Comments from Antonio Gumende,
Mozambique’s High Commissioner to the UK

[Source: Hear Africa 05, The Guardian 06.02.06]

2005 was a good year in terms of the outcome of the G8 process and the agreement to increase aid and cancel debt for the poorest countries. This will reduce Mozambique’s repayments from the current $50m (£28m) a year, which may not seem a lot of money to some countries but will make a great difference by allowing Mozambique to increase spending on education, health, water supply and sanitation. For us, the agreement under which Mozambique acquired a controlling stake in the Cabora Bassa hydroelectric dam on the Zambezi River from Portugal was a milestone. Also the abolition of entry visa requirements between Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland will go a long way towards strengthening regional integration.

Tackling poverty and HIV/Aids continue to be major challenges. An estimated 16.2% of the adult population is HIV positive, and 218,000 people with Aids need treatment. But due to lack of resources only 15,000 have had access to treatment with anti-retrovirals. In general, the process that led to the G8 in Gleneagles, the report of the Commission for Africa and the Make Poverty History campaign were very important in putting Africa on to the global agenda.