Blair urges G8 to keep African promises

JOHANNESBURG, May 31 (Reuters) British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged rich nations today to keep their promises of financial aid to Africa, saying failure to do so could threaten the continent's progress towards prosperity and democracy.

In a keynote speech in Johannesburg on the final leg of his farewell African tour as Britain's leader, Blair also said that Africa's leaders must get tough on authoritarian governments, such as those in Sudan and Zimbabwe.

''Wealthy nations and Africa both face a choice ... Our challenge is to support the good. Africa's challenge is to eliminate the bad,'' Blair said in the speech.

''Next week at the G8 (Group of Eight) Summit, leaders will show whether, having put Africa at the top of the global agenda, we have the perseverance and vision to see it through. I hope we have,'' the outgoing British leader said.

Blair's visit came on the eve of the G8 summit scheduled for Germany, during which Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to press rich nations to fulfil aid pledges to Africa under a 2005 Blair initiative.

''We need each G8 to be bolder on Africa than the last,'' Blair said. ''If we give up, we will lose the chance in this continent, rich as it is though its people are often poor, for our values to take root.'' He said initiatives such as the new Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, which will provide matching funds for commercially sustainable African business projects, showed that Africa and the West could be partners in development.

MANDELA AND MBEKI Due to hand over power to finance minister Gordon Brown on June 27, Blair is using the trip to build momentum for the summit, which will focus on the world's poorest continent and push for a world trade deal.

Today he paid a courtesy call on South Africa's 88-year-old former President Nelson Mandela, who jokingly welcomed him into retirement.

''Tony, I look forward to welcoming a young man like you to the club of retired presidents and prime ministers,'' a smiling Mandela said in a brief appearance in Johannesburg.

Blair visited Libya and Sierra Leone before travelling to South Africa, where he will meet current President Thabo Mbeki on Friday.

Pushing the United States and other Western nations to meet their pledges of financial aid, trade support and assistance on peacekeeping and conflict resolution is a key part of the Blair agenda in his final weeks in office, as is the need for a global deal to fight climate change.

But Blair is also underscoring what he says is the need to pressure Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's government, which has been criticised in the West for a violent crackdown on political opponents.

Mbeki is overseeing efforts to bring Mugabe and his opponents in Zimbabwe to the bargaining table ahead of elections in the southern African nation scheduled for next year, and Blair said this effort needed to bear fruit quickly.

''African governments should also hold other African governments to account,'' Blair said.

''The world is waiting, wanting to re-engage with a reforming Zimbabwe government ... but for the people of Zimbabwe, this is urgent, and change before the 2008 elections essential.'' REUTERS HK RN2117