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I
welcome the opportunity to appear before
you today to discuss our policy in
sub-Saharan Africa. As you
know this is my first appearance before
this committee, and I salute your
commitment to Africa as well as your
efforts to examine tough issues. I look
forward to working with the Congress and
especially with this committee to
identify appropriate tools to assist our
on-going efforts.
President Obama has a strong interest in
Africa and has made the continent one of
our top foreign policy concerns. This
has been evident throughout his first
year in office. The President’s visit to
Ghana last July, the earliest visit made
by a U.S. president to the continent,
underscores Africa’s importance to the
United States. Last September, at the
U.N. General Assembly, the President
hosted a lunch with 26 African heads of
state. He also met in the Oval Office
with President Kikwete of Tanzania,
President Khama of Botswana, and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe.
And the President invited dozens of
people to the White House to see him
give the Robert F. Kennedy Prize for
Political Courage to a leading women’s
organization from Zimbabwe.
All
of the President’s senior foreign policy
advisors followed his lead—many of them
traveling to Africa as well. The U.S.
Permanent Representative to the United
Nations visited five African countries
last June, including Liberia and Rwanda.
Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew
traveled to Ethiopia and Tanzania in
June 2009.
Last August, Secretary Clinton and I
embarked on an 11-day, seven-country
trip across the continent. In January,
Under Secretary of State for Democracy
and Global Affairs Maria Otero headed
the U.S. delegation to the African Union
Summit in Addis Ababa, where we
discussed a range of issues including
democracy and governance, climate
change, and food security. Under
Secretary Otero also visited Kenya and
Uganda.
From Ethiopia, I traveled to Ghana,
Togo, Benin, and Nigeria where I met
with senior government officials and
members of civil society. We discussed
the need for free, fair, and transparent
elections. We also talked about other
issues such as regional stability,
economic development, and the
responsible use of resource revenues. I
stressed the need for governments,
particularly those that have discovered
large quantities of oil like Ghana and
Uganda, to use their new found wealth
responsibly.
President Obama has said repeatedly that
the United States views Africa as our
partner and as a partner of the
international community. While Africa
has very serious and well-known
challenges to confront, the President,
Secretary Clinton, and I are confident
that Africa and Africans will rise to
meet and overcome these challenges.
Last June when the President was in
Ghana, he said, “We believe in Africa's
potential and promise. We remain
committed to Africa's future. We will be
strong partners with the African
people.” Africa is essential to our
interconnected world, and our alliance
with one another must be rooted in
mutual respect and accountability. I
echo the President’s sentiment that U.S.
policy must start from the simple
premise that Africa’s future is up to
Africans.
The
Obama Administration is committed to a
positive and forward-looking policy in
Africa, but we know that additional
assistance will not automatically
produce success across the continent.
Instead, success will be defined by how
well we work together as partners to
build Africa’s capacity for long-term
change and ultimately eliminate the
continued need for such assistance. As
Africa’s partner, the United States is
ready to contribute to Africa’s growth
and stabilization, but ultimately,
African leaders and countries must take
control of their futures.
Just like the United States is important
to Africa, Africa is important to the
United States. The history and heritage
of this country is directly linked to
Africa. But the significance and
relevance of Africa reaches far beyond
ethnicity and national origin. It is
based on our fundamental interests in
promoting democratic institutions and
good governance, peace and stability,
and sustained economic growth across
sub-Saharan Africa. All of these
interests affect the United States. The
United States will focus on these areas
and others that are critical to the
future success of Africa.
STRENGTHENING DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS
We
will work with African governments, the
international community, and civil
society to strengthen democratic
institutions and protect the democratic
gains made in recent years in many
African countries. A key element in
Africa’s transformation is sustained
commitment to democracy, rule of law,
and constitutional norms. Africa has
made significant progress in this area.
Botswana, Ghana, Tanzania, Mauritius,
and South Africa are a few examples of
countries showing that commitment. But
progress in this area must be more
widespread across Africa.
