World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said Monday he is "increasingly, though cautiously" optimistic that Africa is turning the corner in the fight against poverty. "We're at a very important moment in the history of the fight against poverty," said Wolfowitz, speaking to reporters ahead of this weekend's World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meeting in Washington. He praised an "impressive commitment by developed countries to deliver more assistance" and an effort of developing countries to spend aid wisely and with more accountability. "Performance and assistance have to support one another," he added. While there have been "spectacular development successes" in the past 25 years, there are still many problems, especially in sub- Saharan Africa, the World Bank president said. Wolfowitz said Africa is in the process of becoming "a continent of hope" and people there are holding their leaders accountable. --More 2351 Local Time 2051 GMT
