In addition to pushing for the membership of the AU of the G20, I think it is equally urgent to strive for strong representation of civil society in Africa at the summit, to shorten the time it takes for decisions to affect the poor on the continent.

The entire world economic system is flawed. In the last couple of decades the financial markets have created non-existent wealth; "wealth" that exists only in figures and digital bytes. The giant financial and banking institutions have "grown" too big on bogus ponzi schemes that don't represent real wealth creation.

And of course once again Africa is caught up in this chicanery where they are thinking or thought the growth in their economies was for real. The reality is that most Africans' lives are worse off since the 80's when the over-liberalization of banking systems - where everybody and anybody went into banking, did investing and banking willy nilly - giving the false impression that wealth was being created.

Wealth creation should go back to industry - away from the banking crookery - that has brought the whole globe on its knees.

Industries - not banks, that fabricate phoney financial instruments - create REAL wealth.

The AU needs to form a unified economic/political block/system to survive the vagaries of international capital markets that are only always on the ready to open and fold tent at the hint of change of economic winds.

African has to deal with corruption and human rights violations; learn how to govern and work cooperatively with other African leaders before being allowed to join the G-anything. Addtionally, they have to learn how to manage vast natural resources, currently leaving their territories in exchange for bribes, and put price tags on those resources before asking for a seat in the G-something. Otherwise,these resources will stiil be leaving the continent free of charge or in exchange for bribes to the well connected elites.

This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.

This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.

This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.

This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines.

Perhaps Mr. Annan could learn from a non-African - President Lula of Brazil who spoke more candidly on behalf of all the poorer people of our world, standing next to Gordon Brown this morning. Enough of this cap-in-hand pleading for more aid instead of fairer trade. Is that too much to ask for? For Mr. Lula’s comment, see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7964910.stm.

For the ordinary african in 'subsaharan Africa, live has never been easy even before the economic recession from the 'north' does he have a good road, good health care for his family, water and nutrition, free and quality education for his kids, good shelter instead of live in slums and secure future, who is thinking about him, what are the goals of leaders in sub-saharan africa anyway, where are they when countries like, Indonesia, Malasia, etc, where developing. He has not known any better so the recession means nothing to him, excepts the leaders who's windwall from the north will dry up as a result.

Kofi Annan, the guy who stood by and watched at his UN office in NEW YORK while 8,000 Rwandans a day were being butchered for a period of 100 days, does not give a damn thing about average Africans whose lives are not touched by the foreign donations he is begging for in this article.

The naked fact is, Mr Annan is thinking of himself and a few of his elite African friends who get paid by western interests they represent.

Sub-Saharan African has vast natural resources which could have been used to developing that portion of African had it not been for self serving boogie men like Kofi Annan and his buddies. This soft spoken smooth operator is a wolf in a sheep's clothing that Jesus warned the rest of the world about two thousand and nine years ago!.

It is more than half a century since Ghana became independence. Yet, Annanfeels that Sub-Saharan African countries like Ghana must still maintain beggars like him to panhandle on their behalf! WHY? Because Annan and his elite comrades are the direct beneficiaries of the natural resources coming form Sub-Saharan Africal! They now call these panhandlers "African Elders" to legitimize what they do to undermine African development in exchange for personal gratuities!