African decline ‘unparalleled’

Press, 15 November 1984, Page 6

African decline ‘unparalleled’

NZPA-Reuter Addis Ababa Ravaged by drought and economic decline, African nations meeting in Ethiopia have focused on what a senior diplomat says is one of the main economic catastrophes since records were kept. '‘Africa has witnessed a socio-economic decline un-

paralleled in recorded history,” the interim secretarygeneral, Dr Peter Onu, told the twentieth summit meeting of the Organisation of African Unity yesterday. “Far from being alarmist, the situation is very grim and critical indeed,” said Dr Onu, of Nigeria. “Millions of people are

starving and hundreds of thousands are dying because we are no longer able to grow our staple foods,” he said. , . Dr Onu said that food production per capita in Africa had declined 11 per cent from 1970 to 1980, while population growth had exceeded 3 per cent in the same period.

Dr Gnu’s address echoed the mood of the four-day summit meeting, which is dealing with the continent’s dire economic worries before such problems as Morocco’s quitting . the organisation. It was protesting against the seating of Polisario guerrillas fighting Rabat’s control of the Western Sahara. ___