In other news from Africa, about a thousand anti-corporate globalization and anti-poverty campaigners have gathered in Mali to hold a forum to counter the G8 meeting. The people’s summit was aimed at tackling debt, food security and immigration problems, as well as the creation of an alternative to the World Bank. This is Makafing Konate from the group Coalition of African Alternatives on Debt and Development.

Makafing Konate: “(Today what is launched by the participants of this forum is that) today, our states must have agriculture development. If we have to go to the global market, we must guarantee our farmers they’ll be able to produce at competitive costs. This means that our states should be able to help our farmers.’’