Charles Cobb Jr.
24 June 2009
Washington, DC — The United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, promised Tuesday that he will "remember to listen and not forget to learn."
Briefing the African American Unity Caucus in Washington, DC, Carson outlined a broad agenda, saying the Africa policy of the Barack Obama administration will focus on four key areas:
"Enormous progress" over the last 15 years "is evident," said Carson, citing successful elections in Ghana and South Africa over the last six months.
Nine African nations are "clearly defined as free and democratic," he added, referring to a Freedom House poll. Another 23, according to this poll, are "partially free." He said that in 1973 most African nations were categorized as "not free."
"We constantly have to encourage those in civil society to be the voice and conscience of their countries, and we have to promote constitutional democratic governments, strong court systems, strong legislatures, regular elections, free media, and religious tolerance," Carson said.
There are huge challenges, Carson told the caucus. "Democratic instability in Kenya" is a large concern. In Sudan, despite a peace deal reached in 2005 "all is still not perfect; all is still not well."
Although he gave no details, Carson noted that rival Sudanese parties have been engaged in talks in Washington this week. Some analysts think that the 2011 referendum on whether the south continues as a part of Sudan will be postponed.
Zimbabwe, Somalia and the eastern Congo are also of great concern. Global recession is battering Africa.
And there are new previously unforeseen challenges, said Carson. Global warming heads this list. The ice glacier atop Mount Kenya is rapidly melting and may actually disappear in another decade or two. Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro is suffering the same fate. The loss of water from spring snow melt will affect both commercial and non-commercial lowland crops.
Drug trafficking "is now a significant issue," said Carson. In Guinea-Bissau, there is "strong suspicion" that the recent assassinations of presidential candidate Baciro Dabo and former defense minister Helder Proenca may be related to the drug trade. Carson called the West African nation Africa's first "narco-trafficking state."
Solutions to all of Africa's problems, and helping the continent reach its full potential, won't come quickly or easily, but, said Carson, "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is actively engaged. Full stop!"
More money will be going into agriculture for two reasons, he continued: "One is to lift people out of poverty and the other one is to help grow agriculture,"
Furthermore, in his experience, "No president has engaged Africa this early." Obama will visit Ghana next month and has accepted an invitation to attend the World Cup in South Africa next year.
Other visits to Africa are likely, said Carson, either on the way to, or coming from, other parts of the world.
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This article by Mr. Cobbs sounds like a good article, which focuse on human rights.But, in Africa this single handed approach has not worked. Typically aid is cut off and a lot of sanction imposed. What is improving good governance in Africa seems to be economic development and trade. That is the new modern way to improve good governance. Other wise, it just becomes an endless debate about human rights, and actually this single approach has worsened human rights in Africa. Where the Chinese have invested heavily in Africa, typically human rights have improved also.
Look at Sudan where the focus has entirely been n human rights,no improvements have been seen. The African Union saw his and oppossed the international community on impossing additional sanctions and prosecution. The approach being suggested, actually does not improve human rights. The Punishment on Zimbabwe did nothing to promote human rights or good governance.
The last sentence confirms my suspicion of empty rhetorics when Carson concluded, in effect, that ‘Other visits to Africa are likely… either on the way to, or coming from, other parts of the world” which can be interpreted that Africa is just an afterthought to this administration on his way to a more important parts of the world. How insulting can he get? Why can't Africa be a destination, for a change, instead of a stepping stone? Condoleezza Rice’s Africa Policy for the Bush administration is by far more robust than this one. Ali Mazrui said it best in his observation of this administration when he posited, “when faced with a dilemma between helping Kenya and helping Bangladesh, Obama may feel compelled to help Bangladesh as a poorer and more deserving supplicant for American aid. Would Africa have been better off if Hillary Clinton had been elected President of the US instead of Barack Obama?” Go figure.
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Jeremiah, chapter 50 : 35 - 37
35: A sword is upon the Chaldeans, the inhabitants of Babylon, her princes, and her wise men; says the LORD.
36: A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote. A sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.
37: A sword is upon their horses, chariots, and upon ALL THE MINGLED PEOPLE that are in the midst of her; they shall become as women. A sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.
ALL THE MINGLED PEOPLE – What Nation Has More Different Cultures Than America ?
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I can't believe the U.S. government still supports the transitional government in Somalia. That is such a joke. Somalia's government was the most stable it had been in years before we went in there on trumped up charges and created chaos with the Ethiopians. Also, Carson is on the wrong side of Nigeria as well. When oil workers in the Delta are making less than a dollar a day while Exxon-Mobile profits in the tens of billions of dollars, it is damned hard not to root for the underdog. I can't believe he didn't address the gripping poverty and corruption which has caused this mess. I won't buy a drop of gasoline from any American oil company because of their usufruction of the Delta.
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