AfricaSupporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2006Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor "If they think they can stop me from speaking against injustice, corruption and misgovernment …, then they are mistaken. It will not stop me." --Trevor Ncube, Zimbabwe journalist harassed by government Many countries in Africa made significant headway along the road to democracy, bringing new hope to the region. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) held its first democratic and credible presidential and legislative elections in more than 40 years, and democratic elections in Benin, Madagascar, and Mauritania brought renewed optimism to the region. As countries moved toward greater democratic governance, U.S. assistance focused on building political plurality, ensuring voter registration, and providing election monitoring. In Uganda, the United States supported Ugandans’ decision to adopt a multiparty political system by funding programs to enhance voter participation and political pluralism, and improve the administration of presidential and parliamentary elections. Nonetheless, institutionalizing democratic reforms across the continent continued to be a major challenge. Key human rights problems, principally armed conflict, remained throughout Africa. In Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic (CAR), DRC, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda, U.S. priorities included ending the violence that threatens so many lives and livelihoods, protecting vulnerable populations from further suffering, and bringing peace and stability to the region. In June, The Gambia was suspended from eligibility for assistance from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. Government-owned corporation that delivers targeted assistance to developing countries, after restricting civil liberties and press freedom in the wake of a springtime failed coup. Despite the May 5th signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), genocide continued in Darfur. In 2006, the United States led the international community in diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to stop the violence and protect the lives of millions of innocent civilians through peace negotiations, action at the UN Security Council, and aggressive promotion and support of a robust, international peacekeeping force in Darfur. The U.S. continued its role as the world's largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Sudan. In Zimbabwe, where the ruling party maintained its monopoly on the executive branch, the United States encouraged the efforts of the Parliament, the judiciary, and local government to exercise some independence. A U.S.-sponsored program to strengthen parliamentary committees helped increase debate from both opposition and reform-minded ruling party members and encouraged greater transparency through public hearings on legislation. U.S. programming also provided much-needed training for local government leaders in Sierra Leone's recently reconstructed public infrastructure, helping town and district councils take on greater responsibilities for local governance issues, including health and agricultural services, as the central government continued to develop. A vibrant and involved civil society is one of the best long-term guarantees of democratic stability. Throughout Africa, the United States worked to strengthen civic education in communities, support the development of civil society, including nascent nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and labor movements, and diversify the sources of information available to communities. For example, U.S.-funded grants supported local NGOs who educated communities on human rights, HIV/AIDS, reconciliation, and peace building throughout Liberia. U.S. programs promoted free, economically stable, and socially responsible media in the region. African journalists participated in professional exchange program visits to the United States. In the DRC, the United States held twelve workshops and an internet training course to help nearly 500 journalists improve their political reporting. U.S.-sponsored programs also helped promote the free flow of independent and objective information in Zimbabwe, Chad, Burundi, Mauritania, Liberia, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia. In response to the corruption that continued to plague many countries in the region, the United States made the development of modern, efficient, and transparent legal systems an assistance priority for Africa. In Chad, the United States provided technical assistance to the Oil Revenue Management College to promote accountability in projects financed by oil revenues, and funded a budget-training workshop for parliamentarians. The United States also financially supported anticorruption efforts in Zambia, Chad, Liberia, and The Gambia. United States support for human rights protections, including the rights of women, minorities, and the disabled, mirrored the growing demands for personal and political freedoms in the region. Swaziland passed its first constitution in 32 years that provided for an independent judiciary and gave equal legal rights to women, although the citizens of the country wait for its full implementation. The United States worked throughout the region to improve awareness of human rights principles among military and law enforcement agencies, to ameliorate conditions in prisons, educate women and minorities of their legal rights, and build linkages among human rights organizations. In Uganda, the United States supported an extensive project to improve the rights and status of women that included mentoring sessions between female members of Parliament and more than 300 prospective female candidates for local and national office. The variety of religious expression in Africa provides a unique showcase for interfaith and interethnic tolerance. In many countries with sizable Muslim populations, an interfaith gathering to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan has become an annual embassy event. The United States promoted religious freedom through speeches and by gathering for occasions such as Iftar dinners to engage in dialogue with Muslim leaders in various African countries. The United States has worked extensively in Nigeria on the problems of interreligious violence and constraints on religious freedom, meeting with political and religious leaders at both the national and local levels to gain a better understanding of existing tensions. Throughout Africa, the United States devoted substantial resources to prevent trafficking in persons and a range of labor rights abuses. These programs provided educational opportunities and job training for at-risk youth, expanded cooperation among law enforcement bodies, and helped victims reintegrate into their home communities. For example, the United States funded a cross-border antitrafficking awareness program in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and continued to expand educational opportunities for nearly 10,000 children either employed or at risk of being employed in the worst forms of child labor. Kenya, Angola, DRC, Zimbabwe, and Guinea, among others, also received U.S. support for human rights protection programs, including initiatives to combat sexual violence and abuse of women. Countries with accountable governments, political and economic freedoms, and respect for individual human rights enjoy a strong advantage in building prosperous, healthy, and educated populations. It is no coincidence that conflict, chaos, corrupt and oppressive governments, and humanitarian crisis often co-exist. The United States will continue to promote democracy and advance human rights in Africa to help the countries of the continent further develop the groundwork for peace, security, and stability. Strengthening the Electoral Process in Cote d’Ivoire Before the 2007 Presidential Elections The upcoming presidential elections in Cote d’Ivoire offer its people a critical opportunity to work together to reinvigorate the political process and develop a common vision for the country’s future. The U.S.-funded NGO IFES is working in Cote d’Ivoire to provide timely election assistance in the lead up to the October 2007 presidential elections. With the goal to establish a solid foundation for peace and stability in the country, and thereby bring greater stability to the region, the project is creating a framework for credible elections by increasing the capacity of relevant stakeholders to conduct legitimate elections and building public confidence in the electoral process. Holding free and fair elections will mark a milestone on Cote d’Ivoire’s path toward national unity and strong democratic institutions. The IFES program is providing crucial electoral assistance through a range of activities to support free and fair elections in Cote d’Ivoire. The national-level commissioners of the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) are receiving training and materials in fundamental election administration skills to enhance their capacity to effectively conduct elections. The IFES project is also promoting dialogue among key national and international electoral stakeholders through roundtables focused on identifying priorities for the upcoming election, including establishing an electoral timetable, registering voters, and building public awareness among potential voters of the critical role played by credible elections in promoting a sustainable democratic process. Additional efforts to strengthen the electoral process include working with key stakeholders to establish a coordinated strategy for electoral assistance, and formulating public information campaigns to improve civic participation in elections. Angola Angola is a constitutional republic in transition since its 27-year civil war ended in 2002. Legislation provides for decentralization; however, the government remained highly centralized and dominated by the presidency. UN observers considered the 1992 presidential and legislative elections to have been generally free and fair; however, the government's continued delay of elections since then has undermined citizens' rights to elect officials. The government's human rights record remained poor, and serious problems remained, although there were improvements in a few areas. Other human rights abuses included unlawful killings by police, military, and private security forces; torture, beatings, and harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; corruption and impunity; arbitrary arrest and lengthy pretrial detention; an inefficient and overburdened judiciary, resulting in a lack of due process; restrictions on freedoms of speech, press, and assembly; forced evictions without compensation; and discrimination and abuse against women and children. The U.S. strategy for improving human rights and democratic governance in the country focused on preparing citizens for free and fair national elections, promoting good governance, strengthening civil society and political parties, supporting a vibrant, independent media, advocating for human and civil rights, promoting transparency, and supporting the rule of law. To reach these goals, the United States partnered with the government, international and local NGOs, faith-based organizations, and private corporations. The establishment of strong democratic norms and institutions is a critical component of U.S. policy in Angola. In late December the presidentially appointed Council of the Republic recommended scheduling legislative elections for 2008 and presidential elections in 2009. During the year, the United States supported projects that helped prepare the electorate, civil society, and political parties for participation in the electoral process. U.S. Government funds supported programs that increased political tolerance and strengthened national reconciliation, such as hundreds of town hall meetings that brought together over 70,000 citizens and political leaders to discuss concerns in their respective communities. The United States also supported training and technical assistance for political parties at the national and provincial levels on platform development, message delivery, and constituency relations. Political parties received training in their roles during the pre-election period and in supervising the voter registration process. U.S. funds also supported the expansion and consolidation of various national election networks to broaden citizen involvement in the election process. These networks trained election advocates, hosted community debates, and opened small information centers that provided election information to more than 19,000 potential voters. The United States supported projects that helped train civil society and political parties to observe and monitor the registration process and strengthen the national networks coordinating the observation of voter registration throughout the country's 18 provinces. The United States focused on supporting independent media and developing journalistic professionalism during the year. In coordination with the Syndicate of Angolan Journalists and the Inter-Ecclesiastical Committee for Peace in Angola, the U.S. Government funded workshops that trained journalists on election coverage, news writing and reporting, ethics, and professional conduct. Three senior journalists who participated in the International Visitors Leadership Program in the United States shared their experiences with colleagues on economic reporting, conflict resolution, and ethics. The U.S. Government also donated books on journalism to the Ministry of Mass Communication and the two independent media associations in the country. The United States facilitated a UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization grant for the Syndicate of Angolan Journalists to continue its work on professional development and capacity building. The United States also supported the independent media organization MultiPress, which produced more than 3,000 news broadcasts, information spots, debates, and interviews on key democratic governance issues such as press freedom, rights to education, freedom of information and transparency, political and electoral processes, and civic education. The Voice of America broadcast