Some scholars and political analysts are
saying that democracy in Africa has
reached a plateau, and that we may be
witnessing the beginning of a democratic
recession. They point to flawed
presidential elections in places like
Kenya, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe; the
attempts by leaders in Niger, Uganda,
and Cameroon to extend their terms of
office; and the re-emergence of military
interventionism in Guinea, Madagascar,
and Niger.
Moreover, democracy remains fragile or
tenuous in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Sudan, and arguably Africa’s
most important country, Nigeria, which
continues to experience political
tensions caused by the prolonged illness
of President Yar’Adua.
The
United States welcomes President
Yar’Adua’s recent return to Nigeria.
However, we remain concerned that there
may be some in Nigeria who are putting
their personal ambitions above the
health of the President and more
importantly ahead of the political
stability and political health of the
country.
Nigeria is simply too important to
Africa and too important to the United
States and the international community
for us not to be concerned and engaged.
Widespread instability in Nigeria could
have a tsunami-like ripple effect across
West Africa and the global community.
During my recent visit to Nigeria, I was
encouraged by the steps taken by
Nigeria’s elected officials at the
national and state level to elevate
Goodluck Jonathan to Acting President.
Although political progress has been
made, Nigeria still faces significant
political challenges and uncertainty in
the run-up to the next presidential and
national assembly elections in 2011.
It
is important that Nigeria improve its
electoral system reinvigorate its
economy and resolve the conflicts in the
Niger Delta and end communal violence
and impunity in Plateau State. It is
also critically important that all of
Nigeria’s leaders act responsibly and
reaffirm their commitment to good
governances, stability and democracy by
choosing constitutional rule.
Our
engagement in Guinea following the
September 28 massacre continues to yield
tangible results. Working with
international and regional partners we
insured that junta leader Dadis Camara
would not return to Conakry from
Morocco, where he sought medical
attention after an assassination
attempt. He is now in Ouagadougou. Our
calls for, and support of, a
transitional government and clear path
to elections were effective – we are
moving in the right direction and
elections are scheduled June 27.
Nigeria, Guinea and other African
countries need civilian governments that
deliver services to their people,
independent judiciaries that respect and
enforce the rule of law, professional
security forces that respect human
rights, strong and effective legislative
institutions, a free and responsible
press, and a dynamic civil society. This
is not a list of options or some menu
from which governments and leaders may
pick and choose to suit their own
ambitions. There has been far too much
of that behavior in the past. Rather,
all of these rights are requirements for
a stable and prosperous Africa that will
help ensure a brighter future for the
African people.
The
political and economic success of Africa
depends a great deal on the
effectiveness, sustainability, and
reliability of its democratic
institutions. That means a focus on
process and progress, not on
personalities. African leaders must
recognize that the United States is
engaging and building long-term ties
with their countries and not just with
them. Credible, strong, and independent
institutions are the key to this deeper
relationship. Over the next two years,
27 countries in sub-Saharan Africa will
hold elections. We encourage those
governments to get it right. To level
the playing field, clean up the voter
rolls, open up the media, count the
votes fairly, and give democracy a
chance.
Although elections are but one component
in the process of democratization, there
is a strong correlation between
electoral processes, including strong
and independent electoral institutions,
successful elections, and efforts to
consolidate democracy. And there is
strong evidence that suggests that
democratic governments perform better
economically.
To
stay abreast of developments in these
important contests I’ve instituted a
monthly meeting with NGO’s to discuss
upcoming elections, including sharing
experiences and best practices, and
ensuring that scarce resources are
equitably spread throughout the
continent.
In
Kenya, for example, which is scheduled
to hold elections in 2012, we have
redoubled our efforts to strengthen
democracy and governance in the wake of
2007-2008 post-election violence. Our
multi-year investment in strengthening
Parliament continues to show strong
results: as a result of U.S.
institutional capacity building and
material support, Parliamentary business
is now broadcast live across the country
to an eager and interested audience. We
also co-hosted, in conjunction with the
strong assistance of the House Democracy
Partnership, Members of Parliament in
order that they benefit from the
experience of their peers here on
Capitol Hill. As part of our efforts to
empower independent voices in Kenya, we
sponsored the National Youth Forum,
which brought together leaders from all
youth-oriented civil society groups to
work jointly on democracy and reform
initiatives. On the other hand, the
Secretary warned that there will be “no
business as usual” with those who impede
democratic progress. This is not an idle
threat as we already revoked the visas
of selected high-ranking government
officials and sent warning letters to
others.
