Keynote Address African-American Studies Scholarship Banquet

Good evening, and thank you, Dr. Nigro, for your kind introduction. I am pleased to be representing the Department of State and Bureau of African Affairs on this special occasion. Of all the times to work in the Bureau of African Affairs, this is an historic one. I have been involved with African affairs for almost 40 years, and I am amazed at the current extent of public and private interest in Africa: the celebrities who are visiting Africa, the number of Hollywood movies and articles on Africa, the number of special magazine issues on Africa, and the number of NGOs actively involved with African issues and challenges.

President Bush and Secretary Rice have made Africa a centerpiece of their foreign policy agenda from the outset. As a percentage of federal spending, U.S. foreign assistance increased about 70 percent between 2000 and 2004, and Africa has seen a four-fold increase in U.S. government assistance over the past five years. Instead of quick fixes, President Bush has focused on ways to reshape the landscape and reframe the debate about Africa. The emphasis now rests squarely on partnering and cooperating with African political and civil society leaders.

When Secretary Rice was asked last December about President Bush’s legacy, she highlighted his accomplishments in Africa, and there are quite a few. This evening, I would like to focus on three: First, is President Bush’s dedication to expanding liberty and democracy; second, there is the United States’ increasing investment in Africa; and last, is USG efforts to reduce and prevent conflict.

DEMOCRACY TAKES ROOT

As you may know, the term Secretary Rice uses to describe her foreign policy approach is Transformational Diplomacy. The guiding principle is partnership, as opposed to the paternalism of the past. This philosophy calls for “doing things with people, not for them.” As the Secretary has explained, “we seek to use America's diplomatic power to help foreign citizens better their own lives and to build their own nations and to transform their own futures.”

In sub-Saharan Africa, our interest is supporting the development and growth of democratic institutions and good governance. Governments that reflect the popular will of the people are more likely to respect borders and human rights. It has become unacceptable in Africa not to endorse democratic principles, even in countries like Sudan or Zimbabwe, where there is no democracy. And democracy is taking root in Africa.

Liberia inaugurated Africa’s first elected woman leader in January 2006. The Government of Liberia is working to rehabilitate the country's justice sector, establishing a public defender's office in the capital and tightening contracting practices and financial controls. The president has dismissed or suspended a number of government officials for corruption, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission began taking statements from witnesses.

When Mauritania had a military coup two years ago, the leader immediately announced that the purpose was not to do away with democracy, but only to remove bad government; this past March, Mauritania held free and fair elections for a civilian government.

Last July, the Democratic Republic of the Congo held elections for the first time in more than 45 years, and 24 million of 26 million voters turned out to vote.

In March, Ghana, that is a political and economic success, celebrated 50 years of independence; marking the occasion with year-long activities. They, too, are on the democratic path.

In April, Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa held presidential elections that represented the first time ever that a civilian government has succeeded another civilian government.

The United States believes strongly in the importance of democracy, and we have dedicated resources to its promotion. The Governing Justly and Democratically Objective for Africa is coordinated by USAID. In 2006, the U.S. spent nearly $161 million on democracy promotion activities in Africa, and as we look ahead to 2008, the executive branch is requesting over $220 million for these activities. It is fair to say that the U.S. government is committed to these efforts and that the trend for funding is moving upward over time.

RESOURCES & INVESTMENT

Sovereign nations rightfully expect to control their own borders and natural resources. The nations of Africa have vast stores of materials that the rest of the world needs or wants – including oil, iron ore, and diamonds – and this raises questions about resource control and management in the coming years.

Africa is a rich continent in an impoverished state, the wealth of that continent is unbelievable across the board – from north to south and east to west. There is concomitantly, great concern about the corruption this wealth has generated. The Millennium Challenge Account is a program geared toward addressing those concerns. This new mechanism for distributing direct foreign assistance seeks out nations that have committed to: good governance, economic reforms, and investment in their own people. Guiding principles for assistance are to reduce poverty through economic growth, reward good policy, operate as partners with beneficiary countries, and focus on results that will have a lasting impact. Partner countries, not the Millennium Challenge Corporation, have ownership of their compacts. In return, the U.S. expects accountability. The U.S. designs an evaluation plan in coordination with the host nation. The U.S. has already completed compacts with Madagascar, Cape Verde, Benin, and Mali. Mali’s $461 million agreement recognizes the progress this majority Muslim democracy has made over the last 15 years. With this infusion of aid, Malians can invest in agriculture, light industry, and infrastructure improvements that will enable Mali to better feed its population and be more competitive internationally.

