Africa: Activists Express Deep Disappointment Over G-8 Results

Activist groups concerned about Africa expressed deep disappointment last Thursday with what they called a failure of the leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) richest nations to respond seriously to the ongoing crises that afflict the region. They were particularly downcast about the G-8's refusal to grant comprehensive debt relief to the continent's poorest nations, as had been promoted by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the failure to commit major new funds to combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic which is killing roughly 6,000 Africans every day.