Finance chiefs in East Africa

The heads of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are having talks today in Tanzania with twelve heads of state from east and southern Africa.

It's the second regional summit during their unprecedented joint visit to the continent; earlier this week they met West African leaders in Mali.

The two financial heads -- James Wolfensohn of the World Bank and Horst Kohler of the IMF -- say they want to listen to the African leaders' development strategies and proposals for ending poverty.

A BBC correspondent at the talks says the Tanzania meeting is also expected to focus on the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS on the region. The lending institutions have come under criticism for offering only extra loans rather than financial grants to fight the disease -- a strategy which African leaders say increases debt.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service