Ghana signed the largest compact -- $547 million for infrastructure and agricultural projects. Ghana’s public sector reform minister best described the level of expectation and responsibility demanded by country ownership when he said: “Unlike other traditional development assistance programs where the donor proposes how funds are used, countries selected under the Millennium Challenge Account propose programs to receive funding. Thus, the MCA is designed to allow developing countries to take ownership and responsibility for funds provided by the Millennium Challenge Corporation.”

Asking countries to develop their own Compacts – including the monitoring and evaluation plans for them – enhances those countries’ abilities and skills to evaluate other programs, including those of their own government.

This investment is incredible when we consider the context. Last year, the U.S. promised $307 million of assistance to Benin through the Millennium Challenge Account. Twenty-five years ago, that was the approximate total of U.S. spending for all of Africa. Indeed, U.S. Official development assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa has increased from $1.4 billion in 2001 to $5.6 billion in 2006.

GROWTH THROUGH AGOA

The cornerstone of the United States’ trade policy for sub-Saharan Africa is the African Growth and Opportunity Act, commonly called AGOA. This policy is intended to encourage more trade and investment between the United States and Africa by offering one-way trade preferences to countries that meet certain criteria related to: democracy, good governance, and economic openness.

In 2006, U.S. total trade with sub-Saharan Africa increased 17 percent, with both exports and imports increasing at similar rates. A 20 percent increase in crude oil imports accounts for most of the overall growth, but there was also growth among other imports, including: platinum, diamonds, iron, and steel.

Of the top five African destinations for U.S. products, exports to South Africa rose by 14 percent; exports to Nigeria rose by 38 percent; exports to Angola rose by 67 percent; exports to Equatorial Guinea increased by 96 percent.

The five nations that exported the most under AGOA in 2006 were the same as the top five from 2005: Nigeria, Angola, South Africa, Chad, and Gabon. And as we look ahead to the sixth annual AGOA forum, which will be held in Accra, Ghana, this July, we are optimistic about the ongoing growth in sub-Saharan Africa’s economic strength. The forum’s theme captures the essence of our AGOA strategy: "As Trade Grows, Africa Prospers: Optimizing Benefits under AGOA." We are counting on active involvement from the private sector and civil society to help make this the most successful forum yet.

INVESTING IN HEALTH: PEPFAR

President Bush has also taken on Africa’s most daunting health issues. As the President noted in this year’s State of the Union address, “We hear the call to take on the challenges of hunger and poverty and disease -- and that is precisely what America is doing. We must continue to fight HIV/AIDS, especially on the continent of Africa.”

Worldwide, more than 39 million people are living with HIV, and more than 25 million people have died from AIDS. According to UNAIDS, almost two-thirds of all HIV-positive individuals were living in sub-Saharan Africa last year.

To meet the severe and urgent crisis, President Bush announced the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003. PEPFAR is the largest commitment ever by a single nation to an international health initiative -- a five-year, 15 billion dollar, multifaceted approach to combating the disease around the world. The program targets its resources to 15 focus countries, 12 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. The United States is also the largest contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

The U.S. partners with local citizens in PEPFAR’s host countries to build comprehensive, community-owned responses that can be enduring. When President Bush announced PEPFAR, only 50,000 people were estimated to be receiving antiretroviral treatment in all of sub-Saharan Africa.

Since then, the Emergency Plan has worked in partnership with host nations to support antiretroviral treatment for approximately 822,000 men, women, and children through bilateral programs in the focus countries through September 2006. As of last September, PEPFAR also supported care for nearly 4.5 million people, including care for more than 2 million orphans and vulnerable children.

Through September 30, 2006, PEPFAR supported prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services for women during more than 6 million pregnancies and prevented an estimated 101,500 infant infections. These are dramatic, life saving results – made possible through the power of partnerships between host nations and the United States.