We
will continue to work with, support, and
recognize Africans who support democracy
and respect for human rights. This
includes working with governments, local
NGOs, and international actors to
highlight concerns such as security
force abuses, infringements on civil
liberties, prison conditions,
corruption, and discrimination against
persons due to their sexual orientation.
This month, the First Lady and the
Secretary presented the 2010
International Women of Courage Award to
Jestina Mukoko of the Zimbabwe Peace
Project and Ann Njogu of the Kenya
Center for Rights Education and
Awareness. The courage these women
exhibited in confronting injustice in
their countries is an inspiration to all
of us.
The
United States will continue to work with
Africans, as partners, to build stronger
democratic institutions and to advance
democracy in Africa. It is in that
context of partnership, that I am
encouraged by the growing political
maturity of the African Union. At the
most recent African Union summit in
Addis Ababa, the assembled heads of
state and government adopted important
new measures to strengthen the
continent’s democratic institutions and
make clear that it would not be a club
for strongmen and coup leaders. I
applaud African leaders for approving
new rules and procedures that bind the
A.U. to reject "constitutional coups" by
leaders who seek to illegitimately
extend their terms in office.
PROMOTING ECONOMIC GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT
AND REFORM
Africa’s future success and global
importance are dependent on its
continued economic progress. Working
alongside African countries to promote
and advance sustained economic
development and growth is another Obama
Administration priority. Africa has made
measurable inroads to increase
prosperity. Mauritius, Ghana, Rwanda,
Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Cape
Verde have made significant economic
strides. Yet Africa remains the poorest
and most vulnerable continent on the
globe.
To
help turn this situation around, we must
work to revitalize Africa’s agricultural
sector, which employs more than 70
percent of Africans directly or
indirectly.
The
United States is committed to supporting
a new Global Hunger and Food Security
Initiative, which builds upon the model
of the African-led Comprehensive African
Agriculture Development Program (CAADP)
to partner with countries and other
development partners to reduce hunger,
poverty and undernourishment. The
President’s commitment of at least $3.5
billion over three years to agricultural
development will help us work with
African farmers to employ new
agricultural methods and technologies,
and help them deliver their production
to markets. The initiative was developed
to help enhance Africa’s ability to meet
its food needs through improved
production, markets, and distribution
systems. It will also enable African
states to further develop their
agricultural industries, and spur
economic growth across the continent. We
conducted multiple briefing sessions
with the African diplomatic corps on the
Global Hunger and Food Security
Initiative before it was officially
released. This garnered continent-wide
support, as well as important input, on
further development of the plan.
In
addition to the Food Security Initiative
we are funding smaller projects that
will provide employment and income,
especially in the agricultural sector.
For example, in Zimbabwe we are
implementing a program that promotes
agricultural livelihoods through
activities that stimulate agricultural
production, restore the agricultural
value chain and build market linkages.
We are also implementing a revolving
loan guarantee program that helps small
landholders obtain agricultural inputs
and training.
I
was encouraged by the election of
President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi
as the next chair of the African Union.
Malawi has made great progress in the
field of agriculture and the President
indicated that he plans to use his
chairmanship of the A.U. to advance
agriculture in Africa. Countries that
are food secure are stronger, more
stable, and better able to weather
economic downturns.
The
United States also wants to strengthen
its trading relationship with Africa. We
already have strong ties in energy,
textiles, and transportation equipment.
But we can and should do more. The Obama
Administration is committed to working
with our African partners to maximize
the opportunities created by our trade
preference programs such as the African
Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). And
we hope more African nations will take
advantage of AGOA.
We
also continue to explore ways to promote
African private sector growth and
investment, especially for small and
medium-sized businesses. The AF Bureau
established an economic growth working
group in 2009 that meets regularly with
economic and commercial counselors from
the Washington-based African diplomatic
corps to bring together U.S. Government
agencies and businesses and to create
business and economic links. This group
will try to leverage the opportunities
under AGOA as well as work to expand
trade and investment throughout
sub-Saharan Africa.
