Lusaka — There's no real freedom for a person in a country like Zambia that is heavily indebted and where the majority of the people live in poverty, Jubilee-Zambia has observed.

In a message commemorating the Africa Freedom Day celebrations which falls this Friday, the Jubilee-Zambia chapter, the debt cancellation advocacy group, stated that for decades since attaining independence Africa had not experienced the real kind of freedom. The organisation comprising of representatives from the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia, Christian Council of Zambia and the Zambia Episcopal Conference, in its statement noted that the continent had been marred with debt, poverty, economic mismanagement, civil strife and poor governance.

"Real freedom requires a struggle," the statement read in part. "The people of Africa, governments, political parties and the international community must work together to make real freedom come to our continent." Jubilee-Zambia has since urged the international community to direct their assistance towards doing away with the factors that hinder true economic assistance and social freedom in Zambia, including Africa as a whole.

"For example, grants and pro-poor focused conditions will give greater freedom to the poor," the statement read. "But our governments must show strong commitment to good economic and political governance that will increase freedom for the people, especially for the poor." Jubilee-Zambia's statement further read that it was true that real freedom must be guaranteed for any meaningful development to take place.

"As the Jubilee call for economic justice continues in this year of 2001, we repeat our biblical demand for the cancellation of debt of the poor countries of Africa and call upon our Zambian government to show the honesty and efficiency that is necessary if poverty is to be eradicated," concluded the statement.