news and information from MultiPress, which had stringers in all 18 provinces. The United States also facilitated debates on the new press law for journalists, government officials, and visiting senior U.S. officials. In Benguela and Bengo provinces, U.S. officials hosted roundtable discussions with local journalists, including the provincial directors of mass communications, about the state of the media, election reporting, and civic education. In discussions with high-level government officials and the Ministry of Social Communications during the year, the U.S. Government continued its advocacy for the expansion of independent radio broadcasts to the provinces, including those of the largest nongovernmental radio network, Radio Ecclesia. To support civil society, the U.S. Government funded a small grants program that supported local projects and strengthened the technical and management capacity of local NGOs. The United States also continued to fund conflict mitigation and peace-building activities at the local level. These programs helped create and train community development groups that worked in partnership with local government administrations, police, and political parties to define and address their specific needs and priorities. These U.S. Government-funded programs conducted 58 radio programs, 16 civil society organizational meetings, and 24 dialogue sessions. The U.S. Government also funded a civil society capacity-building program, which developed and implemented over 500 conflict and reconciliation programs and directly impacted over 13,000 participants, including 3,500 women. To combat corruption and foster transparency, the U.S. Government continued to work with the Ministry of Finance to strengthen its management of the government's budgeting process through the Fiscal Programming Unit. Staff from the unit and senior technical officers from other government ministries received two weeks of intensive training in macroeconomic and fiscal programming techniques followed with continuous on-the-job training. According to the 2006 Fiscal Balance Report, the program reduced discrepancies in fiscal accounts. The program also supported the development of management tools for standardizing budget statistics into quarterly and annual reports that adhered to international reporting standards. To strengthen the rule of law, the United States funded the Commercial Law Development Program, which provided training and consultative services to judges and court clerks. Over the past five years, the program has assisted the Ministry of Justice by training court clerks to improve court administration in the provincial and municipal courts of Benguela, Lobito, Huila, Cabinda, and Luanda. This training provided technical skills to ensure random assignment of judges and helped establish a system for the tracking of cases and the continuous accountability of documents. The U.S. Government, the Ministry of Justice, and the Portuguese Government worked during the year to provide the hardware, software, and training necessary to computerize the case management system in Luanda's provincial courts. By the end of the year, the system was functioning successfully in the Palacio Dona Ana Joaquina Criminal Court building. Throughout the year, the U.S. Government continued to focus on human rights, consistently underscoring the important connection between support for human rights and strong, transparent government institutions. The U.S. Government regularly discussed human rights issues with government officials at all levels, as well as with the international community and local NGOs. U.S. officials frequently traveled throughout the country to discuss human rights issues. The U.S. Government continued to monitor the human rights situation throughout the country, focusing on Cabinda, Lunda Norte, and Lunda Sul provinces, and encouraged human rights training for police, military, and other government representatives. The U.S. Government sent 25 police officers to International Law Enforcement Academy training and assisted returning officers to conduct in-service training for colleagues. U.S. Government funds supported international organizations and local NGOs that provided human rights and professional training to the police and military. The U.S. Government also funded local partners who worked on more than 400 cases of illegal detention and secured the release of approximately 30 persons. To address trafficking of persons in the country, the U.S. Government worked to raise awareness of the issue through dialogue with government officials and the international community and also participated in several roundtable discussions on trafficking. Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a parliamentary republic. In November 2005 President Blaise Compaore was elected to a third term with 80 percent of the vote in elections characterized by observers as generally free despite minor irregularities but not entirely fair due to the ruling party’s control of official resources. Some in the opposition also contested the legality of the president’s candidacy. The government's human rights record remained poor, but there were improvements in some areas. The following human rights problems were reported: use of excessive force against civilians, criminal suspects, and detainees by security forces, resulting in deaths and injuries; societal violence; abuse of prisoners and harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; official impunity; occasional restrictions on freedom of the press and freedom of assembly; violence and discrimination against women and children, including female genital mutilation; trafficking in persons, including children; discrimination against persons with disabilities; and child labor. The United States focused its strategy to promote democracy and human rights in the country on diplomatic and programmatic measures to support free and fair elections of municipal leaders in April and on preparations for legislative elections scheduled for May 2007. The U.S. Government also acted to promote the government’s compliance with international human rights norms, emphasize accountability and transparency in governance, increase the efficacy of political parties, and advocate further easing of political tensions. The U.S. Government extended its efforts to promote democracy in multiple areas. To support the smooth performance of political processes, it conducted two seminars that addressed the electoral law and procedures for challenging questionable election results. The seminars were attended by political parties and civic associations that promote democracy. The United States also funded a program to increase the efficacy of political parties and promote interparty dialogue with a view to maximizing the ability of opposition parties to compete in the April municipal elections and the legislative elections scheduled for 2007 by upgrading their political and organizational skills. The program generated good will among civil society groups and political parties while garnering respect from the government and the ruling party, the Congress for Democracy and Progress. The program involved participants from the entire political spectrum, including members of the ruling party as well as both the moderate and radical opposition. The U.S. government also promoted democracy through programs to expand public participation in elections, including the production of television commercials that encouraged voting and explained the electoral process. In preparation for the 2007 elections, U.S. officials visited Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city in the country, to meet with political parties and civil society organizations to build support for free and fair elections and encourage greater participation by women. The U.S. Government also funded several educational workshops for children on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. To make the April municipal elections as transparent as possible, the U.S. Government allocated funds to conduct polling. The United States also provided funding to three organizations to monitor the municipal and 2007 legislative elections; the organizations presented their reports to the public on the municipal elections. To promote media freedom and freedom of speech, the U.S. Government provided media professionals with opportunities to exchange ideas with their international counterparts. As part of the International Visitor Leadership Program, the U.S. Government sent three journalists and a number of professionals in the areas of democracy, good governance, conflict resolution, and civic education to the United States to meet with Americans and others in their respective professions. The U.S. Government also funded a project to promote female journalists and citizens' rights to government information. The U.S. Government worked to expand respect for the rule of law by encouraging professionalism in the country's armed forces. The United States provided training to military personnel and civilians on maintaining civilian control over the military in a democracy and the legal implications of the war on terror. One of the U.S. Government's main priorities was to ensure that major human rights abuses be prevented and eradicated. To achieve this goal, the United States allocated funds to produce radio programs on human rights and to translate a human rights declaration into local languages. The United States fostered respect for women’s rights by encouraging the development of the judicial system to include the rights of women, funding several workshops to instruct women on their rights and the importance of obtaining personal legal documents, such as national identification cards. The United States also provided funding to a local organization to strengthen efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation. The U.S. Government sponsored a number of workshops and discussions on religious differences and the importance of encouraging religious tolerance and sponsored a summer camp for Koranic school students to promote interfaith understanding. U.S. officials regularly met with the Muslim community for discussions and exchanges. During the month of Ramadan, U.S. officials in the country hosted three Iftar dinners, during which a Muslim U.S. official shared experiences as a follower of Islam in the United States. The U.S. Government also selected Muslim participants for the International Visitor Leadership Program to learn about the functioning of Islam in a democratic society. During the year the president of the Muslim Students Association was chosen for the program. This association includes the universities of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso as well as the teachers' college in Koudougou and all secondary and primary schools in the country. The U.S. Government worked to combat child labor and trafficking in persons. It funded a program to combat child labor in the mining sector with the International Labor Organization as an implementing partner. In addition, the U.S. Government funded several projects in the fight against human trafficking. An NGO rehabilitated and reintegrated 1,043 repatriated children in two U.S.-funded centers. The same NGO is also producing a documentary on local antitrafficking laws. The U.S. Government funded the translation of French-language antitrafficking films into local languages and sponsored a targeted trafficking awareness campaign in vulnerable areas. During the year the U.S. Government reached the midway point in a multiyear project to reduce child trafficking by creating locally relevant curricula in rural schools. For the 2006-07 school year, approximately 2,016 students were enrolled in the program in five provinces where trafficking is prevalent. Burundi During the year Burundi continued its political transition from minority rule to democratic, majority rule via negotiations and elections. In 2005 it adopted a new constitution and conducted local and legislative elections, which resulted in the inauguration of Pierre Nkurunziza as the first democratically elected president since 1993. Throughout the year conflicts continued between government forces and the PALIPEHUTU-FNL, the sole remaining rebel group, although the overall security situation improved. On September 7, the government concluded a cease-fire agreement with the PALIPEHUTU-FNL, but the two sides continued to negotiate provisions for implementation of the agreement at the end of the year. The government's treatment of refugees and asylum seekers improved, and it fulfilled its obligations with international organizations involved in refugee issues. However, the government's human rights record remained poor. Despite improvements in some areas, security forces continued to commit numerous serious human rights abuses, including: summary executions, torture, and beatings of civilians and detainees, some of which were politically motivated; harsh and life-threatening prison and detention center conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, including of political prisoners and detainees; prolonged pretrial detention; lack of judicial independence and efficiency; restrictions on freedoms of the press, assembly, and association; official corruption and impunity; societal violence and discrimination against women; trafficking in persons; and child labor. U.S. human rights and democracy goals included helping to build a just and lasting peace based on democratic principles, protecting human rights, and relieving human suffering. These goals were supported by U.S. efforts to strengthen newly created and newly elected governing bodies, decrease corruption, strengthen civil society, promote media and speech freedoms, support ethnic, political, and regional reconciliation, support victims of torture, and reintegrate ex-combatants and former child soldiers. The U.S. Government supported democracy building in the country. It funded training for parliamentarians and political party leaders through the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Burundi Leadership Training Program, which gathered together 95 key leaders from across an ethnically diverse group of several organizations and eight political parties. The program focused on: rebuilding the personal relationships