
Sweet victory ahead on debt relief?
(June 2, 2005) The 10-year battle to wipe out the debt burden of the world’s most impoverished nations is reaching a climax.
Nigeria happy about debt relief but battles loom
(July 1, 2005) Nigeria’s government is euphoric after securing debt relief from its biggest creditors, but the pressure is on to produce benefits for a skeptical population used to seeing the nation’s wealth squandered and stolen.
How kleptocracy kept the people poor
(July 1, 2005) Nigeria is widely seen as having the greatest natural resources on the African continent and the most potential for development. After two generations of misrule, it is desperate for a new start.
Loan corruption control
(July 1, 2005) Corruption is a worldwide industry. What Lesotho has done is show that something can indeed be done about it. All that is required is not merely token, but real resolve. – Guido Penzhorn.
Where’s the Jubilee?
(June 30, 2005) While odious debt, as such, is not included in the current G-8 deal, the has contributed to the momentum building around the issue since the Bush administration campaigned to have Iraq’s odious, Saddam Hussein-era debts forgiven.
A Challenge to Care for Iraq
(June 30, 2005) The U.S. should take the lead in lobbying for a U.N. Security Council resolution to create an international arbitration tribunal to hear cases of odious debt; those filing claims against Iraq would have "to prove that the debt is not odious."