MALARIA INITIATIVE

As with HIV/AIDS, the President is committed to combating Malaria. Last December, he and the First Lady hosted the first ever White House Summit on Malaria. The President’s Malaria Initiative, which went into effect in June 2005, aims to reduce Malaria-related deaths by 50% in each of the 15 target countries, a group that includes: Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, and Senegal, among others.

This five-year, 1.2 billion dollar initiative meant to enhance Malaria control interventions in the 15 hardest hit countries in Africa should have an immense impact, since 80 to 90 percent of all Malaria deaths occur in Africa, most of them children. Six million people have received lifesaving prevention or treatment services since the inception of PMI and an additional 11 million people are expected to receive services in 2007.

DARFUR

And now, I would like to turn briefly to the issue of genocide in Defer, one of our most pressing humanitarian concerns. Since so few Americans have visited Defer, let me start by describing this focus of so much concern. Defer is one of the most isolated, underdeveloped corners of the planet. The town of Genuine sits 1000 miles from the main Sudanese port, Port Sudan; 1500 miles from Djibouti, and 1400 miles from the Mediterranean coast. There are few paved roads in any direction. Providing aid to Defer is a daunting task, yet, supplies must get through.

Let me assure you that the United States government is committed to ending the violence and providing assistance to the suffering people in Defer. The United States remains the strongest voice for action and has led on this issue, within the international community. Our policy has three prongs: humanitarian care, peaceful resolution of the conflict, and the implementation of a robust peacekeeping force.

The situation on the ground has continued to evolve, and while there is continued violence, it has been of a more chaotic and less predictable nature. Civilian deaths have decreased markedly in the past year. In recent weeks, there has been little fighting between the government of Sudan and rebel groups.

The United States continues to be the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance. The U.S. government provided over $2.6 billion in humanitarian, development, and reconstruction aid during the last two fiscal years. The United States additionally provided more than 65% of the food that the UN World Food Program distributed during 2006. The U.S. has provided 72% of confirmed contributions to Sudan overall, and the U.S. has been the leading donor in meeting the humanitarian needs of more than 2 million people in Defer.

That said, relief efforts have been hampered by increasing insecurity in the region. We have called on all actors in Darfur – the government, the Arab militias, the rebel signatories and the non-signatories to cease all interference with aid delivery. It is unacceptable for relief workers to be harassed or attacked.

Now, I would like to turn to the second prong, the Darfur Peace Agreement. This Agreement between the Sudanese government and the Sudan liberation Movement was brokered by the African Union last spring. It is a good agreement, but implementation has been slow. We have called on the government to implement key portions of the agreement now. Setting up the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority is critical, as is the disarming of the Janjaweed, or Arab militias.

At the same time we are making these requests, the U.S. is also working hard to ensure that non-signatories join the agreement. And while we recognize the interests and roles played by the regional states -- Chad, Libya, Egypt, and Eritrea -- we believe the United Nations and African Union should maintain the lead in these discussions.

Lastly, I will turn to peacekeeping. The situation on the ground has evolved over time, and there is now more ethnic violence and banditry. These developments underscore why we need peacekeepers on the ground NOW.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1706 remains the basis for peacekeeping in Darfur. The African Union peacekeepers have done, and continue to do, an admirable job, but more robust peacekeeping is needed. This is an international, multilateral effort. As a member of the United Nations, the U.S. intends to be helpful. Already, we have built 34 base camps in Darfur for over 7,000 African Union Peacekeepers.

Sudan has repeatedly told us that they agree to this hybrid approach, but the government’s recent actions have raised questions about the government’s commitment to a robust peacekeeping force for Darfur. We call on Sudanese President Bashir to live up to commitments he has made to the international community on this matter. We hope that the government of Sudan seizes this moment opportunity to positively respond to this matter of international concern – because we are watching and concerned for the people of Darfur.

In closing, I would like to thank you for inviting me. As I said when I began, this is an exciting time to be working on Africa policy. President Bush, Secretary Rice, and Assistant Secretary Frazer have introduced innovative solutions to: improve the lives of Africans, demonstrate respect for the nations of Africa, and follow Africa’s lead.

Thank you.