between ethnic groups that had broken down during the war years; restoring a firm consensus on power sharing; and improving communication and negotiation skills among the elite. The program also worked to develop leadership techniques and decision making, communication, and negotiation skills. The U.S. Government also facilitated the production and broadcast of programs to promote democracy by funding five independent radio stations and the government’s radio and television conglomerate. Additionally, the U.S. Government funded the NGO Development Assistance, Inc. to assist newly elected governing bodies and officials to govern in an effective and transparent manner. The U.S. Government promoted a free media and funded seminars for the media. The United States sponsored a visit by an American journalist who conducted seminars on press freedom, journalistic ethics, and media-government relations for approximately 30 local journalists, 150 students from a private university, and government officials. U.S. efforts included the promotion of civil society. The U.S. Government promoted a constructive relationship between elected government officials and civil society by improving understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities. The United States also funded programs that supported community associations and local civil society organizations in forwarding democracy, human rights, women’s rights, the return of war victims and former combatants to civilian life, and the training of local officials and citizens in conflict prevention, mitigation, and mediation techniques. The U.S. Government also funded the NGO Global Rights, which worked to strengthen civil society to manage and mitigate land conflict, and encouraged the participation of civil society organizations in legislative reform and the peace process. U.S. officials stressed to senior government officials the importance of due process and respect for human rights, particularly following the high-profile arrests of a former president, vice president, and senior leaders of media and opposition parties charged with threatening state security. The U.S. Government worked to reduce the number and effects of serious human rights abuses. In the provinces of Gitega, Ruyigi, and Karuzi, U.S. assistance to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Federation of Red Cross/Crescent Societies, VOA, and four NGOs aided thousands of returning refugees and internally displaced persons to reintegrate into their communities. The U.S. Government also financed a variety of smaller projects that promoted human rights in general and advanced the interests of women and children. The United States funded programs that supported human rights monitoring and advocacy on issues related to torture and provided medical, legal, and psychological support to approximately 1,700 victims of torture and rape. The United States financial and material support to independent and government radio and television stations allowed them to produce programs focused on human rights issues, community reconciliation, and conflict mitigation. The U.S. Government regularly raised the government’s poor human rights record in meetings with government officials and continued to advocate for increased respect of internationally recognized human rights on the part of the government and security forces. The U.S. Government worked to combat the practice of child soldiering. The United States funded the third year of a three-year regional initiative to demobilize and rehabilitate child soldiers and reintegrate them into their former communities. The program focused on drafting legislation, instituting appropriate procedures, and monitoring mechanisms, as well as strengthening government institutions that dealt with child soldiering. The program facilitated and supported the economic reintegration of 800 child soldiers through education, training, financial support, and community strengthening. It also aimed to enhance information sharing on child soldiers in the region. During the year the U.S. Government also funded a local NGO to assist child soldiers and human trafficking victims. The organization focused its assistance to child soldiers on the provision of vocational training and psycho-social counseling. The U.S. Government promoted religious freedom as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. U.S. officials maintained regular contact with leaders and members of various religious communities. Cameroon Cameroon is a republic dominated by a strong presidency. Despite the country's multiparty system of government, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement has remained in power since it was created in 1985. In 2004 ruling party leader Paul Biya won re-election as president. The election was flawed by irregularities, particularly in the voter registration process, but observers believed the election results represented the will of voters. The government's human rights record remained poor, and the government continued to commit numerous human rights abuses. Security forces committed numerous unlawful killings and regularly engaged in torture, beatings, and other abuses, particularly of detainees and prisoners. Prison conditions were harsh and life threatening. Authorities arbitrarily arrested and detained anglophone citizens advocating secession, local human rights monitors and activists, and other citizens. The law provides for the arrest of homosexuals and persons not carrying identification cards. There were reports of prolonged and sometimes incommunicado pretrial detention and infringement on citizens' privacy rights. The government restricted citizens' freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and movement. Official corruption and impunity were problems. Societal violence and discrimination against women; trafficking in persons, primarily children; discrimination against indigenous Pygmies and ethnic minorities; and discrimination against homosexuals also were problems. The government restricted labor rights. Child labor, slavery, and forced labor, including forced child labor, were reported to be problems. The government took significant steps during the year to improve citizens’ understanding of their specific human rights and protections through publication of its own human rights report. The government also conducted training sessions throughout the country on the provisions of the penal code scheduled for implementation in 2007. The United States promoted its goal of strengthening democratic institutions and improving respect for human rights by actively engaging officials from all levels of government, local and international NGOs, and members of civil society and the media. The United States worked to support democratic processes in the country. In preparation for the municipal and legislative elections slated for June 2007, the U.S. Government continued to work with key officials to ensure the timely and effective implementation of the independent electoral commission. U.S. officials met repeatedly with high-level members of the government, including President Biya, to urge that concrete action be taken to reach the government's stated objective of holding free and fair legislative and municipal elections in 2007. The United States worked with donors and the government to reform the electoral process, especially the effort to register voters and develop a new electoral code by 2007. U.S. officials attended high-level working-group meetings, whose participants included members of the UN Development Program and European Union, to coordinate policy on finance, governance, and assistance expenditures in support of the election. The United States provided support for an October meeting of a parliamentary caucus on environmental protection, which brought together lawmakers, NGOs, and citizen groups to address good governance and environmental issues. In November politicians attended a two-day event sponsored by the U.S. Government on midterm elections in the United States, which included a pre election watch, post-election wrap-up, and a discussion of the issues with the ambassador and other U.S. officials. The United States promoted citizen involvement in the democratic process. In a November address the ambassador stressed the need for science-based decision-making in government and the public’s right to know the reasoning behind policy decisions. The U.S. Government funded local NGOs working to promote civic education in electoral law and to train student leaders in advocacy, lobbying, and nonviolent strategies to effect change. The U.S. Government promoted continued media development by providing grants to two nationwide media associations for extended training with a journalism expert. The United States cosponsored training for journalists on investigative reporting, ethics, and news reporting, as well as two workshops on editing with a journalism expert. During each training session, the role of the media and corruption was discussed. The U.S. Government also gave several grants to media organizations to discuss issues including the environment, women, and political involvement. Following the 2000 law authorizing the creation of private radio and television stations, the U.S. Government continued to press the government to issue licenses during the year. The United States also supported completion of the development of a labor standard agreement for journalists. The United States supported civil society by awarding grants to support local NGOs implementing projects promoting good governance and the rights of women and children. To promote due process and respect for the law, the U.S. Government funded a local NGO that helped to disseminate the new criminal procedure code. One of the major U.S. priorities was to push for the elimination of corruption in all aspects of life. To this end, the ambassador held press conferences and frequently raised the issue with government and civil society actors. In a December speech delivered before the prime minister and cabinet, the ambassador praised the early ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption as a strong indicator of the government’s commitment to making progress against corruption and called for additional progress. The United States worked with the military and police to curb human rights abuses. To foster more professionalism in the security forces, the U.S. Government sent members of the armed forces to military schools in the United States, where they studied civil-military relations, military peacekeeping operations, military subordination to civilian authorities, and a broad range of other legal and human rights topics. The program included additional opportunities for engagement in outside programs. The United States also funded the International Law Enforcement Academy, which provided law enforcement instruction to local law enforcement authorities. The U.S. Government funded several local NGOs involved in human rights issues, including one that provided an education program on the eradication of female genital mutilation to the Arabe Choa tribe of the Far North Province. U.S. Government support for the World Food Program’s food assistance to primary schools in the extreme north and Adamaoua Province allowed 82,500 students from underprivileged households to attend school, in particular girls during the last three grades of primary school. The U.S. Government also provided aid to refugees, estimated to number 30,000. The United States provided a grant for assistance to a center to rehabilitate refugees who were victims of torture. To support religious tolerance, the ambassador continued the annual tradition of hosting an Iftar dinner at his residence. The United States sponsored several efforts to eliminate child labor. The U.S. Government continued to fund the West Africa Cocoa/Agriculture Project to eliminate child labor. At the end of the three-year project, the program had withdrawn 1,600 children from hazardous work in cocoa farms and prevented another 379 children from entering the workforce. In addition, the program provided education to more than 800 parents to enable them to seek income-generating activities and provided direct assistance to start such activities. The program also created a common initiative group of small holder tea farmers who produced and labeled their tea "Child Labor Free." Approximately 35,000 people have been directly sensitized about child labor in various project sites. On June 16, to raise awareness of the issue of child labor, the U.S. Government organized a high-profile fashion show, the screening of a labor documentary, and a handicrafts fair to demonstrate the value of teaching youth useful, viable skills. During the fashion show, rescued youth modeled apparel created by former child labor victims. The United States worked to combat trafficking in persons. It implemented an antitrafficking program from April through March 2006 through Nkumu Fed Fed, a network of women’s associations that fights against child labor, child violence, and child trafficking. The project addressed traditional practices that disadvantage young women and children, particularly in rural communities where employment and female literacy are low and poverty is rampant. Central African Republic The Central African Republic is a constitutional republic governed by a strong executive branch and weak legislative and judicial branches. In 2005 the country held presidential and legislative elections that resulted in the election of General Francois Bozize, the country's former armed forces chief of staff, as president; in 2003 Bozize seized power in a military coup. National and international observers judged the elections to be generally free and fair. Fighting between rebels and government security forces resulted in numerous civilian killings and, along with widespread banditry and kidnappings by unidentified groups, caused the displacement during the year of approximately 185,000 persons. Analysts estimated that only 2 percent of the country's territory was under state authority. The government's human rights record remained poor; although there were improvements in some areas, the government's respect for human rights deteriorated overall, and serious problems remained. Human rights abuses reported