The Group of Eight wealthy countries are still divided on what promises, if any, to make on boosting development assistance and Aids funding in Africa at the G8 summit opening on Wednesday, the Financial Times has learnt.

An extraordinary meeting of the G8 “sherpas”, or special envoys, on Tuesday in Berlin will decide if the conference will make explicit new pledges based on targets set at the Gleneagles summit in 2005, or settle only on declarations of goodwill.