Clinton’s honest appraisal is just what Africans need

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is on an 11-day tour of Africa that began Tuesday in Kenya, the homeland of President Barack Obama’s father, with some tough talk from the her and the White House about last year’s post-election violence that left more than 1,000 people dead.

“ ... the absence of strong and effective democratic institutions has permitted ongoing corruption, impunity, politically motivated violence and a lack of respect for the rule of law,” the secretary of state told a conference in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. “These conditions helped fuel the postelection violence, and they are continuing to hold Kenya back.”

And just hours before Clinton landed in Nairobi, the U.S. Embassy issued the following statement:

“The United States will stand firmly behind the Kenyan people as they insist on full implementation of the reform agenda. We will take the necessary steps to hold accountable those who do not support the reform agenda or who support violence.”

The statements are significant for a variety of reasons: First, they demonstrate that the administration does not intend to pull any punches with the political situation in many African countries; second, they send a clear message to leaders across the continent that although President Obama has said he has the “blood of Africa within me,” the U.S. does not intend to remain silent while corrupt governments bring once stable nations to their knees; third, the hard-hitting statements about Kenya show that while the U.S. wants to play a major role in the continent and hopes to neutralize the growing influence of countries like China, it isn’t about to abandon its moral underpinnings.

Trouble spots

Clinton’s visit to Kenya, South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde will be watched closely around the world because she is tackling trouble spots that have created such intractable problems as poverty, hunger, disease and widespread death — especially of the innocent.

In Kenya, the decision by the government to use discredited local courts to try suspects behind the violence after last year’s election is unacceptable. The Obama administration wants the government to form an independent tribunal. We would suggest that the members of the tribunal be appointed by the United Nations.

The courts have a backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases and have a reputation for corruption.

The government-appointed human rights body has called the Cabinet’s decision to let the courts handle the cases “preposterous.” And the National Council of Churches has called for the resignation of President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Clinton was to meet with the two leaders.

The secretary of state also faces the daunting task of trying to find a solution to the political upheaval in Somalia, where U.S.-backed President Sheik Sharif Ahmed is trying to deal with Islamist extremists tied to al-Qaida. The stability of the region is at stake.

And, she must convey to the government of South Africa the concern of the international community over the humanitarian crisis in neighboring Zimbabwe caused by the murderous rule of President Robert Mugabe. It is time for Mugabe to go — and South Africa should lead the charge.

The worldwide economic crisis has exacerbated the problems confronting the underdeveloped or corruption-ridden countries of Africa. Secretary of State Clinton must impress upon her hosts that the continent faces a bleak future unless the interests of the people are put before all else.