Letter to the Editor, Irish Independent, 21st August 2007

Sir,

It amazes me that Western governments insist on throwing more money at beleaguered African nations regardless of the fact that the suffering of the Third World continues unabated, despite the billions that have been thrown in their direction.

Governments continue to focus on a myriad of issues instead of focusing on the real, albeit thornier, issue -- that of the rampant corruption -- which has been bleeding the continent dry for decades.

Corruption costs Africa over US$150bn every year, and the World Bank has found it to be the single greatest obstacle to economic and social Third World development, yet we continue to support corrupt regimes with barely a second thought.

All over the continent people watch their communities ravaged by hunger, disease and violence, while corrupt leaders grow fat on the spoils of donor aid.

Money and the cancellation of debt is not the panacea. The problem requires a clear commitment from the international community that we will deal with the cancer of corruption once and for all.

This is not difficult -- by immediately stopping all bilateral aid to corrupt regimes we will be sending a clear message to corrupt powers. Creating strict conditions to the giving of aid will create an era of accountability and money could also be channelled through our own NGOs and missionaries but by continuing to fill the coffers of corrupt and despotic regimes we are failing those who really need our help.

John O'Shea