Cancelling poor countries' debt

Madam, - It was interesting to read Jean Somers's letter of June 16th about cancelling Third World debt

Madam, - It was interesting to read Jean Somers's letter of June 16th about cancelling Third World debt. The problem is not cancelling the debt, but rather what happens afterward.

After Europe admits how evil its rule in Africa was and fully accepts its part in the legacy that is the Third World today, how does Jean Somers propose to make the Third World leaders finally grasp that they are also responsible for the mess their countries are in?

When these countries were given independence they were mostly left to fend for themselves (whether rightly or wrongly), but they were not left with massive debt and they were not left with despotic regimes. In all cases they have inflicted that on themselves.

If the debt is cancelled it must also be part of a UN programme that stops Western countries selling arms to the Third World, stops Third World countries spending money on their army before food, health and education and makes them finally understand they have to take responsibility for their own countries and stop blaming other people.

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It's all very well for Bono & Co to prattle on about relieving the debt but he completely misses the point. If the debt is cancelled at the stroke of a pen, what's the betting that in five years' time in those countries the average person will be no better off and the ruling élite will be so much richer because we have failed to ensure these countries change their priorities.

I understand the issues are infinitely more complicated then a letter like this can ever cover but the basis principle is the same. At some point every country needs to take responsibility for its own actions regardless of its past. - Yours, etc.,

DESMOND FITZGERALD, Canary Wharf, London E14.