The
President’s Entrepreneurship Summit,
scheduled for April 26-27, will
highlight the important role
entrepreneurship can play in economic
growth and community development. It
will include 24 African businesspeople,
including nine women. In advance of the
Summit, our embassies are holding
roundtables with private sector and
non-government stakeholders to explore
new programs and partnerships that can
continue long after the Washington
event.
In
the midst of these efforts, we cannot
forget the critical role African women
play as producers and agricultural
traders – they must take part in this
economic growth. We must ensure that
African women are an equal part of
Africa’s economic future and success.
IMPROVING HEALTH, COMBATTING HIV/AIDS
AND OTHER PANDEMICS
Historically the United States has
focused on public health in Africa. We
are committed to not only continuing,
but increasing, that focus. From
HIV/AIDS to malaria, Africans endure and
suffer a multitude of health pandemics
that weaken countries on many fronts. In
addition, weak health systems mean that
many Africans cannot easily access the
care they need, due to transportation,
stock outs of commodities, or the lack
of trained health professionals,
especially in rural areas. Women and
children continue to become sick and die
from easily preventable conditions.
Desperately sick men and women cannot
work and contribute to the economy, or
provide for their families. They cannot
serve in the armed forces or police and
they cannot provide for the security of
their countries.
The
Obama Administration has pledged $63
billion over six years to meet public
health challenges throughout the world
under the Global Health Initiative, or
GHI. GHI will have a particular focus on
improving the health of women, newborns
and children through programs including
infectious disease, nutrition, maternal
and child health, and safe water. Since
GHI aims to maximize the sustainable
health impact the United States achieves
for every dollar invested, we will work
in partnership with African governments
and civil society, supporting their
efforts to ensure that high-quality
treatment, prevention, and care are
accessible to communities throughout
Africa. We will also engage in dialogue
with partner countries, multilateral
organizations, and other donors to
ensure that there is a shared global
response to global health needs.
Under the Initiative we will partner
with Africans to invest in public health
systems, including training more medical
professionals and ensuring that there
are good jobs in their own countries
once they are trained. We will also
support partner countries in focusing on
maternal, neonatal, and pediatric health
care, which are closely related to
several Millennium Development Goals.
By
linking our existing health programs,
the Global Health Initiative will
strengthen and leverage our existing
disease-specific programs such as the
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief (PEPFAR) and the President’s
Malaria Initiative (PMI), enabling us to
respond in a coordinated way to the
needs of African populations.
We
are also working with governments on
other projects that will improve the
health of Africans. For example, we are
working with the Government of Malawi
and civil society to support the
distribution of supplies for
point-of-use water disinfection, hygiene
promotion and proper storage. We are
also helping the government to spread
the message on the need for good hygiene
practices like hand washing with soap,
protecting wells to improve water
quality, and maintaining boreholes in
communities to improve access to safe
water.
PREVENTING AND RESOLVING CONFLICTS
The
United States is committed to working
with African states and the
international communities to prevent,
mitigate and resolve conflicts and
disputes. Conflict destabilizes states
and borders, stifles economic growth and
investment, and robs young Africans of
the opportunity for an education and a
better life. Conflict can set back a
nation for a generation. Throughout
Africa, there has been a notable
reduction in the number of conflicts
over the past decade.
The
brutal conflicts in Sierra Leone and
Liberia are over, and Liberia
transformed itself into a democracy
through the election of Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf, Africa’s first female head of
state. These examples of what can be
accomplished in a short period of time
should make us proud and hopeful for
solving the problems of seemingly
intractable conflicts elsewhere. The
United States provided $168 million to
assist the military and police to
strengthen the state’s capacity to
secure its territory and promote the
rule of law.
However, areas of turmoil and political
unrest in countries such as Guinea,
Somalia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic
of Congo, Niger and Madagascar create
both internal and regional instability.
