But this problem is complicated further in the fact that they already have huge devastating debts owed to the Western countries. In most cases these countries are left to borrow to pay existing debts with little capital left for development. Just like the Cairo meeting said, the promises, the agreements and other relationships with the developed world amount to nothing other than attempts to yet again manoeuvre and take advantage of the poor countries. The problem is not likely to change soon despite the promises and agreements signed with different developed countries or blocs of developed countries. Take, for example, the recent African Growth and Opportunity Act signed by the U.S. government and offered as an opportunity for African countries to sell their products to the Big American market.
Critics say it offers nothing new.
University and Arvind Panagariya of the University of Maryland recently argued that the Act only goes to benefit the US businesses and not Africa. But this gift horse is actually a Trojan horse. In addition, the fabric must be made from US yarns. This forces on African imports from the US, displacing cheaper imports from elsewhere. To illustrate their argument about the US interest in Africa, the professors point at the recent controversy over AIDS drugs in South Africa.