Mandela appeals to G7 to wipe out African debt

Former South African president Nelson Mandela launched an appeal to the world's richest nations to help pull Africa out of a mire of poverty and debt.

Former South African president Nelson Mandela launched an appeal to the world's richest nations on Friday to dig into their budgets and help pull Africa out of a mire of poverty and debt.

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In a personal address to the finance chiefs of the Group of Seven economic powers ahead of a meeting in London, Mandela said rich nations were able now to write off Africa's debt.

"Do not delay while poor people continue to suffer," he said, seated between his wife Graca Machel and his host in London, British Finance Minister Gordon Brown.

The 86-year-old political prisoner-turned champion of democratic South Africa had been invited to London by Brown as part of Britain's campaign to eradicate poverty especially on the AIDS-torn African continent.

"We are here to claim justice," he said, demanding that the world's richest countries provide $50 billion a year for the next 10 years in aid, a plan proposed by Brown.

Africa could not have economic stability until debt relief was provided. "And you have the ability to do that today. So, I urge you to act tonight."

Mandela, whose only surviving son died of AIDS last month, said he was confident that the G7 would discuss the issue of AIDS which is devastating the African continent.

"If we don't act now...it will become such a big problem in the future that the world will not have enough resources to deal with it," Mandela said.

Mandela had already set the stage for his appeal to the G7 at a "Make Poverty History rally Thursday in central London, telling an crowd that poverty was an evil that ranked alongside slavery and apartheid.