---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 4:20 PM Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] President Barack Obama unveils US Africa strategy To: Group <[email protected]>
1. Obama unveils Africa strategy Fri, 15 Jun 2012 7:18 AM iafrica.com US President Barack Obama released a sweeping new Africa strategy on Thursday, declaring a continent torn by poverty, corruption and discord could be the world's next big economic success story. The new US blueprint seeks to boost trade, strengthen peace, security and good governance and bolster democratic institutions, and is designed to help Africa's increasingly youthful population lead its development. "As we look toward the future, it is clear that Africa is more important than ever to the security and prosperity of the international community, and to the United States in particular," Obama said. The plan was unveiled nearly three years after Obama, whose father was Kenyan, laid out his priorities for the often crisis-scarred continent in Ghana, on the sole trip of his presidency so far to sub-Saharan Africa. It comes as Washington, tooling a foreign policy towards trade and development, also views Africa's intractable conflicts with concern, including in areas ripe for extremists to exploit, including in Somalia and even Mali. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that the US military was expanding spying across Africa, using small private planes operating from isolated bush airstrips, as part of a "shadow war" against al-Qaeda and affiliates. While Obama has battled multiple crises during his presidency, from Iran to North Korea and Libya to Syria, his Africa policy has garnered less interest: his Ghana trip was his only one to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office. But his administration on Thursday touted "successes" from helping restore democracy in Ivory Coast, helping nurture the new state of South Sudan, backing efforts to restore stability in Somalia and engaging young African leaders. The president also sent 100 US special forces troops to train African forces chasing Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, which is known for gross human rights abuses including rape and the use of child soldiers. In addition, Obama has several times responded to humanitarian crises in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, and the president invited the leaders of Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania to the G8 summit at Camp David. In a prelude to the new strategy, Obama warned "the United States will not stand idly by when actors threaten legitimately elected governments or manipulate the fairness and integrity of democratic processes". "We will stand in steady partnership with those who are committed to the principles of equality, justice, and the rule of law," he said. Obama has also highlighted food security challenges, and in May unveiled a scheme designed to lift 50 million people, including in Africa, out of poverty by linking up governments, civil society groups with the private sector. He also maintained former president George W. Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has improved life expectancy on the continent and will support lifesaving treatment for six million people by the end of next year. The new strategy will notably seek to encourage the "stunning" potential of economic growth to lift millions out of poverty in a continent more often associated with famine, poverty and strife, a senior US official told AFP. It commits Washington to encourage legal and regulatory reforms that could spur investment and trade and improve economic governance, and to promote regional economic integration that could reduce costs and offer scale benefits. The strategy also commits the administration to work to improve Africa's food security and public health and to promote opportunities for women and young people. The freshened focus on Africa comes as China increasingly funnels investment toward the continent, seeking to bolster its diplomatic footprint partly as a way of slaking its growing economy's thirst for new energy sources. China is bringing "incredibly needed" capital to needy African economies, and could play a role in bringing lasting peace to Sudan, the official said. But some analysts worry that China's billions of investment dollars, often spent on infrastructure projects, do not come with the same good governance strings attached as US and European help, and could prop up repressive regimes or frustrate a push toward democratic development. Bilateral trade between China and Africa reached over $120-billion in 2011, a jump from less than $20-billion a decade earlier. http://news.iafrica.com/worldnews/800429.html END1 2. US President Barack Obama unveils US Africa strategy BBC 14 June 2012 Last updated at 20:01 The White House has announced a new US strategy for sub-Saharan Africa, which focuses on the continent's economic potential. It also explores issues related to democracy, security and development. President Barack Obama said African democracy had improved but corruption was endemic in many countries and state institutions were weak. The strategy comes as China's presence on the continent continues to grow through investment and trade. Mr Obama said he would work with Congress to develop preferential trade agreements with African countries, while fighting al-Qaeda and its affiliates on the continent. "As we look toward the future, it is clear that Africa is more important than ever to the security and prosperity of the international community, and to the United States in particular," said Mr Obama, the US-born son of a Kenyan man. Exchanging entrepreneurs The White House said its new Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa provides "a proactive and forward looking vision grounded in partnership". A bid to increase trade and investment in sub-Saharan Africa is among its aims. The US administration is reaching out to entrepreneurs through exchange programmes. It will try to match US and Africa companies for business opportunities. The strategy is the result of four months of work, during which advisers looked at how to address the challenges the continent faces from famine to instability as well as the continent's economic potential. The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says the strategy is partly aimed at encouraging the US and Africans to do business together. Our correspondent says this approach could also provide an opportunity to help revive the flagging economy in the US. The announcement indicates a renewed focus on Africa, but as the plan is short on detail for now it is unclear how the strategy differs from what the administration has been doing so far, she says. Some African countries already enjoy trade preferences with the US - through the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) - on the condition they uphold free elections and markets. At an Agoa forum in Washington on Thursday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Africa was the "land of opportunity". "I want all of my fellow American citizens, particularly our business community, to hear this: Africa offers the highest rate of return on foreign direct investment of any developing region in the world," AFP news agency quotes her as saying. Last month, Mr Obama announced a $3bn (£1.9bn) plan to boost food security and farm productivity in Africa. US officials said that initiative was aimed at alleviating shortages as world food supplies are being stretched by rising demand in Asia's emerging markets. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18448612 END2 ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan, South Sudan Advisor [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +211 919 695 362 (South Sudan mobile) +27 82 050 1235 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. 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