Topics of Interest
Supporting Human Rights and Democracy: The U.S. Record 2005-6
Africa
"Let us be proud that we were able to ultimately rise above our intense political and other differences in a renewed determination as a people to foster dialogue instead of violence, promote unity rather than disharmony, and engender hope rather than disillusionment and despair."
--Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia
Across the political and human landscape of sub-Saharan Africa, the United States promoted human rights and democracy as its primary foreign policy objective. It advanced good governance through a variety of approaches, including strong diplomatic representation, trade incentives, and grassroots programs that carried the message of democracy to the village level. In 2005, these initiatives led to numerous gains throughout the region. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, U.S. support to the Independent Electoral Commission helped register 25 million voters across 11 provinces for the country’s successful December 2005 constitutional referendum and the presidential election scheduled to take place before June 30, 2006. U.S. support for national elections in Liberia, which included strengthening political parties, promoting voter registration, and training polling officials, assisted the country’s democratic development.
Despite these accomplishments, serious challenges remained and significant violations of human rights continued. In Darfur, the Sudanese Government, Government-supported militia, and Darfur rebel movements committed serious human rights and humanitarian law abuses. Violence against women and girls, including widespread rape, were serious problems in Sudan. Following strong gains by opposition parties in parliamentary elections in Ethiopia, the Government arrested opposition leaders, journalists, and prominent members of civil society. The Government of Ethiopia charged these individuals with capital offenses ranging from "outrages against the constitution" to genocide. The political crisis continued in Cote d’Ivoire, where the Gbagbo Government made few gains in either peace talks with the rebels or preparations for the country’s planned 2006 presidential election.
To promote human rights in Africa, the United States offered strong incentives for African governments to move toward political openness through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which carries a strong democracy and human rights component and provides significant trade benefits to eligible countries. In addition, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) granted substantial assistance to countries that pursued reforms in the areas of ruling justly, investing in people, and fostering economic freedom. During 2005, 17 African countries qualified for MCC compact or threshold program eligibility.
To promote durable peace and free democracy in Burundi, the United States initiated programs aimed at enhancing media freedom and freedom of speech and played an important role in supporting the country’s successful 2005 elections. With these elections, Burundi became the first sub-Saharan country since South Africa to move from minority rule to democratic majority rule through negotiations and democratic elections. The United States actively supported peace talks in Sudan that led to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ending 22 years of civil war. The United States continued to support the formation of the Government of National Unity, while vigorously pressing Khartoum and rebel forces alike to end the continuing violence in Darfur.
Many U.S. initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa were designed to chip away at the foundations of totalitarian rule, to open up political space, and to encourage silent voices to speak out. In Zimbabwe, where fraudulent senate elections further tightened President Mugabe’s grip on power, the U.S. Government hosted two conferences that highlighted the lack of press freedom and provided uncensored news to the Zimbabwean public through radio broadcasts of the Voice of America. In addition, U.S.-funded NGOs disseminated information on human rights and civil society. In Equatorial Guinea, U.S. action led to the Government’s signing of a "Social Needs Fund" to accelerate the investment of the country’s vast oil revenues to address health, education, women’s issues, and sanitation. The United States also worked with opposition parties, civil society, youth, and media to encourage their participation in the expansion of democracy and respect for human rights.
In the struggle to promote democracy and respect for human rights and workers’ rights in Africa the closest allies of the United States are the region’s democratic governments themselves. The United States continues to work closely with freely elected governments everywhere to ensure that human freedom becomes an African reality.
Guinea
In the last year, Guinea demonstrated achievement in political reforms and improvement in its human rights record.
Sixteen of the 46 registered political parties, including all major opposition parties, participated in the December 2005 nationwide elections for municipal and local government councils.
Observers noted some improvements over the 2003 presidential election.
The Government continued to restrict citizens’ rights to change their government.
While opposition parties had more freedom to campaign and all parties had greater access to the media, numerous citizens were disenfranchised because they did not have identity cards.
The authorities arbitrarily detained, and in some cases abused, more than 200 politicians and party supporters.
In general, the authorities rarely held political prisoners more than a few days.
Police and security forces injured several persons on election day.
The U.S. strategy to promote democracy and human rights focused on laying a foundation for a peaceful and democratic political transformation through support for constitutional processes, continued and expanded national dialogue, and liberalization of broadcast media.
The United States encouraged civilian-led power transfer and constitutional succession through heightened military and diplomatic engagement; focused on the potential stabilizing role of the military through engagement across the civilian-military divide; and promoted civil-military relations, including political discussions and social exchanges.
A comprehensive U.S. communication and public diplomacy strategy ensured that messages to advance freedom and democracy were included in all activities.
The United States also heightened outreach to youth, women, and Muslim religious leaders.
The Embassy consistently presented democracy and human rights as the cornerstone of U.S. policy. U.S. officials highlighted this priority in speeches and meetings with interlocutors.
The United States supported democracy by training citizens, locally elected officials, and representatives of government, and by facilitating dialogue through a more informed media and electorate.
This assistance encouraged citizen participation in local governance; supported improved political processes, including more transparent elections; and encouraged civil society organizations to provide civic education and advocacy for citizen interests.
After consistent Embassy engagement and discussions, opposition party leaders who boycotted past elections decided to participate in the December local elections.
The local governance program and civil society activities increased understanding of the electoral process by generating interest, informed citizens of their voting rights, and equipped NGOs to act as formal election monitors.
