News Archive
Assistant Secretary Frazer's Remarks to the African Press Corps on Democracy and Human Rights in Africa
December 5, 2005
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good afternoon. It's a pleasure to meet once again with the foreign press to share some thoughts about the state of Democracy and Human Rights in Africa in the lead up to International Human Rights Day.
In all the years I've studied and worked on Africa I have not known a more auspicious time to consolidate the progress and promise of the continent. Democracy in Africa is growing, with more than 50 democratic elections in the past four years. In October, the world held its breath waiting to see whether Liberia would be able to hold free and fair elections after so many years of conflict and bloodshed, so much loss of trained personnel, and so much damage to its infrastructure.
Well, Liberia's legislative and presidential elections on October 11 were the most free and fair elections in its history, with a high voter turnout and no significant reports of fraud, violence or intimidation. One month later, the presidential run-off election was similarly well run, despite the understandable disappointment and confusion of Mr. Weah's supporters, who had smelled victory after his initial first place showing. That run-off gave Africa her first democratically-elected woman President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Her election marks a genuine milestone in the march of African women towards real political equality, but is perhaps less surprising when one considers that of the 50 national legislatures with the greatest numbers of women, 11 are in Africa. And we are told that of those who have registered for the first elections to be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo in more than 30 years, 70% are women.
Elections have taken place widely over the past fifteen years. Power has changed hands in a number of key nations, from Senegal to Ghana and from Mozambique to Namibia. We have seen term limits for the presidency introduced in several countries, as more open societies begin to turn away from the "Big Man" model of government. Military regimes are increasingly anachronistic. It is true that this progress is by fits and starts, and Uganda, which had limited the number of terms a president could serve, has now reconsidered. And Mauritania is ruled by a military junta. But this question of giving the people a real chance to select and to change their leaders is now being freely debated across the length and breadth of Africa. And we salute those like President Kerekou of Benin, who, having enjoyed power for many years, and are willing to step aside to make room for the new voices of a new generation.
Like democracy, respect for internationally recognized human rights has grown tremendously, though unevenly. Extrajudicial killings appear to be diminishing as a means of dealing with criminal elements and political opponents, but the use of arrest and short-term detention - sometimes with beatings - to harass opposition figures is regrettably widespread. Efforts are being made to foster and strengthen an independent judiciary, but Africa's prisons remain places where merely to be confined is inhumane.
One of the most interesting and volatile areas is in what we Americans call our First Amendment rights: freedom of religion, of speech, of association and assembly, and of the press. Africa's tradition of religious tolerance offers hope to some of its neighbors in the Greater Middle East. Yet in Eritrea we recently saw a crackdown on Evangelical Christians with over 200 members of minority churches arrested. In contrast, in Zambia, more than ten thousand people were able to attend a demonstration for constitutional reform a month ago without incident. African journalists have recently formed the Society for the Development of Media in Africa and have been struggling consistently to open up more space for independent voices. But your struggle is not without its dangers and we read of a series of attacks on journalists in the DRC this year, most recently the murder of Franck Kanundu of the Kinshasa daily, "La Reference," and his wife.
Let me conclude these remarks to talk about children. We congratulate those countries that have enacted strong laws against human trafficking and the worst forms of child labor, with stiff penalties for violators. Ghana passed a terrific anti-trafficking law this year, signaling its continued commitment to fight these abuses of human rights. Many other countries have either passed legislation or have bills in the works. We have also seen an increase in those countries that have made primary school education compulsory and those that have either eliminated fees or are working hard to reduce them. Those efforts to allow children the time and opportunities needed to develop their potential will ultimately be the best guarantees of Democracy and Human Rights in Africa's future.
With this brief overview, I would like to turn the floor over to you for your questions.
