Govts should avoid policies of social exclusion - JAK

Accra, Jan 14, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has called for the fashioning out of a new partnership between Africa and its development partners, which should be based on co-operation, mutual respect and a sense of common humanity.

"What Africa seeks in this Century is a new partnership to overcome the development gap that has widened over these many years of unequal relations. We are not asking for further entrenchment of dependency through aid or token concessions."

President Kufuor was speaking at the closing ceremony of the two-day "German-African Partnership Forum", he co-Chaired with German President Horst Kohler, at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra on Sunday.

Four other African Heads of State, including President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, President Festus Mogae of Botswana, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and President Thomas Yayi Boni of Benin, together with Mr Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission and Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, President of the ECOWAS Commission, also attended.

The Forum, a brainchild of President Kohler, brought together about 50 young leaders from Africa and Germany to interact with high-ranking leaders in politics, research and business.

It provided the opportunity for the youth to articulate their anxieties on a wide rage of issues, especially on the environment and natural habitat, education and employment, conflict and violence and political participation in society.

President Kufuor said the current "generation of Africans are dye-in-the-wool optimists", confident and determined to make all the necessary sacrifices to enable the continent to pull through its difficulties and challenges.

"We have our eyes firmly fixed on the goal of our future prosperity and will diligently pursue that goal."

He said the Region's only demands on its development partners were debt cancellation, technical assistance to expand its productive capacity, increased foreign direct investment and access to the international markets through the creation of a level playing field. To help to end violence and armed conflicts in Africa, President Kufuor said the challenge was for the Governments to avoid policies of marginalization and social exclusion.

Additionally, they should ensure respect for human rights and fair distribution of the national wealth.

Touching on political participation in society, he advised the youth to be bold and step out into the fray to take their rightful place in the political governance of their countries.