Ambassador's Speech

Speech of Ambassador Jeanine Jackson
Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
May 6, 2006

It is a pleasure to be here.  Today I am going to discuss U.S. policy in Africa in the coming years. There are two observations that I want to make. 

First, we expect in the coming years, U.S. policy toward Africa will be characterized by continuity.  I, for one, believe that this is great news for the African continent.  Under President Bush’s leadership the U.S. has developed serious partnerships with African countries--including Burkina Faso.  We have more than doubled our development assistance, and expanded our trade relationships. This deep engagement reflects the President’s personal commitment to Africa, and his understanding that what happens in Africa matters to the U.S. 

Second, I would like to say that the U.S. policy towards Africa fits squarely in the President’s global strategy for bringing freedom, hope, and prosperity around the world.  Many in the past have said that the U.S. sees our vital interests only in Europe or the Middle East.  That is not the way in which this Administration has approached its policy towards Africa.  Our policy is much more that we about interests that we are pursuing globally: combating terrorism, combating tyranny, promoting prosperity and freedom.  This is a key element that needs to be understood about the way in which the President has developed his foreign policy.

We will continue to have this tremendous, strong, deep engagement with Africa.  Some have actually ridiculed the idea of the promotion of democracy--in Africa and elsewhere.  But I know that in Africa you know how important this democracy is.  Setting out this ideal for all of humanity is, I think, a noble cause, and it certainly is a centerpiece of the Bush Administration.
 
Today, I will talk about our strategic approach, because too often discussion of Africa policy becomes crisis response, and just focusing on the areas of continual crisis. That is unfortunate.  We have a very strong strategic approach to Africa so that we do not have a policy that is simply crisis response.  Today, I’ll look at our key priorities, those being: to support the spread of political freedom throughout the continent; to support African initiatives to end conflict; and to help expand economic opportunity and growth.

I'll begin with our support for political freedom and democracy.  I will quote from the 2001 State of the Union address, before the terrorist attacks of Sept 11.  What the President said in 2001 is, “Through much of the last century, America’s faith in freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea. Now, it is a seed upon the wind taking root in many nations. Our democratic faith is more than the creed of our country, it is the inborn hope of our humanity, an idea that we carry but do not own, a trust we bear and pass along. And even after nearly 225 years we have a long way yet to travel.” And so, this focus on democracy promotion has always been there under this Administration. As the President said, “The greatest of these ideals is an unfolding American promise that everyone belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, that no insignificant person was ever born.”

Post 9/11, President Bush has tied the promotion of democracy to U.S. vital national security interests.  What he has said is that we cannot pay for stability at the price of liberty.  This comes out of the terrorist threat of the Middle East, in which there is a democracy deficit and a feeling that you must open these societies and allow greater freedom in order to, at the root, defeat terrorists.  It is not just about shutting down the networks, but it is actually taking away the despair in many of these societies which feed extremist ideologies. Whereas democracy was very much linked at first to economic freedom, it is also now linked very clearly and directly to our national security interests.

This is good news for Africa, because over the last 15 years freedom and democracy have spread across the African continent.  Elections have taken place in dozens of countries, including Burkina Faso. Power has changed hands in a number of key nations, from Senegal to Ghana, from Zambia to Madagascar. I would suggest, however, that we have a ways to go. We all have a ways to go. But there has been a spread of democracy in Africa, even though it has been somewhat uneven, and at times, quite fragile. We also know that elections by themselves do not bring real democracy, accountable governments, and effective and independent institutions. We understand these challenges and seek to support African governments, organizations, and individuals who are striving to build a lasting democratic approach.

How are we going to do this? How are we going to spread democracy in Africa? First, we will speak out, and we will speak out loudly. We have to speak out for liberty, and we have to speak out against repression. Where we see human rights abuses, we will say so publicly.  For example, Secretary Rice has identified Zimbabwe as an “outpost of tyranny”—not to threaten an invasion, but as a statement of fact about the government’s treatment of its people.  The U.S. will continue to stand with the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to return democracy to their country.  We do not seek to install a U.S.-style democracy in Zimbabwe, or anywhere else for that matter. As the President said, “The United States has no fight, no right, no desire, and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else. But we do support governments that answer to their citizens, and respect basic, fundamental human rights.”  Speaking out where we see tyranny in place.

Secondly, we want to deepen our engagement with democracies.  This is a principal that is at the heart of the President’s new initiative, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), which provides assistance to countries that are committed to democracy, believe in the rule of law, and support free markets. The United States has recognized Burkina Faso as one of these countries, and currently the Burkinabe government is working to develop a proposal that will allow hundreds of million of dollars in US assistance to Burkina Faso.  But the MCC is working with several countries throughout Africa.