Nearly two-thirds of the NGOs independently selected to serve as Guinea’s first national election observers received training and technical assistance from the local governance program. On election day, the Embassy deployed 19 observer teams comprised of American and Guinean staff to gain valuable perspectives from the field.
The importance of civilian-military relations in the development of democracy and protection of human rights in Guinea was a major component of security cooperation. In May, the Embassy sponsored a successful five-day seminar bringing together 38 high-ranking military officers and 36 civilians from the parliament, political parties, and various Government ministries to emphasize the benefits of good governance and a responsible military.
Ongoing military programs emphasized appreciation for rule of law and human rights.
A presidential decree to open radio and television broadcast media to private ownership was the successful result of diplomatic and programmatic support.
Through various training and capacity-building programs for media organizations, the United States worked to speed its implementation.
Embassy public diplomacy programs encouraged individuals to express their views freely; utilize rights to public information, especially information about government actions, policies, and programs; and understand and utilize their rights to change the Government.
Embassy programs encouraged open discussion on all topics relating to U.S.-Guinean relations and particularly Western concepts of democracy and human rights.
The United States sponsored Guineans to participate in International Visitor Leadership Programs (IVLP) with human rights and democracy agendas.
The U.S. funded two one-week journalist training workshops through a small grant to a local organization dedicated to media ethics.
The first included more than 40 correspondents from the Guinean Government’s Guinean Press Agency and National Radio.
The second included representatives from Guinea’s 12 rural radio stations.
Both featured sessions on the participants’ roles and responsibilities in the electoral process.
The journalists developed concrete strategies to engage the National Network of Journalists for Good Governance.
A digital video conference for journalists provided insights to reporting on corruption from a French-speaking, Paris-based American journalist for media capacity-building.
The United States implemented a program to strengthen NGOs that included a nationwide civic education campaign and a series of town hall meetings, trainings that focused on election procedures for political party officials in the interior, legal trainings for professional associations in Guinea, internal democratic governance, advocacy techniques, and technical training for media professionals.
All U.S. activities supported working with and strengthening local organizations.
In 2005, the United States trained and strengthened over 2,788 grassroots community-based organizations.
In addition, the United States worked with 68 regional or national-level NGOs to help implement U.S. programs.
Other donors and the Government acknowledged increased NGO capacity as a result.
The local governance program provided technical assistance, leadership development, and training to foster active citizen participation and improved performance of community management committees of local service institutions and rural organizations.
Embassy intervention produced a capable and registered local NGO and a national association of professional organizations that engaged civil society and reached nearly 175,000 persons.
The U.S. focus on strengthening the rule of law highlighted one of Guinea’s most serious issues.
As a result of a U.S.-funded program, a national association of professional organizations was created and committed itself to reviewing and revising the laws regulating professional organizations.
Although new, it successfully advocated for the release of an arrested lawyer.
A February 2005 program on corruption and good governance featured a representative from the Ministry of Finance and brought together members of the National Assembly, finance analysts, NGO representatives, and the media.
The United States funded projects targeting the promotion of the rights of women, students and teachers, and victims of HIV/AIDS; combating female genital mutilation (FGM); and providing training in conflict resolution and responsible media.
This year, the Embassy funded an innovative radio drama series to increase awareness and promote dialogue on human rights and protection for women and girls.
The United States financed the creation of a center for conflict resolution in Macenta with a focus on the historically volatile Forest Region.
To combat torture and other human rights abuses in prisons, the United States funded several workshops bringing together penitentiary security and administrative staff with selected prisoners in two of the largest prisons in the country.
Promoting the rights of women and minorities is critical.
The United States funded a program to reduce FGM in the Mamou and Labe regions.
To reinforce these efforts, a returned participant in the IVLP led an April colloquium on AIDS awareness and tolerance for medical practitioners, NGOs, university students, and the media.In June, a high school theater production focused on HIV/AIDS and provided a forum for youth to dispel myths about the disease and combat discrimination.
This year, the Embassy initiated a partnership with the Ministry of the Islamic League.
Representatives from both organizations met regularly to discuss issues and develop programs of mutual interest.
The Director of the Islamic Center in Guinea’s second largest city, Kankan, gave an interview to Rural Radio in Kankan and a lecture in his Center about his very positive experience on an IVLP in August.
Another former IVLP grantee moderated a July program to introduce Hi Magazine to Imams, community leaders, and students.
In September, a presentation on trafficking in persons (TIP) brought together over 40 imams and other Islamic leaders.
A two-day workshop in September used the post-produced Civic Education Guide as a foundation for discussion and training of trainers and was offered for members of the Muslim Youth Association.
In 2005, the United States awarded three grants to combat TIP, in accordance with an action plan developed in partnership with Government officials to address Guinea’s Tier 2 Watch List status.
The projects focused on prevention through a national public awareness campaign and protection of street children and other victims.
To complement these ongoing projects, in January 2006, in collaboration with the IOM, the United States brought together more than 30 participants from various Government ministries, NGOs, and civil society for an educational program on TIP.
In March, the United States awarded a former IVLP participant a small grant to train social workers, police officers, human rights activists, and others on trafficking. In September, the program "Trafficking in Persons: American, Guinean, and Islamic Visions" brought together Muslim clerics, members of the Government, media, and civil society to demystify TIP issues.