US Mayors talk of new African initiative

Accra (Greater Accra), 19th May 99 ?

A group of 25 City Mayors from the United States attending the Fifth African-African American Summit in Accra on Tuesday pledged their commitment to the American policy of "inclusion of Africa in global development.

"Our goal is to change the image of Africa... and we will not let Africa slip from the minds of America", Mayor Wellington Webb, of Denver Colorado and leader of the Group told Journalists at a conference briefing.

The weeklong Conference, which has brought together about 5,000 delegates from around the globe, is under the theme "Business, Trade and Investment - Africa can Compete".

After long hours of brainstorming among the Mayors and their African counterparts on the way forward to include Africa in global trade, investment and development, the meeting agreed that closer co-ordination, which would thrive on sharing of information, be reached.

Mayor Webb said the visit, which is the first for most of the group members to Africa had enabled them to get a feel of the "real African challenge" during their travels to Cape Coast and Kumasi.

"We will tell the true story of Africa and tell people to step up investments.

"What the story has been is that the real beauty of the people and the continent's potential of being a great partner in the globalisation process has been kept in secrecy," said Mayor Webb.

Perhaps, the Mayors' first impressions about the continent are far different from the perceptions of most Americans on Africa as portrayed by the Western Media.

According to the Mayors, the new American initiative stemmed from President Bill Clinton's visit to Africa in March 1998, which brought into focus the "New Africa" agenda.

"It is time to forge a new relationship with Africa", Mr Webb said, adding that the group would put pressure on the US congress to pass the "African Growth and Opportunities."

"We should do what we can do to improve on the trade imbalance, low investment flows and extreme poverty in Africa", Mayor Webb said.

Africa's current share of world trade is about six per cent while trading among African countries is below 20 per cent.

The trade imbalance of the continent is reflected in its high dependence on foreign imports, which forms over 90 per cent of the total consumption.

Mayor Webb said even though the political structure of the US and Africa are not the same, there were areas, where both could collaborate.

"The challenges facing Africa and its partners are in the areas of environment, trade and economic development and investments in the private sector.

"Part of our initiative towards the new Africa is to reach out to the larger investor community to support the Africa today, not the Africa we have read about in the books," Mr Webb said.