Anglican Communion News Service

(CPSA) The announcement by President Bill Clinton that he would raise the issue of the international debt of African countries at the meeting of the G7 group of countries to be held in England in May was welcome, according to the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Njongonkulu Ndungane.

Archbishop Ndungane, who has been in the forefront of those calling for the repudiation of such debt, said that calls had repeatedly been made for international debt to be cancelled so that the resulting capital which would be made available could be used for social service.

The Archbishop noted that the President had pointed out that debt relief was in the national interest of the United States. While one accepted this point of view, one had to study his speech in detail before commenting further, he said. The real issue was about giving new opportunities to debt-stricken countries whose people deserved the opportunity to start anew.

Archbishop Ndungane will also be addressing the issue of debt in Africa at the launch of Jubilee 2000 in Africa, to be held in Accra, Ghana, next month.