during the year involved the following: unlawful killings, torture, beatings, rape, and other abuses of suspects and prisoners by security forces; military impunity; harsh and life-threatening prison and detention center conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention by security forces; prolonged pretrial detention and denial of a fair trial; restrictions on freedom of the press and movement; official corruption; societal violence, including female genital mutilation and discrimination against women and indigenous people (Pygmies); restrictions on workers' rights; and forced labor, including by children. The U.S. strategy to promote democracy and human rights focused on supporting democratic institutions and practices, encouraging transparency and accountability in government actions and policies, endorsing respect for the rule of law, and advancing a more active role for civil society in the political process. After two and a half years of suspended operations due to security concerns, the U.S. embassy in Bangui, the capital, resumed operations in January 2005, but it continued to operate with a very limited permanent American staff during the year. To strengthen the political process and promote democracy, the United States promoted good governance and transparency, increased civic education, and made efforts to strengthen the parliament, which was composed of largely inexperienced legislators and was susceptible to pressure from the executive branch. To support the parliament and help educate voters, the U.S. government funded a targeted radio series explaining the role of elected deputies. Under this program, a private radio station organized a series of live broadcasts called Your Seat in Parliament to promote open dialog among citizens from rural areas and their elected deputies in the National Assembly. The broadcasts, aired during a two-week period by Bangui-based and regional radio stations, explained the role of an elected deputy, how to get services from a deputy, and how to contact and visit the parliament. For the second straight year, the public diplomacy radio program proved to be a significant success in reinforcing democracy and helping newly elected deputies better understand their roles. To help build an independent and professional media, the United States supported the country's association of journalists and newspaper owners. The United States supported this association by funding a five-day workshop for 15 provincial journalists. The workshop emphasized the value of creating articles of national interest from local stories; explained how to edit articles to conform to the norms of national newspapers; trained aspiring journalists in provincial towns to identify, write, and self-edit quality news stories; and allowed journalists to discuss professional ethics and freedom of the press. Furthermore, U.S. officials discussed press freedom concerns with local newspaper editors, radio broadcasters, and other journalists and raised these concerns, including reports of security forces threatening members of the media, with government officials. Government officials were receptive to U.S. concerns about press freedom, there were fewer reports of security forces intimidating journalists than in the previous year, and several journalists said press freedom had improved. To support civil society U.S. officials met often with NGO leaders during the year, exchanged information about human rights abuses committed by security forces, and echoed NGO concerns in meetings with government officials. The U.S. embassy also evaluated the capacity and needs of domestic human rights NGOs to determine where U.S. embassy resources would have the greatest impact in strengthening civil society. To promote respect for the rule of law, the United States supported the government's efforts to address the country's deteriorating security situation and impunity--particularly military impunity--through regular meetings with high-level officials. To assist the government in addressing human rights abuses, U.S. officials worked closely with the government, local human rights NGOs, and other stakeholders to raise awareness of abuses committed by security forces and societal discrimination and violence. U.S. officials visited prisons and detention centers in the capital to monitor the treatment of several political detainees and then raised concerns about harsh detention conditions and the need for due process with the prosecutor general, the minister of justice, and other government officials. In addition the U.S. Government provided resources to organizations assisting displaced persons in the country. Furthermore, the U.S. embassy worked with ministers, parliamentarians, local NGOs, and domestic media to disseminate a French translation of the U.S. Government's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Following a roundtable involving U.S. officials and approximately 40 domestic journalists, two local newspapers published the report in installments over the course of several weeks. To promote respect for labor rights, the United States encouraged the government to allow trade unions to function independently and continued to monitor child labor. Through a dialogue with high-ranking officials, the U.S. embassy helped raise the government's awareness of trafficking in persons and aided the government in creating a strategy to combat it. By year's end the government had prepared a national action plan to combat trafficking in persons. The U.S. embassy also made efforts to increase awareness of child labor and the problems faced by street children by discussing the issue with labor unions, the UN Children's Fund, and government officials. Chad Chad is a centralized republic; on May 3, President Deby was reelected to a third term in a seriously flawed election that was boycotted by the opposition. A referendum manipulated by the ruling party removed presidential term limits in 2005. Deby has ruled the country since taking power in a 1990 rebellion. Political power remained concentrated in the hands of a northern oligarchy composed of the president's Zaghawa ethnic group and its allies. The executive branch effectively dominated the legislature and judiciary, thereby eliminating potential challenges to a culture of impunity for the ruling minority. During the year the security situation sharply deteriorated as a result of fighting that involved rebel groups, government forces, armed militias, and civilians, mostly near the country's borders with Sudan and the Central African Republic. By year's end hundreds of persons had been killed and injured, almost 50,000 refugees from the Central African Republic and more than 230,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur had sought refuge in the country, an estimated 110,000 citizens had been displaced by a security vacuum in the east, and numerous villages in the east and southeast of the country had been destroyed. The government’s poor human rights record deteriorated further during the year. Security forces committed numerous serious human rights abuses. The following human rights abuses were reported: limitation of citizens' right to change their government; extrajudicial killings, torture, beatings, and rapes by security forces; impunity for human rights abuses committed by members of the security forces; politically motivated disappearances; arbitrary arrest and detention by security forces; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions and lengthy pretrial and post-sentence detention; executive interference in the judiciary and lack of judicial effectiveness; official infringement of privacy rights including illegal searches, confiscation, and wiretaps; limits on freedom of speech and the press and freedom of assembly, including harassment and detention of journalists; widespread official corruption; violence and societal discrimination against women, including the widespread practice of female genital mutilation; child abuse; slavery; trafficking in persons; and forced labor, including the use of child soldiers and other types of forced and abusive child labor. The U.S. strategy for promoting democracy and human rights in the country focused on strengthening the institutions necessary for a stable democracy, such as civil society and a free, fair, and professional press. The U.S. Government focused on government institutions by promoting a more professional military, promoting transparency in governance, strengthening the National Assembly, engaging directly with key government officials, and improving interaction between the government and human rights groups. Efforts were also made to strengthen the credibility and capacity of civil society groups and governmental institutions in addressing human rights abuses, including involving them in visits of high-level U.S. Government officials. The U.S. Government encouraged human rights groups and other civil society organizations to become a resource for both the government and citizens on human rights issues. The support of free and fair elections and civic education were an important part of the U.S. strategy for democracy promotion. U.S. officials met throughout the year with members of the political opposition to encourage active political dialogue and raised the need for such dialogue and credible elections at the highest levels within the government and ruling political party. The ambassador’s Independence Day speech stressed the importance of free and fair elections as key to building a viable democracy. The U.S. Government implemented a program to improve the teaching of civic education in schools by funding the printing of 35,000 locally edited civic education textbooks. It also facilitated dialogue by creating opportunities for activists and government officials to interact in professional and social settings to discuss, among other things, the importance of democratic governance. In addition, approximately 25 U.S. officials and Chadian employees of the U.S. embassy monitored polls in N’Djamena during the May 3 presidential election. Strengthening press freedoms and the media’s ability to promote human rights and good governance was a high priority. The ambassador regularly continued to highlight press freedom and other human rights issues with government and civil society officials and during public ceremonies. The U.S. Government provided equipment and training to print and broadcast journalists. Thirty private and public press organizations received material support, including computers, generators, and motorbikes, to enhance their ability to cover key events. The U.S. Government also financed the creation of a private radio station in the far north, which has been broadcasting since February 2005, and actively supported the Arabic media, including three radio stations, six newspapers, and a nightly television news show. The U.S. Government also highlighted the importance of professional collaboration for media. Journalists benefited from three training programs held in the country as well as in Nigeria and Cameroon. In addition, a prominent journalist participated in the Edward R. Murrow International Visitor Leadership Program on investigative journalism and ethics. The U.S. Government worked to support the growth of civil society. It provided self-help grants to a number of civil society organizations throughout the year to support community initiatives. The U.S. Government worked to promote the rule of law in the country. U.S. support for fiscal transparency included technical assistance to the Oil Revenue Management College, the mechanism that reviews projects financed by oil revenues to promote accountability. To promote transparency in other aspects of government budget management, a budget-training workshop was held October 17-20 for 80 parliamentarians, and computers and office equipment were provided to improve the National Assembly’s ability to control and monitor the government’s budget operations. The continuing humanitarian crisis in Sudan deeply affected the country. The United States, which is the largest donor to humanitarian efforts, contributed personnel to the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks on Darfur and participated actively in the implementation of the Darfur Humanitarian Cease-fire Agreement, which includes regular meetings of a joint commission. The U.S. Government remained a key interlocutor between the government, Sudanese rebel groups, and the African Union on the Darfur peace process. The U.S. Government facilitated the work of human rights organizations and NGOs working to protect refugees. The U.S. Government also supported legal assistance for victims of human rights abuses through local human rights NGOs and selected a leading human rights activist, the president of the Chadian Human Rights League, for the International Visitor Leadership Program on human rights and good governance. The U.S. Government used direct contact with soldiers, including training and visits by U.S. officials and the sharing of information on human rights violations with high-level government officials, to emphasize the importance of working together on human rights. The annual U.S. publication of the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices was used as a basis for collaboration. To date, government officials have been candid and responsive. Visiting congressional and military delegations supported the U.S. human rights agenda. The professionalization of the security forces was a key component of U.S. strategy for improving the country’s human rights record. The U.S. Government funded International Military Education and Training and Counter Terrorism Fellowship programs at U.S. military facilities, where training on human rights is incorporated into the courses. The U.S. Special Forces trained 170 members of the military during the year and provided follow-up training to an additional 170 members initially trained in 2004. The U.S. government continued to provide support for the rights of women and children and worked to eliminate female genital mutilation. U.S. support to a local NGO resulted in the drafting and enactment of a law that criminalized the practice. In 2004 the U.S. government funded an education program to publicize and distribute copies of the law; the program was completed in 2006. In addition, U.S. officers hosted a child protection network that brought together concerned government officials, police, and NGOs on a range of issues affecting children. Congressional visitors also met with the key officials and NGOs on women’s issues. The U.S. Government encouraged public awareness of human rights. It promoted civil rights and civil liberties through civil rights education and a radio broadcast on human rights issues and civil liberties. This program was shared with other radio stations and translated into several local languages to help increase public awareness of basic human rights. U.S.