Elias Gebreselassie
Addis Ababa: US President Barack Obama criticised what he called African leaders “manipulating constitutions” to extend their terms, and the harassment and jailing of civic activists and journalists.
The president, who was given cheers and standing ovations at the packed Nelson Mandela Hall of the African Union (AU) headquarters, said African citizens needed the dignity of controlling their own lives, free and fair elections, freedom of assembly and expression.
“I don’t understand when leaders fail to step aside when their terms end and risk their country’s democracy. It’s been a privilege for me to be serving my second term as US president,” said Obama.
The president especially mentioned Burundi, where he said a leader risked his country’s future in the pursuit of more power, and urged him to follow Nelson Mandela.
“When a leader tries to change the rules in the middle of the game – as seen in Burundi – because he thinks he’s indispensable, a leader has truly failed to build the nation, in fact has become a burden.”
He especially urged the AU to be as vocal about leaders who wanted to change term limits as it was about coup attempts.
While Obama praised democratic practices from Botswana to Nigeria, he did not shy away from criticising the two countries he visited on his African tour. “Kenya has made remarkable progress in terms of democracy, and the recent elections in Ethiopia took place without violence.
“But the former should not jeopardise its democracy with restrictions on civil society, while the elections in Ethiopia should be just the start of democracy, not the end.”
Obama commended the end of conflicts in countries like Angola and Mozambique, but noted that places like north-eastern Nigeria and Somalia were still active conflict zones.
“Because of the brave AU forces, al-Shabaab has been weakened in Somalia, and Boko Haram in Lake Chad,” Obama said, adding that the US was helping with the creation of the African rapid reaction force. “Groups that use Islam as a banner to fight have victimised many Muslims, and millions of the faithful know that these terrorist groups are murderers,” he said, adding that good governance and upholding the rule of law were the best weapons against terrorism. Leaders of both Sudans were not spared the president’s criticism, with a reminder that people would not forget about its strife-torn western region of Darfur, and warning that the warring sides in South Sudan would face increasing costs.
In what appeared to be a dig at China, Obama said that economic growth could not just be measured in extracting resources, or creating infrastructure, with foreign labour.
Obama admitted that despite the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) until 2025, the bulk of US-Africa trade was still restricted to just three countries – Angola, South Africa and Nigeria.