Nigeria, Aug. 28 -- Nine countries have so far endorsed the Borrowers' Platform, a new initiative intended to give developing countries a stronger collective voice in negotiations over sovereign debts, a senior United Nations official said on Thursday.

The are comprised of five African countries and four others from the rest part of the world.

Those from Africa are the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ghana, Madagascar and Sudan.

The rest from other parts of the world are Colombia, Honduras, Nepal and Pakistan. Egypt is serving as the platform's interim chair and Pakistan its vice-chair.

The Officer-in-Charge of the Debt and Development Finance Branch of the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Penelope Hawkins, disclosed th...