-Muslim outreach continued with a program for bilingual education with a respected local organization that promotes cross-cultural understanding. Two members of the High Islamic Council attended an international visitor program on leadership in the Muslim community. The program exposed Muslim leaders to Islam in the United States and focused on religious tolerance and interfaith cooperation. The U.S. Government supported the government’s efforts to combat trafficking in persons and child labor, bolstering the government’s efforts to protect victims of trafficking and enhance law enforcement’s capacity to respond to trafficking cases. During the year the U.S. Government funded a UN Children’s Fund project to create a child protection network to rescue and rehabilitate child herders, child domestics, and victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The U.S. government also covered the production costs of a locally made film that depicted the plight of child herders in the country. Congo, The Republic of the The Republic of the Congo is ruled by a government in which most of the decision-making authority is vested in the president, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, who was elected in 2002. Independent monitors determined that the 2002 presidential elections and parliamentary elections for the Senate and the National Assembly did not "contradict the will of the people," although there were irregularities. While the civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of security forces, uncontrolled and unidentified armed elements remained active in the Pool region, despite an ongoing demobilization and reintegration program. The government’s human rights record remained poor; although there were some improvements, serious problems remained. There were reports that security forces were responsible for extrajudicial killings, rapes, beatings, physical abuse of detainees and citizens, arbitrary arrest and detention, looting, solicitation of bribes, and theft. Mob violence, including the killing of suspected criminals, was a problem. Prison conditions were poor. The judiciary continued to be overburdened, underfunded, and subject to political influence, bribery, and corruption. Interference with personal privacy, as well as limits on freedoms of movement and the press, continued. Discrimination and violence against women; trafficking in persons; ethnic discrimination, particularly against Pygmies; and child labor also were problems. The U.S. strategy for promoting democracy in the country focused on strengthening and building democratic institutions with the government, press, NGOs, and international organizations. The U.S. strategy for promoting human rights included U.S. support for numerous programs to reduce discrimination against indigenous persons, repatriate refugees, and provide medical care in the war-torn Pool region. The United States continued to train community members to be more active, informed, and engaged in democratic decision making at the local, provincial, and national levels. In addition, efforts were underway to prepare for elections in 2007 and 2009. Through demarches, discussions with the government, and cooperation with the international community, U.S. officials continued to stress the need for the government to increase transparency in accounting for oil revenues and other public funds. The U.S. Government partnered with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to promote anticorruption programs and fiscal transparency. The United States criticized systematic violations in the trial proceedings of anticorruption activists Christian Mounzeo and Brice Mackosso, who were arrested because of their investigation into the lack of transparency in the petroleum sector. U.S. officials delivered demarches at every level of government to encourage due process and discourage political interference in the trial. The United States supported ongoing programs to better track and promote understanding of human rights. To build general awareness the U.S. Government focused its efforts on youth, women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. Other U.S. grants supported human rights education for the minority Pygmy population and protection of their environment and way of life. Through civil-military dialogue and military training exchanges, the United States encouraged greater military discipline, professionalism, and respect for human rights. During the year programs continued to reintegrate rebel militia members into civil society and to disarm combatants who remained active in the Pool region, although progress was slow. The U.S. Government continued to support an English-language training program for military officers to provide the basis for other types of military training. The United States also sponsored the training of 12 law enforcement officials in midlevel leadership, cyber crime, and investigation. To promote worker rights, the United States funded the third year of a three-year regional initiative by the International Labor Organization to demobilize, rehabilitate, and reintegrate child soldiers into their former communities. The program involved education, training, financial support, and community strengthening. The initiative focused on legislation, procedures, monitoring mechanisms, and expertise of government institutions to address child soldiering. The program continued to facilitate and support the economic reintegration of former child combatants. Congo, The Democratic Republic of the The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a nominally centralized republic. Following five years of devastating civil war, the three-year transitional period drew to a close with multiparty presidential and National Assembly elections on July 30 and presidential runoff and provincial assembly elections October 29. The elections, which international observers considered credible, were the first democratic elections in more than 40 years and involved the participation of more than 17 million voters (out of 25 million registered). The transitional government continued to make moderate progress in unifying and stabilizing the country, but several armed groups continued to operate outside government control, primarily in the east, despite government efforts to disarm, detain, or integrate them. In all areas of the country, the human rights record remained poor, and numerous serious abuses were committed. Unlawful killings, disappearances, torture, rape, and arbitrary arrest and detention by security forces increased during the year, and the transitional government took few actions to punish violators. Other serious problems were harsh and life-threatening conditions in prison and detention facilities; prolonged pretrial detention; lack of an independent and effective judiciary; and arbitrary interference with privacy, family, and home. Security forces continued to recruit and retain child soldiers and to compel forced labor by adults and children. They also continued to abuse press freedom, particularly during the election campaign. The transitional government continued to restrict freedom of assembly and movement, government corruption remained pervasive, and security forces restricted NGOs. In addition, societal discrimination against women and ethnic minorities, trafficking in persons, child labor, and lack of protection for workers' rights continued to be pervasive. The US Government employed a multifold strategy to promote human rights and democracy. The US Government provided technical, logistical, and material support to the transitional government and the Independent Electoral Commission to promote free and fair elections. The strategy also advanced accountability for human rights abuses through support for legislation against trafficking in persons and sexual violence and for the development of a legal framework to end impunity. It worked to build government capacity to consolidate peace, deter conflict, and prepare for the transition to democratic governance. The US government also provided assistance to victims of human rights violations and training and education programs to combat the pervasive culture of impunity. The United States undertook several efforts to strengthen the political process and promote democracy. The US Government continued to participate in the International Committee to Accompany the Transition and several multidonor commissions that guided the electoral process. The electoral law, drafted with assistance from US technical experts and adopted by the transitional parliament, established a legal framework for universal suffrage, vote secrecy, and the direct election of the president and members of the national and provincial assemblies. The United States supported several initiatives to raise voter awareness of the democratic process. US programs reached more than two million voters nationwide through community seminars, workshops, and other civic education activities. More than 650,000 citizens benefited from a two-month voter outreach and training campaign conducted through riverboat stops along the Congo River. US funding supported the electoral commission’s organization of nationwide elections in July and October. US assistance provided the commission with security surveillance systems, communications equipment, voter education materials, ballot boxes, and voting booths, in addition to facilitating transportation of materials to various locations in the country. US programs also helped train more than 40,000 local NGO election observers and more than 100,000 political party poll-watchers. Furthermore, the United States provided funding to many prominent international election observation missions that fielded more than 200 election monitors. During the July elections, 40 US officials served as observers around the country, and 20 US officials monitored polls in Kinshasa during the October vote. To promote media freedom and independence, the United States held a series of workshops throughout the country to help journalists improve their political reporting. Twelve workshops in Kinshasa, as well as a computer/Internet training course in the interior, assisted nearly 500 journalists. The United States provided funding to the High Media Authority--the country’s quasi-governmental media watchdog--that enabled the organization to reconstitute archives that were destroyed after its headquarters was looted in July. One journalist traveled to the United States to attend the Edward R. Murrow International Visitor Leadership Program. The United States assisted several local NGOs to promote the culture of democracy and human rights. One US-funded, Kinshasa-based organization produced educational skits on democratic principles for television broadcasts. Other groups supported by the United States developed radio broadcasts and other printed materials highlighting voter rights and the role of women and youth in society. During the year an additional Democracy Resource Center opened in the central Kasais Region, bringing the number of such US-funded centers to six throughout the country. The centers became hubs for local NGOs to gain access to electoral information otherwise unavailable to them. In addition, US-supported NGOs mobilized civil society leaders to work toward reducing political tensions prior to national elections, encourage voter participation, and disregard messages of so-called election "spoilers" inciting hatred and violence. The United States took several steps to facilitate strengthening the rule of law. US-sponsored technical experts contributed to the drafting of several key pieces of legislation ultimately passed by the transitional parliament. In addition to the Electoral Law, legislators passed the Law on Sexual Violence and the Law on the Independence of the Judiciary. These laws increase human rights protections, identify crimes of sexual violence punishable by law, and codify judicial independence. Other legislation drafted during the year with the help of US assistance included laws on the rights of the political opposition, the creation of the High Magistrates Council, and further legislation on the development of new court systems. These bills were expected to be introduced in the new parliament in 2007. The United States supported training that provided logistical and technical assistance to local anticorruption committees that engaged civilian, judicial, religious, and military authorities in the anticorruption effort. Activities in this sector continued to reduce economic barriers to transport and commerce along the Congo River and sought to end the misuse of public resources and the culture of criminal impunity. The United States focused much of its efforts on assisting the government and NGOs in addressing human rights abuses and aiding victims of those abuses. The United States participated in several multidonor commissions that addressed human rights abuses by the military. In addition, multiple US-funded NGOs provided legal support and other services for survivors of gender-based violence. US grantees expanded support to more than 10,000 female survivors of torture, rape, and abduction, particularly to assist victims in pursuing legal and judicial strategies. Other activities by US grantees included strengthening technical capacity among prosecutors, building public and official awareness of such crimes, and advocating an end to sexual and gender-based violence through policy reform. In Maniema Province, one US-funded NGO helped torture victims receive legal assistance during the year and organized workshops to disseminate copies of legislation and international agreements on human, women’s, and children’s