European, African leaders call for massive help for Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Nearly 20 European and African leaders have made a joint appeal for a massive international effort to boost Africa’s coronavirus response, saying that “only a global victory that fully includes Africa can bring this pandemic to an end.”

The appeal signed by the leaders of France, Ethiopia, Germany, South Africa, and other nations, published in the Financial Times, calls for dramatic measures that include an immediate moratorium on all debt payments, public and private, until the pandemic is over.

It comes ahead of a meeting Wednesday by finance ministers of the G20 forum on economic cooperation, which includes the US, China, India and others.

African officials have joined forces in recent days to appeal for billions of dollars in financial assistance and improve their position in the global competition with richer countries for badly needed medical equipment.

The African Union appointed four special envoys to mobilise support and created a platform to help the continent’s 54 countries bulk-buy medical goods at more accessible prices.

While virus cases among Africa’s 1.3 billion people total more than 16,000, health experts have said the continent is weeks behind the US and Europe in the pandemic and the rise in cases looks alarmingly similar to Europe’s.

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