Thirdly, we will work to build the institutions. We have to support the institutions that are, in the words of Secretary Rice, the “essential components of a decent society.” Those institutions being a free press, an independent judiciary, a sound financial system, strong labor unions, and vibrant political parties. These efforts are particularly important in countries where the cancer of corruption continues to eat away societies, robbing resources from those most in need.

Finally, we will continue to support African efforts—efforts to encourage good governance throughout the continent. Attitudes towards democracy and good governance are growing and becoming instilled on this continent.

Democracy promotion is the first priority in Africa.  Our second priority is regional security, and here we have played an active role.

Just two weeks ago, we saw the beginnings of hope for the people of Darfur in Sudan.  In an agreement largely brokered by the United States, the government of Sudan and the largest rebel group signed an agreement and took a step toward peace.  We're still far away from our ultimate goal, the return of millions of displaced people to their homes so they can have a life without fear.  But we can now see a way forward.

America and other nations must act to prevent a humanitarian emergency, and then help rebuild that country.  America is the leading provider of humanitarian aid, and this year alone we account for more than 85 percent of the food distributed by the World Food Program in Sudan."

Liberia is another prime example.  After 14 years of nearly continuous civil war, this West African nation has a democratic government.  Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa 's first elected female head of state, is on track to heal and repair her nation. The President sent his wife Laura Bush and Secretary Rice to represent the U.S. at President Sirleaf's inauguration in January.  However, this could not have come about without the involvement of the Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS, and the firm commitment of the United States.  President Bush supported ECOWAS in putting together a peace agreement, as well as maintaining peace.  In 2003, U.S. military forces were dispatched to Liberia to support ECOWAS forces, marking the first time American boots touched African soil for peace operations in nearly a decade. 

As for Cote d'Ivoire, Les Etats-Unis exhortent le Burkina Faso à continuer à jouer un rôle constructif en soutenant le processus de paix en Côte d'Ivoire.

Les Etats-Unis soutiennent les efforts du Premier Ministre Konan Banny et son gouvernement dans la facilitation du processus de paix ivoirien. Nous exhortons toutes les parties ivoiriennes à soutenir ces efforts.

I firmly believe that Africa is on its way to a future free of war.  We are making progress toward that goal. 

In the last five years, we have seen wars give way to peaceful negotiations in other settings: Angola, Burundi, Sierra Leone , the North-South element of the Sudan crisis, and Democratic Republic of Congo. Perhaps the most important change stemming from newfound stability is the greater opportunity to shape new institutions and consolidate democratic gains in Africa.

I would again submit that in every single case of conflict resolution, the U.S. has worked through multilateral mechanisms on African conflict resolution.

If our first two priorities are to promote democracy, and enhance regional stability, our third priority for Africa is our effort to expand economic opportunity.  These two previous priorities provide the foundation for this final priority—to accelerate economic growth and development.  We believe that to stimulate growth in Africa requires fundamentally unleashing the potential of Africa’s own entrepreneurs. We know in many African countries that it takes months of bureaucratic wrangling and much expense just to start a business, and borrowing money is impossible for many. This environment chokes the entrepreneurial spirit, stifles economic growth, and turns away potential investors. Not just foreign investors. Some 40% of Africa’s privately held wealth is kept off shore for this reason. We must find a way to tap these African resources and unleash the African entrepreneurial energy. More than any amount of external aid, this will generate the jobs and resources essential to economic growth.

Secondly, we think trade is essential for economic growth and development.  We are trying to offer new markets for African entrepreneurs and businessman. The centerpiece for our Africa policy is the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) which provides duty free access for most African countries, including Burkina Faso, to what is an $11 trillion U.S. market.  And here in Bobo-Dioulass, we have established with the Chamber of Commerce, an AGOA center to help Burkinabe businessmen take advantage of this program.  We are seeing progress under AGOA. 
 
Finally, in terms of our last priority of economic growth and development, we all understand that development assistance is going to continue to be needed in addition to the pro-market policies, trade, and debt relief. We recognize that development assistance is a key to our economic strategy in Africa.  Over the last three years, the U.S. has more than doubled our official development assistance to Africa, which is [currently] approximately $2 billion, the highest level of development assistance ever for a U.S. Administration to sub-Saharan Africa. The President’s budget for the coming year includes increased funds for Africa, even as he cut many domestic programs, which underlies his commitment to this continent.  The heart of this new assistance program is the MCA, intended not only to give assistance but to promote reform.  I noted earlier that the government of Burkina Faso is now preparing a proposal to benefit from this program  We believe the MCC is a good approach. It is a new approach, and so we have to test it in the field to see how it actually works. Africa is leading the way in the Millennium Challenge Account. It is the major beneficiary so far.

Let me conclude by saying that now as never before there is an American focus on Africa.  Together we have the opportunity to do great things, to create a better future through partnership for both of our peoples.  I look forward to my time ahead in Burkina Faso, and the our accomplishments together.