rights. Another US-funded NGO in South Kivu Province aided 246 victims of sexual violence by providing medical help, trauma counseling, and training in human rights advocacy and education. A variety of national and international NGOs received US technical assistance and training to deal with the growing problem of separated and abandoned children. Many of these youths were stigmatized and unable to reintegrate into their communities because they were once child soldiers, gang members, internally displaced, child laborers, accused of witchcraft, or have disabilities. The United States worked to prevent child abandonment by establishing Child Protection Networks, assisting economic development in at-risk areas, and rehabilitating schools. The United States funded a regional initiative to demobilize and rehabilitate child soldiers and reintegrate them into their communities. During the year approximately 7,000 former child combatants were demobilized, in part through this initiative. This program addressed the many needs of child soldiers through legislation and monitoring mechanisms and by strengthening the capacity of government institutions to help former child combatants. It also supported the economic reintegration of former child combatants through education, training, financial support, and community-strengthening. Activities to enhance labor rights received support through US funding of initiatives that promoted industrial harmony and conflict resolution. One program worked with employers, the government, and unions to settle differences and disputes. Cote d'Ivoire Cote d'Ivoire is a democratic republic. In 2000 Laurent Gbagbo, candidate of the Ivorian People's Front, became the country's third elected president. The election, which excluded two major parties, was marred by significant violence and irregularities. The country remained divided between the government-controlled south and the rebel New Forces-held north. The government's human rights record remained poor. The following human rights abuses were reported: restriction of citizens' right to change their government; arbitrary killings, including summary executions, by security forces, pro-government militias, and student groups; disappearances; torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and punishment by security forces, progovernment militias, and a student group; deplorable prison and detention center conditions; security force impunity; arbitrary arrest and detention; denial of fair public trial; arbitrary interference with privacy; police harassment and abuse of non-citizen Africans; restrictions on freedoms of speech, press, peaceful assembly, association, and movement; official corruption; discrimination and violence against women; female genital mutilation; child abuse and exploitation; trafficking in persons; forced labor, including by children, and child labor. Rebels were responsible for arbitrary killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, rape, and ad hoc justice. The U.S. strategy to promote human rights and democracy included support for national reconciliation, strengthening of the democratic process and civil society, and combating trafficking in persons and child labor. The ambassador regularly engaged the president, all political parties, and rebels to advance the political process, reconcile the country, and support free and fair elections scheduled for October 2007. To promote democracy, the United States supported UN efforts to extend the mandates of the president and prime minister for another year and to enhance the authority of the UN high representative for elections. The United States funded a program in the troubled western region to promote reconciliation and alternative dispute resolution and continued to sponsor an NGO's efforts to strengthen the electoral commission and to provide technical advice on reforming voter registration. To promote media freedom and freedom of speech, U.S. officials cosponsored digital video conferences, book discussions, and roundtables for reporters and editors on the responsibilities of a free press. The ambassador frequently met with the press to discuss media freedom and human rights, met with winners of the nation's top journalism award, and underscored U.S. support for a free press. The United States sponsored a roundtable with leaders of local press and media monitoring organizations to discuss a code of conduct for the media and political parties and to ensure that media coverage of elections was balanced and did not generate political violence, press intimidation, or social instability. The U.S. Government continued to fund a training program for editors and journalists to encourage professionalism and to help depoliticize an often vitriolic press. U.S. officials hosted a gathering that resulted in the creation of a local NGO, which promoted training and professional development for a new network of female journalists. The U.S. Government provided extensive training on HIV/AIDS reporting for radio stations. To help public and private sector leaders strengthen civil society, the U.S. Government utilized the international visitors program to send two members of the National Assembly to the United States on an exchange program that focused on legislative duties and the protection of minorities. During the year NGO activists, community leaders, and professionals participated in a variety of U.S. outreach programs on conflict resolution, civic education, transparency and good governance, and women and development. The programs involved the distribution of articles and books on human rights and democracy to key contacts throughout the country. The United States sponsored the activities of a local NGO and funded training seminars on leadership development for 60 female community leaders in Korhogo and Abengourou who sought electoral office. The United States also supported a group of civil society leaders in the creation of a local NGO that promotes democratic citizenship, volunteerism, and community development at the grassroots level. Combating corruption in the judicial system is a key criterion for restoring the country's eligibility for preferential U.S. trade benefits. Senior U.S. officials have repeatedly stressed concern over corruption to high-level government representatives, including the president. After a case of judicial misconduct was resolved during the year, U.S. officials stressed that resolving cases was insufficient and that the climate of corruption at all levels of the government and the judiciary must end. The U.S. Government also worked closely with a local export promotion agency to underscore U.S. concerns about corruption and child labor in the cocoa producing sector. To promote human rights, the U.S. Government supported a sensitization and training program for community educators to combat female genital mutilation in the Abidjan region and in Korhogo in the north. The United States sponsored a program to provide training in health care and basic business management and education for young girls in Bouake who were forced to drop out of school because of the war. It also funded a project to open a new counseling center in Abidjan to provide rape victims, students, orphans, and displaced persons with medical, psychological, and legal assistance. U.S. officials led a round-table discussion on the rights of disabled persons with disabled activists, municipal authorities, and community leaders. After the 2002 rebellion, the government targeted persons perceived to be supporters, who often were Muslim, for reprisals. Strong efforts by religious and civil society groups have helped prevent the crisis from becoming a religious conflict. U.S. officials hosted an interfaith roundtable with 50 women on ways to promote peace, reconciliation, and religious and political tolerance. The U.S. Government sent three religious leaders To combat child labor and trafficking, the United States funded a local NGO that provided literacy and vocational training to 40 young girls in Youpougon who were trafficked into prostitution. The U.S. Government continued to fund a child labor monitoring system that required the government to certify that cocoa beans and their products have been grown or processed without any of the worst forms of child labor. The ambassador and other U.S. officials frequently spoke out against child labor and trafficking in conversations with government officials and rebel leaders. The U.S. Government also continued to fund programs to end child labor in the cocoa and fishing industries and a project to help remove children from the worst forms of child labor and to enroll them in school. The U.S. Government also supported a local NGO that promoted school enrollment and prevented child labor in a village in Oume district in the south-central region. Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea is nominally a multiparty constitutional republic. All branches of government are dominated by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and his inner circle, largely comprised of members of a sub-clan of the Fang ethnic group. The 2002 presidential election was marred by extensive fraud and intimidation, and the international community widely criticized the 2004 parliamentary elections as seriously flawed. During the year a law criminalizing torture was passed, reports of abuse decreased, and mid-level police officers received their first training on human rights; nevertheless, the government's human rights record remained poor, and the government continued to commit and condone serious abuses. The following human rights problems were reported: abridgement of citizens' right to change their government; torture, beating, and other physical abuse of prisoners and detainees by security forces; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; impunity; arbitrary arrest, detention, and incommunicado detention; harassment and deportation of foreign residents; judicial corruption and lack of due process; restrictions on the right to privacy; severe restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press; restrictions on the right of assembly, association, and movement; government corruption; violence and discrimination against women; trafficking in persons; discrimination against ethnic minorities; restrictions on labor rights and child labor; and forced child labor. The first resident U.S. ambassador in more than a decade arrived in the country in November as a tangible symbol of increased U.S. interests in the country, including promoting respect for human rights and democratic reform. Increased engagement was fostered during the year through visits by other high-level U.S. diplomatic officials, including the assistant secretary of state for Africa, and senior U.S. military officers. The U.S. strategy to promote democracy and human rights aimed to strengthen the key government and civil institutions necessary for democratic progress. The strategy focused on addressing social needs, supporting anticorruption efforts, and promoting fiscal transparency in government ministries. In addition, the United States worked with opposition parties, civil society, and the press to strengthen their ability to contribute to the expansion of democracy and the promotion of human rights in the country. The United States pursued these objectives through active engagement with the government, opposition parties, the media, and community representatives. To promote democracy, U.S. officials met with senior officials of all political parties and attended the national party congresses of the ruling party and opposition groups. U.S. officials urged the president and cabinet ministers to broaden political participation in the next election, and the U.S. Government awarded a grant to support an NGO's planned programs to promote electoral reform. U.S. officials also discussed the democratic process with diverse student groups and distributed election-related materials. U.S. efforts to encourage press freedom occurred in an environment of tight government restrictions on the press and widespread self-censorship of journalists. Privately owned and independent media continued to be nearly nonexistent in the country, and there were no daily newspapers, bookstores, newsstands, or public lending libraries, except for the Spanish Cultural Center libraries in Malabo and Bata. U.S. officials met frequently with press association members, encouraged networking with international journalists' associations, distributed supporting materials, hosted workshops, and utilized public speaking opportunities to convey the importance of the media's role in building a democratic society. The U.S. Government hosted a two-day media workshop on topics including improving writing skills, generating a societal demand for news, and the effects of self-censorship. At a seminar at the National University, the ambassador spoke on the role of the media in developing democracies. A biweekly journal sponsored by the government began to include some articles that were more balanced and included constructive criticism of government practices for the first time. There were no human rights NGOs in the country, and the process to register an NGO remained difficult. During the year U.S. officials underscored the importance of a vigorous civil society in public statements and in conversations with government officials. The United States engaged actively with UN organizations to promote human rights and with the government’s Center for Human Rights and Democracy and the Interministerial Commission on Human Rights. The U.S. Government also facilitated the work of other bilateral and multilateral partners to enhance the capacity of civil society to ensure that activities were complementary and not duplicative or contradictory in message. In support of the rule of law, two prominent U.S. judges visited the country and met with the president of the Supreme Court, the justice minister, and others to discuss judicial training needs and possible areas of cooperation and exchange. To curb corruption, U.S. officials regularly stressed the importance of transparency in public finance and the management of the oil sector at the highest levels of government. U.S. officials obtained government support for and participation in a two-day workshop on