Furthermore, we must not forget the
extreme harm inflicted by gender-based
violence and the recruitment of child
soldiers. The Obama Administration is
working to end these conflicts so that
peace and economic progress can replace
instability and uncertainty.
President Obama demonstrated his
commitment to work with African leaders
to help resolve these conflicts through
the appointment of the Special
Presidential Envoy for Sudan, General
Scott Gration, whose mandate is to
ensure the implementation of the 2005
Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The
Special Advisor for the Great Lakes,
former Congressman Howard Wolpe, is also
working to address the root cause of
conflict and to bring peace and
stability to the Eastern Congo.
Sustained U.S. diplomatic engagement in
the Great Lakes already contributes to
better relations between Rwanda and the
DRC, a jump-start to security sector
reform in the DRC, and greater stability
in Burundi as it enters its second phase
of elections. The Administration is also
seeking to ameliorate the worst impacts
of gender-based violence through USAID,
State, and DoD programs to address
prevention and treatment, the need to
bring perpetrators to justice, and to
support public advocacy efforts.
We
will also continue our cooperation with
regional leaders to look for ways to end
Somalia’s protracted political and
humanitarian crisis. We continue to call
for well-meaning actors in the region to
support the Djibouti Peace Process of
inclusion and reconciliation, and to
reject those extremists and their
supporters that seek to exploit the
suffering of the Somali people and
impose an alien ideology of intolerance
on the country.
Additionally, the United States is
proactive in working with African
leaders, civil society organizations,
and the international community to
prevent new conflicts. We are
cooperating with African leaders to
defuse possible disagreements before
they become sources of open hostility.
The
Bureau takes advantage of 1207 funding
from the Department of Defense to
further support peace-building
requirements. In northern Uganda, USAID
and 1207 funding are supporting Uganda
in its post-conflict reconciliation and
reconstruction in the north of the
country, which was previously the
location of major human rights
violations and humanitarian need because
of the actions of the Lord’s Resistance
Army.
We
provide a full menu of programs to build
African capacity to manage conflict,
including support for the African Peace
and Security Architecture. USAID
provides funding for the ECOWAS early
warning system. The United States also
supports the Africa Standby Force at the
continental (AU), subregional, and
member states level with equipment,
training and advisory support.
As
we pursue these avenues of promoting
stability and peace in Somalia, we are
also shouldering the lion’s share of
humanitarian assistance to the people of
Somalia. The United States consistently
is the largest single country donor of
humanitarian assistance to Somalia,
providing more than $151 million in
humanitarian assistance in 2009. In the
past three years, the U.S. has been the
lead contributor to the A.U. Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM) with over $185 million
in training, logistics, and equipment.
AMISOM successfully enabled the
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to
withstand the efforts by terrorist group
al-Shabaab to take control of South
Central Somalia.
We
are also working to train African
peacekeepers to take the lead in
ensuring peace and security on their
continent. The Africa Contingency
Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA)
Program is a State Department, Bureau of
African Affairs program with the mission
of enhancing the capacity of African
partner nations to participate in
multinational peacekeeping operations in
Africa. ACOTA trains and equips African
peacekeepers and enables African partner
nations to be self-sufficient in the
long term by training African
peacekeeping trainers and helping to
develop peacekeeping training
facilities. ACOTA’s programs of
instruction fully comply with United
Nations standards. In addition to
soldier and staff peacekeeping tasks,
the training includes HIV/AIDS awareness
and prevention, human rights, and the
prevention of gender-based violence,
child exploitation, and
trafficking-in-persons. ACOTA now has 25
African partner nations and since 2005
has trained more than 107,000 African
peacekeepers of whom over 90 percent
have deployed to United Nations and
African Union peacekeeping operations.
The objective of training 75,000 for
peacekeeping in Africa was accomplished
one year ahead of schedule and today
African peacekeepers represent over 30
percent of global peacekeepers.
WORKING TO RESOLVE TRANSNATIONAL
CHALLENGES
We
also seek to deepen our cooperation with
African states to address both old and
new transnational challenges. The 21st
century ushered in new transnational
challenges for Africa and the world.
