Africa: U.S to Continue Support to Peace in the Continent - Johnnie Carson
By Julius Odeke, 14 October 2012
interview
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Johnnie Carson, spoke to
journalists on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, USA, on
Oct.1. The Independent's Julius Odeke joined the conversation via
video-conference at the U.S. Mission in Kampala.
Q: Kevin Kelly, Nation, Nairobi: What will happen to Kismayo, a town in
Somalia that the AMISOM forces have recently captured, now that Somalia has
elected President Shariff Mohamed?
The U.S. as a government applauds the work that has been done by AMISOM
forces in Somalia to defeat and push away the Al-Shabaab from many cities in
Somalia, and other towns. We hope this will stablise Somalia. And we also
believe that Kenya's liberating the South of Somalia was very important.
However, it's our prayer that Kenya will not occupy it but work alongside
AMISOM forces to establish an effective political system in Mogadishu.
Their presence there should not be to occupy the area but a temporal
strategy to allow the country stablise. Kenya has to work with the political
leadership in Somalia. And we too, as U.S., shall continue to supply
equipment and also to support them financially to help fight the Al-Shabaab.
We would anticipate to direct most of the resources to Somalia so as to
create a national army and the defense force. The U.S. has trained units of
the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) groups in Uganda and we shall
continue doing that by making it now local, as we focus on strengthening
Somalia's national army.
Q: John Francis, West Africa: There have been many calls across the Sahel
region about the Islamic rebels, and U.S. has maintained that the issue
should be resolved politically but not militarily. Is the U.S. going to
support ECOWAS on this issue?
I must assure you that this must be done simultaneously. The democratic
progress in Mali to restore hope among the civilian population through
democratic processes should be done effectively. However, if you don't have
a strong credible government in Bamako, then it will be difficult to have a
military that can liberate northern parts of the country. The Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is fighting alongside this. There
will be military action to liberate Timbuktu and Gao, but this must be well
planned and resourced and in fact it must be agreed upon by those who will
be affected by the insurgency, and it's imperative to be democratic.
Washington has done a lot by imposing the idealogy into this country of
getting rid of the extremists.
Q: Edmond Kagira, The Weekly East African: The US government lately has
asked Rwanda to denounce supporting the M23 rebels operating in Eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo. What is the way forward towards offering
security to DRC?
The US government delights to see peace and security in DRC. And this peace
should be just like the one in enjoyed in Uganda, Rwanda, and other
neighbouring countries. This means each country has a responsibility in
ensuring that there is peace and security in DRC. Even President Joseph
Kabila has the same challenge. He must protect the Congolese citizens
irrespective of their ethnicity both in the lower Kivu and in the North
Kivu.
His government should put in mechanisms to protect women and girls in
Eastern Congo in the most violent places against women. Kabila has to ensure
that his government eradicates all the rebel groups, the likes of
Interahamwe, M23, and also to ensure that minerals are exported and handled
in a transparent manner without corruption and misuse. The security services
have to protect the people in DRC, but the whole responsibility is for the
neighbouring countries not to support rebel groups that are operating in
DRC. However, it should not be too much to ask Rwanda to denounce the M23
rebel group but also to reject offering it a territorial ambition because
these groups are being led by people who violate human rights.
Q: Julius Odeke, The Independent, Kampala: Initially, the U.S. was looking
for a base to station The United States Africa Command, also known as U.S.
AFRICOM, but recently they said it's not going to do that. Is this a sign
that US is withdrawing from engaging militarily in Africa?
I must say clearly that AFRICOM will have its headquarters in Germany but we
have no intention to withdraw from Africa. We shall continue with our normal
duties in Africa. We must develop Africa with mutual respect, interest and
partnership. By this, I must tell the world that we want to work in Africa
to achieve our strategies and objectives by instituting democratic
institutions and good governance in Africa. The U.S. wants to spur economic
growth amongst African states and to bring peace and security across the
continent. We shall work with the international communities to bring peace
in Somalia, DRC, South Sudan, and Sudan.
Also, in the Obama administration, our aim is to promote development in
Africa with future prospects of helping to promote green agriculture by
bringing agro-industry and to address the public health issues like
combating malaria, HIV/Aids, and tuberculosis. This we shall do by building
public health institutions that will provide basic needs of that kind so as
to help people. We have already done some of those activities through the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Intergovernmental Authority on
Drought and Development (IGADD), and the East African Community (EAC) are
some of the important players for the last twelve months to ensuring that
Somalia gets peace.
Q: Journalist, Tanzania: How is ECOWAS handing the insecurity issue in Mali?
The U.S. will try its best to coordinate with other key players in this
issue in the region. ECOWAS works hand in hand with its member states. The
U.S. advises ECOWAS to listen attentively to views of Mauritania, Algeria,
and Libya because they too are very important countries in resolving the
issue in Mali because they are neighbours.
Even Chad has interests, so does the U.S. and European Union. We have four
key areas under discussion and they include Mali and Sahel. The U.S. is
deeply concerned about the situation there. One is governance, we need to
return it to civilian leadership since there was a coup d'état.
Second is political marginalization. As government cannot provide social
services to Northern Mali due to historical problems that date back but we
are saying this must be resolved politically, because it affects
neighbouring countries through the acts of terrorism. So, acts such as
imposing Sharia law, and kidnapping must be dealt with.
There is also an issue of the humanitarian situation, the food deficit in
the region, and a threat from Al- Qaeda in the North. (UN Secretary General)
Ban Ki Moon has proposed to deal with this issue through the UN,
international, and regional communities.