transparency and antibribery conventions and laws. National officials at the highest levels were present, and for many it was their first introduction to the country's own ethics law for public officials. U.S. officials distributed publications on good governance and engaged officials at all levels on the long-term economic benefits of a just application of the rule of law, particularly benefits related to the growth of a business environment. U.S. officials also advocated on behalf of companies, organizations, and individuals subject to harassment, illegal seizure of property, and extrajudicial detention. In one case, such intervention resulted in a U.S. company recovering vehicles that had been seized illegally. Separate interventions also resulted in the release of citizens illegally detained for either political or personal vendettas. The U.S. Embassy provided an outlet for vigorous and continuous on-the-ground promotion of respect for human rights, addressing violations such as torture, allegations of killings by security forces, and women’s and minority rights. The ambassador regularly communicated U.S. concerns to government officials regarding individual cases of reported abuse of human rights. The interventions contributed to the president's June release of over 40 prisoners, many of whom were "prisoners of conscience" (political prisoners), in connection with his birthday celebration. Intervention by the U.S. Embassy -- and subsequently Amnesty International -- also influenced the release of four political activists detained illegally in October and reportedly abused in an attempt to extract confessions. According to credible international sources, the total number of political prisoners was between 50 and 100 at the end of the year. The government continued to refuse prison access to U.S. officials; however, the U.S. Government's known interest and communication with friends and relatives of prisoners reportedly helped maintain improved conditions for most prisoners, especially in the new facility at Black Beach prison. During the year police began taking human rights training and classes that introduced them to the concept of community service for the first time, facilitated by the U.S. Government and conducted by a U.S. firm. The United States also helped the government to acquire and manage technical assistance with the goal of ensuring that social projects were planned, funded, and implemented in a manner that was transparent, efficient, and accountable to the citizens and government. This program, slated to last until 2008, was funded by the government and focused on accelerating investment in health, education, women’s issues, and sanitation. To promote religious freedom, U.S. efforts were focused on encouraging separation of church and state in private discussions. Unlike in previous years, churches were not compelled to display ruling party posters in places of worship. During the year the government requested U.S. assistance in training security officers to implement the national antitrafficking strategy. The United States coordinated an assessment visit by a U.S. trafficking expert and awarded a small grant to the UN Children's Fund to assist the government's efforts to quantify the problem. Eritrea Eritrea is a one party state that became independent in 1993 when citizens voted for independence from Ethiopia. The People's Front for Democracy and Justice, previously known as the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, is the sole political party and has controlled the country since 1991. The country's president, Isaias Afwerki, heads the party, the national legislature, and the military. The government continuously postponed presidential and national legislative elections; national elections have never been held. Despite international efforts to resolve the situation, an ongoing border dispute with Ethiopia seriously hindered international trade, affected the government's external relations, and was used by the government to justify severe restrictions on civil liberties. The government's human rights record worsened, and the United States designated it as a Country of Particular Concern for the third consecutive year. The government continued to commit numerous serious abuses, including: abridgement of citizens' rights to change their government through a democratic process; unlawful killings by security forces; torture and beatings of prisoners, some resulting in death; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; executive interference in the judiciary and the use of a special court system to limit due process; government infringement on privacy rights; government roundups of young men and women for national service; arrest, incarceration, and torture of family members of national service evaders, some of whom reportedly died of unknown causes while in detention; severe restrictions on basic civil liberties, including freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and religion, particularly for religious groups not approved by the government; restrictions on freedom of movement and travel for diplomats, humanitarian and development agencies, and UN Mission to Eritrea and Ethiopia personnel; government circumscription of NGO activities; insufficient resources devoted to countering violence and societal discrimination against women and the widespread practice of female genital mutilation; governmental and societal discrimination against members of the Kunama ethnic group and homosexuals; and limitations on workers' rights. The U.S. strategy to promote respect for human rights and democracy included increasing access to information, providing opportunities for dialogue, and increasing understanding of human rights. The government, however, actively resisted U.S. efforts, ordered two U.S.-funded NGOs to cease operations during the year, and tightened restrictions on movement by foreigners, which prevented U.S. officials from working outside the capital. The government maintained there would be little or no change in its human rights practices until the country’s border dispute with Ethiopia was resolved. The U.S. Government sought to increase citizens’ political and economic participation. It funded four NGOs to support community development programs that extended opportunities for grassroots participation by working with parent-teacher associations, water associations, and local health committees. In an effort to build support for democratic reform and human rights among citizen leaders, U.S. officials held regular functions for alumni of U.S. exchange programs to promote discussion of U.S. culture, democracy, human rights, and other issues. The U.S. Government arranged speaking engagements featuring U.S. speakers and broadcasts of the Africa Journal. The U.S. government recruited government officials and others for the International Visitor Leadership Program, although the government insisted on pre-approving all selections for the program. In a country with no independent media, the U.S. Government worked to provide citizens with access to information. Through the American Center and three American Corners in Dekemhare, Keren, and Masawa, the U.S. Government provided access to materials on U.S. values, policies, and culture, as well as daily press releases and free access to the Internet. The United States also provided media materials to embassy contacts. In conversations with officials at all levels, U.S. officials repeatedly stressed that addressing the government’s human rights abuses--particularly widespread arbitrary arrests and restrictions on basic liberties--was vital to improving bilateral ties. However, following the July 2005 government request that the United States terminate all development activities in the country, U.S. development operations were phased out, and only a small humanitarian liaison office remained. The termination of U.S. development activities, many of which directly or indirectly supported the U.S. human rights strategy, resulted in fewer resources and opportunities to address human rights through programmatic means. Nonetheless, the U.S. Government increased its outreach by adding a new American Corner in Dekemhare, extending Internet access hours at the American Center, and focusing resources more closely on women, youth, minorities, and Muslim majority communities in Asmara. The United States funded programs to support the education of women and children, including funding a library for the deaf and a program through the NGO Self Help that provided training for indigent women. U.S. officials worked to engage a wide range of government officials and members of minority religious groups to promote greater respect for religious freedom. The U.S. Government maintained sanctions in response to the government’s continuing severe violation of religious freedom. U.S. officials consistently emphasized the importance of religious liberty for all faiths, including religious minorities. Ethiopia Ethiopia is a federal republic under the leadership of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front coalition. In the May 2005 parliamentary elections, the ruling party won a third consecutive five-year majority, but opposition parties gained a large number of seats yielding the most pluralistic federal and regional parliaments in Ethiopian history. Post-election violence, however, led to the detention of a large number of opposition political figures and to charges of treason against some of their leaders. The country made notable strides during 2006 in increasing participation by opposition political parties in the federal parliament and in advancing political reforms through dialogue. At the same time, the government's human rights record remained poor in many areas. Human rights abuses reported during the year included the following: unlawful killings; beating, abuse, and mistreatment of detainees and opposition supporters by security forces; poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention, particularly of those suspected of sympathizing with or being members of the opposition; detention of thousands without charge and lengthy pretrial detention; infringement on citizens' privacy rights; restrictions on freedom of the press; arrest, detention, and harassment of journalists for publishing articles critical of the government; restrictions on freedom of assembly and of association; violence and societal discrimination against women and abuse of children; female genital mutilation; exploitation of children for economic and sexual purposes; trafficking in persons; societal discrimination against persons with disabilities and against religious and ethnic minorities; and government interference in union activities. U.S. strategy focused on several key goals: 1) strengthening democratic institutions by encouraging opposition leaders to participate in them, rather than boycotting; 2) advancing political reform and reconciliation by fostering dialogue between government and opposition representatives; 3) working with other donors to provide long-term assistance to strengthen the country's democratic institutions; and 4) obtaining the release of the thousands of detainees rounded up in late 2005 and during the year. The U.S. Government played an active role in encouraging greater participation by opposition political parties in the federal parliament and in advancing political reforms through dialogue. U.S. officials also conducted mediation efforts between the government and opposition leaders to encourage a reopening of the political dialogue that had begun prior to the November 2005 violence. In part due to the diplomatic efforts of U.S. officials, most of the elected opposition members were seated in parliament by year’s end, and an active interparty dialogue on key democratic reforms took place. The United States funded studies that provided a sound empirical basis for negotiations with government officials. The United States and other donors began a coordinated program to support the House of Peoples’ Representatives. The United States provided orientation training to all new members of parliament and specialized training to leadership, female members, and support staff. The training focused on improving the body’s representational, legislative, and oversight functions, as well as developing good working relations between the ruling and opposition parties. The United States and other donors conducted a series of assessments and consultations to develop a five-year program of multilateral support to the house and the nine regional state councils. The United States also contributed to multi-donor assessments of the National Electoral Board, proposing both an initial program of reforms to improve the conduct of local elections and longer-term activities designed to bring the board’s capacity up to international standards by the 2010 national elections. The U.S. Government used the full range of diplomatic and programmatic support to promote media freedom and freedom of speech. In conjunction with the interparty dialogue on democratic reform, the United States funded studies leading to guidelines for a draft press law/ freedom of information act consistent with international legal and regulatory standards. The U.S. Government facilitated dialogue among media stakeholders on the draft press law, the proposed formation of a national press council, and a media code of conduct. The United States provided training in investigative reporting for professionals working for state media outlets in the Amhara Region and provided an English language fellow to teach at Addis Ababa University’s graduate school of journalism. Public diplomacy funds allowed journalists, academics, religious leaders, and other opinion leaders to participate in international visitor exchanges. During the November visit of the head of the Voice of America’s Horn of Africa Service, U.S. officials hosted a discussion on the journalistic profession and freedom of speech with local journalism students. The United States sought to strengthen civil society’s capacity to engage local government institutions effectively to improve the planning, implementation, transparency, and accountability of development projects and service delivery. For example, the establishment of the Community-Government Partnership Program