On Thursday, as the British Prime Minister Tony Blair commenced the meetings of his 'Africa Commission' in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he urged the world to help Africa free itself from poverty, disease and conflict.

Blair said in his keynote address in Addis Ababa’s famous Africa Hall, “the time for excuses will be over...it is time to turn international attention into international action.” He sees the Africa Commission as “a tremendous opportunity to put before the international community a plan for Africa.”

Blair met with representatives of Oxfam and also Ethiopian coffee farmers who have taken the opportunity to call on him to support their campaign for fairer global trade rules.

“One in four people in Ethiopia depend on coffee to support their families,” Tadesse Meskela, leader of the Oromiya Coffee Co-operative Union explained the urgency, “Farmers are going hungry and are unable to buy medicines or send their children to school. We’re urging Tony Blair and his Commission for Africa to support us and help get this crisis on the international agenda.”

Oxfam’s Ahmed Ali said, “We asked Mr Blair to back practical measures to resolve the coffee crisis, including the regulation of the coffee industry within the World Trade Organisation (WTO).”

“We hope he will do everything he can to persuade other world leaders that fairer trade rules are the key to making poverty history,” Oxfam stated its expectation from Blair once again.

In Blair’s emotional speech in Ethiopia, Blair confessed that despite the difficult politics, he believed that the “common bond of humanity” around the globe gave a clear moral imperative to richer nations to help and this had motivated him to come over to see what can be done in Africa.

His speech appeared to be firmly rooted in his own Christian moral values. He described his personal crusade for the continent as “the one noble cause worth fighting for”.

Blair pledged to make Africa the centrepiece of his agenda when Britain presided over G8 next year, calling it “the year of decision for Africa”.

Blair commented that building stability in Africa would be to the West’s advantage, as “we know that poverty and instability leads to weak states which can become havens for terrorists and other criminals.”

Extreme poverty, food insecurity and high population growth are the topics that will be further addressed by the Commission. The Commission for Africa will produce a plan of action early next year which will then be presented to the G8 group of leading industrialised nations.

Prime Minister Blair will conclude his three-day trip in Africa on Friday 8th October.