What We’re Reading 8/17/09

Aug 17th, 2009 11:22 AM UTC
By Steve Wilson

NY Times—Clinton Ends Africa Tour, Vowing to Stay Involved
After a grueling seven-nation, 11-day trip, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrapped up her Africa tour last Friday by reaffirming her promise to renovate American relations with the continent. “I leave Africa after this remarkable trip even more committed,” Sec. Clinton said before leaving Cape Verde. Clinton seemed satisfied that she had accomplished her mission: strengthening American relations with crucial allies on the continent, like Nigeria and South Africa, and sending a message of “tough love,” as she called it, to nations like Kenya and Congo.

LA Times—Hillary Clinton’s stop in Congo strikes a chord in Africa
The LA Times reports on the impact that Sec. Clinton’s visit last week to the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to have on the population there. When Clinton ignored security advice and flew to Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, her focus on the region’s rape crisis resonated with some of the continent’s most powerless people: women. The visit seems to have struck a chord in Congo, and raised hopes for peace.

Washington Times—For our goodness’ sake (op-ed)
The Rev. Desmond Tutu, who just last week received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama, writes in the Washington Times that world leaders need to create a global fund for education to achieve the goal of universal basic education. He writes, “Mr. Obama recognized me for my work toward peace and reconciliation. I ask him in return to take forward this promise for the future of Africa’s children, so that we may soon recognize him for his compassion toward the children of the world and their education needs.”

New Era (Namibia)—Africa Asks for Long-lasting Solution to AGOA
Namibia’s New Era newspaper reports that Sub-Saharan African countries are calling for a permanent and predictable African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) framework through which they can trade with the US. Lack of capacity to produce competitive goods and services, lengthy procedures to comply with U.S. standards and high transportation costs within Africa and to the US are some of the identified key challenges hindering the expansion of trade and investment. Compounding these are low levels of research and development in Africa and lack of diversification of products produced in Africa, the newspaper reports.

East African—How did Kenya come to this pass? (op-ed)
A columnist writes in the Kenyan newspaper the East African that Kenya is going through its worst weather-related crisis since independence. The rains have failed for four years in a row, and 10 million people — a quarter of the population — are now in need of food aid. The situation, he writes, has come about due to the confluence of several complex factors including global warming, environmental degradation, poor government planning and failure to innovate.

-Steve Wilson

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