enabled over 45,000 Parent Teacher Association members and education officials to receive training in school management, including rehabilitation of schools. The U.S. Government funded democracy and human rights projects that reached an audience of more than 10 million in seven of the country’s 11 administrative regions. The United States provided funds to various local NGOs whose goals included human rights education, public dialogue, building sustainable government-civil society conflict management partnerships, accountability, and good governance. To support the rule of law, U.S. officials issued public statements and lobbied the government for the release of political detainees, an effort that resulted in the release during the year of thousands of protesters and political activists and most opposition leaders detained after the 2005 elections, with the exception of nearly 200 senior opposition party leaders, media, and NGO representatives charged with treason and other serious crimes. The U.S. Government encouraged a group of local elders to open talks with the government to promote reconciliation and to obtain the release of the remaining prisoners. The United States called for a fair and speedy trial for high profile opposition leaders charged with treason, and a U.S. official attended nearly every trial session. The U.S. Government also funded a contract with an international NGO to monitor and evaluate the trial. U.S. officials visited the detainees and on one occasion intervened to obtain emergency medical care for one of them. The United States assisted the government in developing the capacity to provide professional law enforcement services based on democratic principles and respect for human rights. The U.S. Government continued to fund a training and assistance program to enhance professional investigative and forensic capabilities, assist in the development of academic instruction for law enforcement personnel, improve the administrative and management capabilities of law enforcement agencies, improve police-community relations, and strengthen the capability to respond to new crime and criminal justice issues. In collaboration with a local NGO, the U.S. Government sponsored a historic countrywide meeting in Addis Ababa of all justice and security bureau officials, as well as prison administrators of the federal government from the nine regional states to discuss the granting of pardons. As a result of this effort, over 10,000 prisoners had been granted pardons by year’s end. The United States worked to address the serious problems of societal discrimination against persons with disabilities, violence against women, abuse of children, and trafficking in persons. A U.S.-funded project implemented by a local NGO began airing a 26-week radio series that advanced the rights of persons with disabilities. Another project by a local partner NGO supported the country's first-ever hot line to assist women facing discrimination and abuse. The U.S. Government also implemented three projects that addressed gender-based violence and sought to improve women’s social and economic status. One successful project increased awareness of the dangers to women's and girls' health associated with female genital mutilation. The project results were significant: several hundred community members were persuaded of the ill effects of the practice and spoke out against the harmful traditional practice. Six Muslim leaders have committed to incorporate messages against female genital mutilation in their Friday sermons. The U.S. Government promoted religious freedom and tolerance. Public diplomacy outreach to the Muslim community included a series of seminars at local universities to promote religious tolerance, a conference for university administrators to discuss rising religious violence on university campuses, and work with student leaders and faculty on the causes of religious and ethnic-based student violence. The United States continued to fund a program focused on the large numbers of trafficking victims in country. The program included antitrafficking campaigns for the general population and government officials and included components on prevention, prosecution, and protection. The program strengthened the institutional capacity of concerned government authorities, local NGOs, and civil society to develop a labor migration policy and antitrafficking law for the prevention of trafficking, protection of victims, and prosecution of traffickers. Shelter, medical care, counseling, clothing, and hygiene items were provided in Addis Ababa to support the return and reintegration of trafficked victims. Gabon Gabon is a republic dominated by a strong presidency led by President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba and the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG). Legislative elections in December resulted in continued dominance by the PDG, which won two-thirds of the seats and another 16 seats for allies in a generally free and fair election. All parties participated in the election after the government met several opposition demands for electoral reform. In November 2005, Bongo, president since 1967, was reelected for a seven year term in an election marred by irregularities. The government's human rights record remained poor, although there were improvements in several areas. The following human rights problems were reported: limited ability of citizens to change their government; use of excessive force, including torture, on prisoners and detainees; harsh prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; an inefficient judiciary susceptible to government influence; restrictions on the right of privacy; restrictions on freedom of the press, association, and movement; harassment of refugees by security forces; widespread government corruption; violence and societal discrimination against women and non-citizen Africans; trafficking in persons, particularly children; and forced labor and child labor. To promote human rights, U.S. strategy focused in part on diplomatic engagement regarding the legislative elections. The strategy also emphasized making the media more independent, fair, and professional and professionalizing the military. The strategy included advocacy and programs to combat trafficking in persons, especially of children. To advance the political process and democracy, the ambassador met regularly with donor country counterparts to formulate a common strategy to encourage democratic reform. Prior to the legislative elections, U.S. officials discussed the importance of free and fair elections with national and local election officials, ruling party and opposition leaders and supporters, and other diplomatic missions. To promote good governance, U.S. officials participated in monthly meetings with the official donor community and worked to ensure that support for good governance was a priority. In advancing media freedom and freedom of speech, U.S. officials met frequently with members of the National Communications Council and other officials to discourage the closure of media outlets and to promote freedom of speech and of the press. The U.S. Government also helped fund a local media association’s workshop on the management of a free and independent press. To support freedom of association, U.S. officials attended labor conferences and met with labor representatives. To strengthen rule of law, U.S. officials cooperated with other donor countries and international financial institutions to help combat corruption and promote transparency. The U.S. Government worked with local officials to reduce human rights abuses. These efforts targeted law enforcement and military personnel. The U.S. Government maintained regular contact with the National Police and gendarmerie and sent officials from both organizations to the International Law Enforcement Academy to participate in an executive development program that included courses on human dignity and trafficking in persons. To increase respect for human rights within the military, the United States worked to foster professionalism by sending members of the armed forces and other government representatives to military courses in the United States and seminars sponsored by the African Center for Strategic Studies. These courses addressed civil-military relations, military peacekeeping operations, military subordination to civilian authorities, and a broad range of other legal and human rights topics. The United States continued its African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program to train a third local army battalion designated to serve in peacekeeping missions. Training included a special focus on human rights issues, civil-military relations, and the rule of law. U.S. officials regularly discussed human rights with government officials and NGOs at all levels, and attended seminars and conferences promoting human rights and democracy. The U.S. Government worked with a new NGO dedicated to eliminating the practice of ritual child killing and funded a conference to raise awareness and develop a plan of action to fight the practice. The U.S. Government supported women’s rights by funding an NGO that lobbies to protect widows from being evicted from their homes. The United States sponsored scholarships to help girls in needy families from both urban and rural areas complete primary education, with some resources specifically allocated to students in remote regions. During the year a pilot program was begun to reach out to marginalized Baka (Pygmy) children, who are often prevented from attending school. The U.S. Government worked to promote respect for religious freedom. It maintained regular contact with all major religious groups, including Muslim organizations and U.S. missionary groups, to help reinforce the already tolerant religious environment. Labor unions were among the strongest NGOs, and U.S. Government representatives met with union leaders and regularly attended labor conferences to promote free association and the importance of unions in a democratic society. The U.S. Government made combating trafficking in persons a high priority. The ambassador and other U.S. officials approached government officials at all levels, including parliamentary leaders, ministers, and the president, to discuss the need for further concrete measures to combat trafficking. Recognizing the logistical difficulties faced by law enforcement agencies in housing, feeding, and eventually repatriating trafficked victims, the U.S. Government, in collaboration with the UN Children’s Fund, helped the government to set up centers for trafficked children and provide training for new social workers. The U.S. Government also launched a successful media campaign, including television commercials, T-shirts, and billboards, to sensitize the population to the plight of trafficked children; maintained close contact with activists and NGOs working on the issue; and sponsored the creation of a national network of NGOs to combat child trafficking. Guinea Guinea is a constitutional republic in which effective power is concentrated in a strong presidency. President Conte won reelection in 2003 in an election boycotted by the opposition and criticized by international observers as neither free nor fair. The government continued to implement certain political and macroeconomic reforms begun in 2004, but serious human rights abuses occurred during the year. There were restrictions on the right of citizens to change their government. Security forces unlawfully killed, beat, and abused civilians, particularly detainees. Prison conditions were inhumane and life threatening. Impunity of alleged perpetrators of killings and abuse remained a problem. There were arbitrary arrests, prolonged pretrial detentions, and incommunicado detentions. The judiciary was subject to corruption and executive influence. The government infringed on citizens' privacy rights and restricted freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and movement. Violence and societal discrimination against women, prostitution of young girls, and female genital mutilation were problems. Progress was made in combating trafficking of persons, but the practice continued, as did ethnic discrimination, antiunion discrimination, and child labor. Authorities took significant steps to improve freedom of the press by implementing a 2005 media liberalization decree and granting broadcast licenses to eight private radio stations, five of which are now operating. The government also agreed to some electoral reforms proposed by political parties and lifted some restrictions on freedom of movement. The U.S. strategy to promote democracy and human rights focused on laying a foundation for a peaceful, democratic political transformation through support for constitutional processes, expanding national dialogue, strengthening local government, and decentralization. U.S. assistance programs increased citizen awareness of and demand for government transparency, accountability, and effectiveness by strengthening civil society’s capacity to participate more actively in governance and public affairs. Through heightened military and diplomatic engagement, the United States encouraged constitutional civilian-led power transfer and succession. The U.S. Government also sought to encourage the potential stabilizing role of the military through engagement with civilian leaders and to promote civil-military relations, including political discussions and social exchanges, between the military and civilian groups. This dialogue strengthened consensus-building processes at the national, regional, and local levels. A comprehensive U.S. communication and public diplomacy strategy ensured that messages to advance freedom and democracy were included in all activities. The United States also expanded its outreach to youth, women, and Muslim religious leaders. Promotion of democracy and human rights were the cornerstones of U.S. policy during the year. U.S. officials highlighted these priorities in speeches and meetings. The U.S. Government supported democracy by training citizens, locally elected officials, and representatives of government; by facilitating political dialogue; and by building a better-informed media and electorate. U.S. assistance sought to encourage citiz |
