MONTREAL, June 8, 2007 (AFP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper Friday denied a charge by rock star activist Bono that Canada had blocked an agreement on a better aid package for Africa at the Group of Eight summit in Germany.
"There is no reason in the world, no reason whatsoever why Canada would block such a consensus. That's completely misleading, completely false," Harper told Canadian TV from Heiligendamm, on the Baltic Sea.
"The reality is Canada and other G8 countries, African countries a few years ago concluded an important agreement to double assistance to Africa ... Canada is the only country which at the present time is really on target to meet its obligations," Harper said.
Bono and fellow musician-campaigner Bob Geldof Friday said the G8's 60-billion dollar pledge to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa was full of false promises. Bono called it "bureau-babble" and "a total farce."
He said the total funding was a global figure, not focused entirely on Africa, not tied to a clear timeline and included funds already pledged.
Bono and Geldof blamed Canada's Harper for blocking a more generous deal, saying: "We know who's causing the trouble and who isn't. And we know that Canada blocked progress."
Oxfam International called the G8 pledge "a failure" that did not get the club of rich nations "anywhere near back on track to meet overall promises on aid to Africa."
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders said G8 leaders were "talking out of both sides of their mouths."
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