Rice visit highlights major African issues Sudan’s Al-bashir meets Meles

By Andualem Sisay
The Capital
10 December 2007

United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, on Wednesday December 5, 2007 met with various African leaders in Addis Ababa and discussed on some of the current major issues of the continent.In her one-day visit, Secretary Rice held talks with the leaders bilaterally and multilaterally on issues such as resolving the conflict in the Great Lakes region, re-building Somalia, deploying peacekeepers to Darfur, HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. In the morning, Dr. Rice had a multilateral discussion on the problems of the Great Lakes region with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the Republic of Uganda, President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda, President Pierre Nkurunziza of the Republic of Burundi, and Minister of State for Interior Denis Kalume, representing President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo. After the meeting took place in a spirit of frank and open exchange that helped to build trust among the member states, they all agreed on three major points, according to the statement the US Embassy in Addis Ababa dispatched to the media. Strengthening state institutions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the security sector, as a prerequisite for long-term solutions to insecurity in Eastern Congo is one of the areas they have agreed on. As part of this accord, they will also commit themselves to supporting the rapid strengthening of these institutions. The Great Lakes member states have also agreed not to harbor any negative forces by denying them safe haven or support. They have also agreed on the implementation of the existing agreements among member states, including that the November 9, 2007 Nairobi Communiqué signed by the Congolese and Rwandan Governments, must urgently be implemented. The participants recommitted to do so, including by strengthening the Joint Verification Commission between Congo and Rwanda with third-party assistance.“Some of the problems have been dealt with. There are, however, some residual problems which need to be addressed, and we had a very thorough discussion,” said Uganda’s President Museveni at a press conference organized after their agreement.“Part of the danger for Africa is handling issues in a superficial way, and I am glad that Secretary Rice agreed to stay in the conclave. When you are electing the Pope, you don’t elect him in public, you first have a conclave. So we had a conclave of only the leaders, and we had a very thorough discussion,” he added. In a statement distributed to the media by the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, Secretary Rice on her part said: “We welcome this opportunity to support our Great Lakes partners as they work together to forge a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future for their people. I am here to underscore the commitment of the United States to your success. The United States remains committed to providing humanitarian assistance to address the current emergency in eastern Congo.”“We look forward to the full and rapid implementation of provisions of the November 9 Nairobi communique as a major step toward eliminating the threat of violence and enabling development as we press for peace, safety, respect for human rights and justice for all of the people of the Great Lakes region,” she added.
Rebuilding Somalia Later in the afternoon, Secretary Rice met with representatives of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG,) including newly appointed Prime Minister Nur Adde Hassan Hussein and encouraged the TFG to renew and revitalize efforts towards a lasting political solution based on the Transitional Federal Charter. “I hope Prime Minister Hussein will draw on his humanitarian background to help facilitate delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid. A ceasefire agreement with key stakeholders, such as clan and business leaders, would be an important step in helping to facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance, and would reduce the level of violence and create the conditions for longer-term security sector reform,” said Rice. “I also encouraged Prime Minister Hussein to develop a timeline for the remainder of the transitional process by early January, including the drafting of a new constitution and electoral law, as the first step in this process,” she added.Regarding the Somalia case, she also exchanged views with representatives from the African Union and United Nations to discuss the regional strategy to help restore lasting peace and stability in Somalia, including efforts to support the full and timely deployment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and progress towards national elections in 2009.
Discussion on Darfur crisesRice also discussed on the issue of Darfur with different actors in the conflict. Although there was no official announcement about Rice meeting with Sudan’s president, Mr. Albashier was seen meeting with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa on Ethiopian television that evening. According to the statement dispatched to the press following the meeting, the international community’s commitment to working with the Sudanese to see the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) implemented quickly was underscored. “The CPA – an historic accord that ended 21 years of a brutal civil war – provides the best framework for a peaceful, democratic Sudan. The parties to this agreement are obligated to make every effort to guarantee its success.” This meeting also demonstrates broad commitment from states in the region and partners around the world to support the North and the South as they work to solve disputes like the Abyei boundary, conduct a census, and move to deploy their troops in accordance with the CPA. Free, fair and transparent elections in 2009, as stipulated by the CPA, are the best hope of building and sustaining a unified Sudan, the statement continues.“We also urge all players in Sudan to end the violence in Darfur and to support everyone in the country who wants peace, security, and prosperity for themselves and their children,” she said. During her stay, Rice also discussed with Prime Minister Meles and representatives of the Ethiopian government on issues of bilateral importance to both nations, with a focus on Ethiopia’s relations with Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea. During the discussion she held with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has also expressed her government’s interest of the rapid deployment of Ethiopian troops pledged to the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). She also urged Meles to work with Khartoum to allow UNAMID deployments, including non-African troops, to move forward unhindered. Rice also urged the Prime Minister to avoid any acts that might heighten friction between Eritrea and Ethiopia and to take concrete steps to lessen tensions on the border. “There must not be a resumption of hostilities initiated by either side,” she said. The discussion between the two sides also included the importance of strengthening democratic institutions in Ethiopia and the issue of food security, with a specific focus on ensuring unrestricted commercial food delivery throughout the country, including the Ogaden.Regarding Somalia they also discussed the need for the TFG to urgently resume the transitional political process outlined by the Transitional Federal Charter leading towards national elections in 2009. “We emphasized the need for a comprehensive ceasefire agreement to be forged between Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and non-extremist opposition groups, which would help prevent further violence and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Mogadishu,” she said in the statement. Other areas of discussion included regional security and fighting terrorism; democracy and human rights; economic development and food security; and public health concerns such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. She also indicated that the Bush Administration is against HR 2003, which is expected to be presented for the Senate of the US with the intention of protecting human rights in Ethiopia by its advocates and the recently released opposition party leaders of Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD). “The administration does not support this particular house resolution,” she said.