Africa’s poverty puts it at a distinct
disadvantage in dealing with major
global and transnational problems such
as climate change, narco-trafficking,
trafficking-in-persons and arms, and the
illegal exploitation of Africa’s
minerals and maritime resources.
Meeting the climate and clean energy
challenge is a top priority for the
United States and the Obama
Administration. Climate change affects
the entire globe. Its potential impact
on water supplies and food security can
be disastrous. As President Obama said
in Ghana, “while Africa gives off less
greenhouse gasses than any other part of
the world, it will be the most
threatened by climate change.” Often
those who contributed the least to the
problem are the ones who are affected
the most by it, and the United States is
committed to working with Africans to
find viable solutions to adapt to the
severe consequences of climate change.
We are making concerted efforts to
persuade African countries to sign on to
the Copenhagen Accord. Our ambassadors
have raised the issue at the highest
levels with host governments.
Additionally, Climate Envoy Todd Stern
and I called in the African Diplomatic
Corps to urge association with the
Copenhagen Accord. These efforts
resulted in more African associations
with the accord.
Narco-trafficking is a major challenge
for Africa and the world. If we do not
address it, African countries will be
vulnerable to the destabilizing force of
narcotics trafficking in the years
ahead. As Africa faces the impact of
these new transnational problems, the
United States will actively work with
leaders and governments across the
continent to confront all issues that
are global in nature.
STRATEGIC DIALOUGE WITH ANGOLA, NIGERIA
AND SOUTH AFRICA
I
would now like to turn to our new
programs and initiatives, which work to
implement our policies to move our
partnership with Africa forward. We are
establishing in-depth, high level
dialogues with South Africa, Angola,
Nigeria, and the African Union. We are
increasing our cooperation with other
countries interested in Africa such as
Canada, the U.K., France, China, Japan,
and multilateral bodies such as the E.U.
We
also hope that increased funding for
projects and programs in Africa, as
requested in the 2011 budget, will be
approved by Congress. With enhanced
resources we can further strengthen our
partnership with Africa.
NEED FOR GREATER DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE
Finally, one of my personal goals is to
expand our diplomatic presence in
Africa. I am working with the
Administration and Congress to increase
resources – both funding and people – at
our embassies and consulates. I want
more American diplomats living and
working in Africa. An increased
diplomatic presence is important for our
mutual progress on all of these pressing
issues. It is my sincere desire to open
more consulates in Africa, which will
enable us to reach citizens beyond the
capital cities. We must be in Mombasa as
well as Nairobi, we must be in Goma as
well as Kinshasa, and must be in Kano as
well as Abuja.
In
furthering of our goal to expand our
reach on the continent, the Bureau of
African Affairs is working with the
Department to deploy 74 new “Diplomacy
3.0” entry-level Foreign Service
positions to overseas posts in the
coming months. Approximately 26 of these
new officers will work on democracy and
good governance and 24 will focus on
issues related to economic development.
Many will cover transnational issue
portfolios as well. The Bureau is also
working, on a priority basis, to address
the logistical, staffing, funding, and
approval requirements to establish a
facility in Kano, Nigeria, my top
priority for expanding U.S. diplomatic
presence in Africa.
At
the same time, we are keeping pace with
Africa’s technological developments to
provide information about the United
States via SMS text messaging and
internet-enabled mobile technology. Our
embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, for example,
began a mobile messaging service that
can handle up to 10,000 mobile phone
subscribers, offering educational
advising alerts, invitations to the
latest U.S. embassy cultural programming
and updates for English instructors.
AMERICAN CENTERS CAN PROVIDE PUBLIC
AFFAIRS OUTREACH
To
extend outreach to new audiences,
especially young people, we are actively
pursuing funds to renovate five
free-standing American centers
throughout Africa. Instead of requiring
African citizens to come through
elaborate security procedures in order
to meet with us in our embassies, we are
taking our resources and employees to
more accessible spaces .
We
must also do a better job of using our
diplomatic presence on the continent to
listen to the people of Africa and learn
from them how we can better work
together on the challenges they face.
Delivered by Johnnie Carson,Assistant
Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs
Before the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and
Global Health Washington, DC March 24,
2010
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