I like your editorial about cancelling Africa's debt. I cannot agree with you more that all the strategies designed to alleviate the debt burden of poorer countries have been aimed at protecting the lenders and ensuring that the debtors do not reach the point where they will refuse to pay on account of inability.

Being an African myself I am always angry at the gullibility of some of our leaders in believing that the developed countries have genuine concern about our plight. I have always believed that they do just enough to keep us from going overboard and adopting policies that will be detrimental to their economic interests.

What our leaders should be doing is to form a united front as you stated in your conclusion - not only to lobby but more importantly to develop a formidable economic unit that can dictate terms. If we keep to the status quo where our economic interests are inextricably subject to the former colonial rulers’ dictates, no amount of talking, lobbying or pleading will change anything. After all, the developed countries are not in business for our own health but theirs.