Geldof said G8 leaders should have talked more about Africa

Geldof also said he was disappointed with the progress made towards alleviating poverty in other African countries at the recent G8 summit in Evian, France.

However, he did praise Tony Blair for raising the issue of Ethiopia and famine in other parts of Africa at the meeting.

Geldof was speaking at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday after returning from a tour of Ethiopia, where he visited areas worst hit during the famine in 1984.

The Live Aid organiser also found out about the current food problems.

Phone call

He said: "It is those critical issues of trade and debt that are enabling the situation in Ethiopia and the west of Africa to continue, and on that we had a complete bust."

Geldof said leaders of the world's most industrialised countries had been too wrapped up in recriminations over the war in Iraq at the summit.

"But I am really pleased that Tony Blair raised the issue of the food emergency in regard to Ethiopia and (said) that whatever was required would be given regardless," he added.

The prime minister telephoned Geldof in Ethiopia on Sunday to get the latest on the current food shortages facing the country.

I walked into something that was worse than I expected - I was taken aback by the enormity of the problem Bob Geldof

Geldof said: "I could hear people shouting to him to come to the next meeting, but he wanted to know whether it (the situation) was as bad as it looked on television."

He said conditions now were different to 20 years ago when his Band Aid single, Do They Know It's Christmas, and concerts helped raise millions for the starving.

"I walked into something that was worse than I expected. I was taken aback by the enormity of the problem," Geldof said.

Geldof wants Africa to be given aid to help it develop as Europe benefited from US financial help at the end of World War II.

"We have to stop this place devouring itself and discuss how to resuscitate a continent in the way we did 60 years ago with Europe."

He added: "But it is not just money, we have to have selected representative governments, the rule of law, an impartial judiciary and an apolitical military - those things that come about with wealth."