Roughly thirty of Africa's nations are liberalizing their trade and investment regimes, reducing tariffs, ending subsidies and fighting corruption. Yet, despite this important progress, we all know Africa's profound challenges still hold its people back. It is a crisis of the highest order, which, if unchecked, can undo all the progress of the recent past. They have done so through massive grassroots public awareness and prevention campaigns. As a result, Uganda has cut its incidence rates by two-thirds, and Senegal now has some of the lowest rates in all of Africa.
Persistent conflict is the other major factor stalling African progress.
From Sierra Leone to Central Africa, and from Angola to Sudan, too many African countries are fighting costly wars that retard growth, kill innocent civilians, enrich despots and warlords, and scare off investors. The United States has worked long and hard to help our African partners resolve these disputes. Over the past year, U.S. diplomats made critical interventions in the continuing push to try to achieve a lasting peace in the energy-rich Congo. Still, Africans themselves must decide if their choice is for peace or for war. We cannot make that choice, but we can and we must support those who are genuinely committed to turning their swords into plowshares.