A conference on the reduction of poverty in Africa is due to start today in the Gabonese capital, Libreville.

More than thirty heads of states from sub-saharan Africa are attending the conference, which has been organised by the International Monetary Fund, the IMF.

Military and political conflicts in various African countries are on the agenda as one of the main causes of poverty on the continent.

A plenary session of ministers and experts from all over Africa has prepared a document on proposals for alleviating poverty on the continent.

A BBC correspondent in Libreville says this appears to signal a departure from the IMF's usual policy of trying to impose solutions on African countries, rather than consulting those involved.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service