African Affairs Remarks / US Priorities on sub-Saharan Africa

16 Jun 2010 09:37 Africa/Lagos


African Affairs Remarks / US Priorities on sub-Saharan Africa


WASHINGTON, June 15, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- African Affairs Remarks / US Priorities on sub-Saharan Africa:


Johnnie Carson


Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs


Remarks for the Diplomacy Briefing Series Conference


Washington, DC


June 14, 2010

Good afternoon. I would like to thank the Bureau of Public Affairs for organizing the Diplomacy Briefing Series and for inviting me to join all of you today to examine our key priorities in Africa.

I want to begin today by emphasizing the strong commitment of this Administration to working with our African partners to bring about a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous Africa. This Administration sees immense potential in Africa, and we are determined to work with Africans across the continent to help realize this promise.

Often, Africa has been overlooked as a top policy priority for the U.S. Government. I can tell you that this is not the case with this Administration. President Obama is not complacent about Africa, and is determined to forge a deeper and more lasting impact on our relationship with the continent, not just through words, but through concrete action.

As evidence of this commitment, Vice President Biden concluded just yesterday a week-long trip to Africa—a trip in which I participated. Some in the media focused on the World Cup as the centerpiece of this Africa visit, but this trip was more about substance than sport. The Vice President used this trip to focus on one of the Administration's highest priorities in Africa: the current situation in Sudan. In Egypt, the Vice President met with President Mubarak and other senior government officials to discuss Sudan policy. In Kenya, we met with Salva Kiir, the President of the Government of South Sudan and other South Sudanese leaders. And in South Africa, I accompanied the Vice President to his extended meeting with Thabo Mbeki, the AU's point person on Sudan.

The Vice President's trip was just the most recent example of high-level engagement by this Administration in Africa. The President's visit to Ghana last July, the earliest visit made by a U.S. president to the continent, underscored Africa's importance to the U.S. And last September, at the UN General Assembly, the President hosted a lunch with 26 African heads of state. Over the past year, he has also met in the oval office with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia, President Kikwete of Tanzania, President Khama of Botswana, and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangarai of Zimbabwe. And during the Nuclear Summit in April of this year, the President also met with President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and President Zuma of South Africa.

All of the President's senior foreign policy advisors have followed his lead by traveling to Africa. The U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice visited five African countries last June, including Liberia and Rwanda. Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew traveled to Ethiopia and Tanzania in June 2009, and was in Mali and Nigeria just last month.

Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero headed the U.S. delegation to the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa in January 2010, where we discussed a range of issues, including democracy and governance, climate change, and food security. Last month, she led the U.S. delegation to Abuja to the first meeting of the Democracy and Governance working group of the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission. And last August, Secretary Clinton made an 11-day, seven-country trip across the continent.

These high-level visits are a testament to the importance this Administration places on Africa, and our commitment to meet and work with our partners to address the immense challenges facing the continent. Through our engagement and programs, the Administration is seeking to advance five key policy priorities on the continent.

First: We are working with African governments, the international community, and civil society to strengthen democratic institutions and protect the democratic gains made in recent years in many African countries.

Since the 1990's, we have witnessed an impressive wave of democratic transitions, during which dozens of African countries moved from dictatorship to democracy, in one of the most impressive political transformations in history. Recent democratic elections, including those in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mauritius, and Ghana, have served to remind the world of the importance that Africans attach to democracy, as well as the values that underpin it. The recent elections in Ghana and Mauritius were especially impressive, as they have resulted in a peaceful, democratic transition between two political parties.

Nonetheless, we have seen worrying signs of backsliding in terms of democracy and good governance in a number of countries as a result of flawed elections, harassment of opposition groups, and attempts by presidents to extend their term limits. We have also seen a recurrence of military coups and interventions in several countries.

The political and economic success of Africa depends a great deal on the effectiveness, sustainability, and reliability of its democratic institutions. We are encouraging governments across the continent to get elections right. To level the playing field, clean up the voter rolls, open up the media, count the votes fairly, and give democracy a chance.



