APW19980124.0549 NEWS NEWSWIRE African leaders called Saturday on the head of the World Bank to make the world's poorest continent a priority and support _ not dictate _ reforms. ``We believe it is important to allocate more resources to the objective of African development,'' South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki said. ``Africa south of Sahara should be a priority development area.'' The result of the informal, two-day gathering of 12 sub-Saharan leaders and World Bank President James Wolfensohn was a call for a new relationship between the nations, the World Bank and international creditors, World Bank officials said on condition of anonymity. ``We want the countries feel in control of their own future,'' one official said. ``We told them to challange us with their own ideas. Let us be a team.'' The sub-Saharan nations, which have shed sluggish state-run economies to foster private enterprise, offered their vision of how to boost economic growth and improve ordinary lives in their countries. But how receptive the World Bank will be to African wishes will depend on each government's record in proving public accountability and following up on reforms, the official said. Wolfensohn was not available to comment. The World, 5th graf pvs