JEAN SOMERS,
Sir, - Unlike Philip Donnelly (July 29th) we welcome the Government's new position in favour of total debt cancellation for some of the poorest countries. We hope Ireland will pursue this position vigorously in all the international bodies where it has a voice.
Mr Donnelly's letter questions what happened to the "free" money which flowed to Africa. Much of this money, however, was not "free" but was given to promote Western interests. Loans which were made to promote rich country goods can be seen as "development aid" to rich country businesses rather than to developing countries. Lending during the Cold War kept corrupt, oppressive regimes sympathetic to the West in power. The World Bank, and IMF each lent hundred of millions to Mr Mobutu, ex-president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, even though they were well aware of the nature of his regime and that money was being siphoned off wholesale. As a member of those institutions, Ireland was a party to those decisions.
It can be argued legally that loans to oppressive regimes which were not used for the benefit of the people are "odious debt" and subsequent governments have no responsibility to repay them.
This is not to suggest that all aid to Africa was badly directed or badly used nor to deny that there has been corruption. Yes, there have, unfortunately, been oppressive and corrupt leaders in Africa. Debt payments, however, are not taken from the Swiss bank accounts of corrupt leaders but from the empty pockets of impoverished people who have to pay with their health, their children's education and even their lives. A simplistic, monolithic view of Africa does not give a true picture of the complexity of the continent. Not all leaders have been equally corrupt and uninterested in their people's welfare. Let us not forget that one of the most renowned leaders internationally over recent decades was in fact African - Nelson Mandela.
Finally, it cannot be right, nor does it make any sense, to demand debt repayments from countries such as those in southern Africa facing severe famine; nor from those devastated by HIV/AIDS with life expectancy dropping drastically to below 40 years, as in Zambia. Many of the countries due to receive the inadequate amount of debt reduction presently on offer will still be spending more on debt than on public health. The debt crisis has been draining desperately needed resources from African countries over two decades, weakening their economic and social infrastructure and therefore their ability to respond to crises such as HIV/AIDS, drought and famine. It is time these debts were cancelled. - Yours, etc.,
JEAN SOMERS, Coordinator, Debt and Development Coalition Ireland, All Hallows, Dublin 9.