Source: US Department of State

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Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson's Travel

9 Apr 2010 12:17 Africa/Lagos

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson's Travel

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Office of the Spokesman


U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson is traveling to France, the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa), and the United Kingdom from April 8 to April 19.

Assistant Secretary Carson will begin his trip in Paris, France where he will deliver a speech to the French-American Foundation Symposium. The topic of the speech will be Transnational Security Challenges in Africa. In addition, Assistant Secretary Carson will meet with a number of senior French officials.

Upon departing from Paris, Assistant Secretary Carson will head to Brazzaville where he has requested meetings with President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Foreign Minister Basile Ikouébé, and members of the political opposition. He will also confer with Embassy staff about the U.S. engagement plan for the Republic of Congo.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Assistant Secretary Carson has requested meetings with President Joseph Kabila, Foreign Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba, and various other senior Congolese officials. In addition to meeting with Embassy staff on our engagement in the DRC, he will travel to Kisangani to visit a U.S.-funded training mission for a Congolese light infantry battalion. The mission is a collaboration between the State Department and AFRICOM as part of our effort to further the professionalization of the Congolese military. Upon his return to Kinshasa, Assistant Secretary Carson will participate in a signing ceremony for the President's Emergency Plan for AID's Relief (PEPFAR) Partnership Framework with Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito before departing the country.

Assistant Secretary Carson will conclude his trip in London where he has a meeting scheduled with his counterpart in the Foreign Office. He will also participate in a press roundtable.



Source: US Department of State

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Video: US Secretary of State for African Affairs Warns Nigeria and Niger

Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the office of President Barack Obama has warned the politicians in Nigeria and Niger to beware of undemocratic actions that can destabilize the two nations.


24 Feb 2010 22:57 Africa/Lagos

State Department's Top Diplomat for Africa Encourages Nigeria and Niger to Stay with the Democratic Processes that have Proven Successful in the Two Countries.

DATELINE/CITY: February 24, 2010 - Washington, DC

FORMAT: Soundbites


STORY SUMMARY: Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, briefed journalists on current issues in Africa.


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Video, hard copy requests, contact information and more available at http://thedigitalcenter.com/projects/1532-state-departments-top-diplomat-for-a frica-encourages-nigeria-and-niger-to-stay-with-the-democratic-processes-that- have-proven-successful-in-the-two-countries


www.state.gov

CLIP CONTAINING 2 SOUNDBITES (TRT: 1:57)

SOUNDBITES:

Soundbite #1 Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs


Summary: Carson cautions Nigerians in responsible positions, not to use the situation surrounding the health of their President, for personal political gain.


Verbatim: We hope very, very much that the President has recuperated and is healthy and is able to resume his normal duties as President. But it is very important that those who are in responsible positions, put the health of the President of Nigeria first, that they think of the interests, of the stability, and the continued democracy of the country as a primary focal point of interest. This is not a time where personal political ambitions should in fact take precedence over the stability and continued democracy and adherence to the constitutional rule that governs Nigeria today.


TRT: 56 seconds


Soundbite #2 Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs


Summary: Carson sees restoring of democracy in Niger very possible and comments on recent actions taken by junta to force new elections.


Verbatim: If they did this to restore democracy and liberty to the country then they should move forward with doing so very quickly. Niger has had very successful political elections in the past. They have had multi-political parties. There are established parties. There are institutions that were working, institutions that were defending democracy against President Tandja. It should be very easy for that country to move back towards a democratic process. If it does, we will be in the forefront of restoring as quickly as possible, our support for that, for that country.


TRT: 48 seconds

VIDEO PROVIDED BY: U.S. Department of State


FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION OR HARD COPY, PLEASE E-MAIL: digitalcenter@multivu.com


Media Contact: Joan Storck, (202) 504-6411, storcklj@state.gov


/PRNewswire -- Feb. 24/


Video: http://thedigitalcenter.com/projects/1532-state-departments-top-diplomat-for-africa-encourages-nigeria-and-niger-to-stay-with-the-democratic-processes-that-have-proven-successful-in-the-two-countries
Source: U.S. Department of State

Web Site: http://www.state.gov/