Mandela Joins World Leaders' Meeting to Call for Debt Relief

The Nobel Prize Winner, Nelson Mandela, after a powerful call to support Britain in eradicating poverty in London’s Trafalgar Square on Thursday, has further focused his pull on the G7 finance ministers who are meeting in London during the weekend.

Mandela told G-7 finance ministers he was heartened by the resolve of rich countries to fight poverty, and urged them to act immediately on debt.

Especially Mandela has expressed his high appreciation for Britain’s efforts in leading the world to implement concrete proposals to take away the debt burden of poor countries.

Earlier the British Chancellor Gordon Brown had introduced the "Marshall Plan" which aims to persuade rich Western countries to ease the burden of debt on Africa’s poorest developing countries. He also called for doubling of international aid to Africa and the developing world and 100% debt relief on tsunami-hit countries.

Mandela, addressed the G7 finance ministers at London's Lancaster House, where they gathered for dinner on Friday, "We need action on 100 percent debt cancellation, multilateral as well as bilateral, to remove the burdens of the past and allow people to be free."

"Africa cannot have economic stability until you provide 100 percent debt relief, and you have the ability to do that today," he added.