Two US advocacy groups tepid on Obama’s Africa accomplishments
April 30, 2009 (WASHINGTON) – Several advocacy groups seeking to influence American power have voiced some concern about the US president’s lack of attention to Africa in his first 100 days in office and come near to outright criticism.
The group Africa Action cautioned “it would be damaging to U.S. foreign policy to deprioritize diplomacy and democracy in Africa,” implying that the economic crisis in the United States might have prompting such a trend.
Over the coming months, Africa Action and partners will be mobilizing public pressure “to hold President Obama accountable to his campaign promises.” The group’s three themes are “End HIV/AIDS, Cancel Africa’s Debt and Peace & Justice for Darfur and All Sudan.”
US activists continue to voice praise for Obama and show reluctance to criticize him directly, but some are beginning to claim that there is a gap between his actions made so far and his “campaign promises.”
John Norris, Executive Director of the Enough Project, wrote Wednesday that “We have seen far less from the administration on Congo than we would have hoped, and the same might also be said for Zimbabwe. It sounds like a special envoy for Congo is in the works, which would be a welcome development…
”One area that has been a disappointment: the U.S. Agency for International Development. There has been no announcement on a new head of USAID and few, if any, political appointees have been put in place at the foreign aid agency. We hope whatever internal deadlock there may be over appointing a head of USAID is soon resolved,” he noted at the advocacy group’s website.
On another issue, the group Africa Action criticized the administration’s support for the work of the International Monetary Fund in Africa. Michael Stulman, Associate Director for Policy and Communications complained that, “This is the same institution that had initially put Africa in the economic crisis it is in today. Without institutional reform, the new IMF loans will create a new debt crisis that will do much more harm than good.”
In an open letter, Genocide Intervention Network, Save Darfur, and Enough Project urged President Obama to work to isolate Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir. Though there are no signs of this approach from the State Department – the administration has instead adopted more conciliatory language toward the Sudan government and declined to endorse the warrant of the International Criminal Court – the advocates suggested “Private diplomacy can explore ending Bashir’s tenure and finally addressing the impunity that has reigned throughout his two decades in power.”
“Personal and direct diplomacy by President Obama will be crucial in shaping regional attitudes toward Bashir,” said the letter.
Stulman recommended that Obama established a clear channel of communication between the White House, Secretary of State Clinton and the entire Africa team.
(ST)