The fate of millions of poor people around the world hung in the balance today after G8 countries stalled over negotiations on Africa.

As the German government made eleventh hour amendments to the final summit text, protestors blocked the two main routes into the summit, which is taking place in the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm.
 
Italy and Canada, were among the G8 countries seen to preventing progress on Africa during today’s negotiations, while the US government continued to stall over climate change.

“Unless there’s serious work done in the next day on the G8’s Africa Declaration, the summit will be over for the world’s poorest region before it’s even begun,” said Patrick Watt, ActionAid UK Policy Coordinator.

It also emerged that there was a real possibility that the G8 would dilute its 2005 pledge to provide universal access for treatment for all those living with HIV.
 
This would create a “lottery," said Aditi Sharma, Head of ActionAid’s HIV campaign, “where only half of the world’s people with HIV will win treatment.”

As sunburned protestors bedded down for a cold night on the roads leading to the summit, inside negotiators seemed to be sleepwalking on the issue of aid to Africa

“The G8’s talk of a contract with Africa rings hollow when they’re reneging on their most basic pledge. Failure to keep their promise of doubling aid will translate into millions of people being denied education, healthcare and clean water,” said Colins Magalasi, ActionAid’s head of policy for Southern Africa.

Andreas Peters, a 47-year old education trainer, and one of the 800-1000 people still blocking the road from Rethwisch to Hedliegendam at 10pm, said he was prepared to stay there until the end of the summit on Friday.

“We have the wrong people, in the wrong place at the wrong time, talking about the wrong questions,” he said.
 
Echoing yesterday’s calls by UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, that this should be the “last G8,” 32-year-old Christine Fabricius, also on the bloackade, said it should be the United Nations, not the G8, that make key decisions.

“You have people from across the world here,” she said. “Who don’t, and won’t, accept that the world’s eight richest countries should make all."

© Dominic Timms/ActionAid