Former Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has urged immediate debt relief for African nations, saying that debt interest payments consume around 90% of their resources. In a recent interview on Casa Devex on the sidelines of the fourth Financing for Development conference, Dr. Gurib-Fakim stated that this leaves little funding for health and education. She supports the African Leaders Debt Relief Initiative, which was launched alongside the G20 finance ministers’ meeting, which demands comprehensive debt restructuring and fairer access to credit. The group, led by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, includes several former African leaders pushing for reforms in the global financial system.
Dr. Gurib-Fakim also criticized wealthier nations for acting only when climate impacts began reaching them. Calling for a fair, rules-based system, she emphasized the need for global cooperation and equity, warning that continued neglect of Africa’s challenges would harm the entire planet.
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