Date: 2010-06-30
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 1405: "Congratulating the people of the 17 African nations that in 2010 are marking the 50th year of their national independence." As a cosponsor of this resolution. I am proud to acknowledge the progress made by these 17 nations as well as the other African nations that gained independence in the early 1960s. The 17 African nations that gained independence in 1960 are: The Republic of Cameroon (January 1. 1960). The Togolese Republic (April 27. 1960). The Republic of Mali (June 20. 1960). The Republic of Senegal (June 20. 1960). The Republic of Madagascar (June 26. 1960). The Democratic Republic of the Congo Somalia gained its independence on (July 1. 1960). The Republic of Benin (August 1. 1960). The Republic of Niger (August 3. 1960). Burkina Faso (August 5. 1960). The Republic of Cote dlvoire (August 7. 1960). The Republic of Chad (August 11. 1960). The Central African Republic (August 13. 1960). The Republic of the Congo (August 15. 1960). The Gabonese Republic (August 17. 1960). The Federal Republic of Nigeria (October 1. 1960). and The Islamic Republic of Mauritania (November 28. 1960) When the nations in Africa gained independence during the 1960s and 1970s. there was an expectation that the end of colonialism would usher in a new era of representative government in which the people of these new nations could freely choose a government that represented their interests. Fifty years after independence. however. the progress of these nations has been mixed at best. In many nations. progress has failed to match expectations as the people of these new nations struggled to shed the yoke of their colonial legacies. These legacies include inorganic borders and inherited systems of patronage. Although many African nations were dealt a difficult hand. the continents new leaders. by in large. sought to consolidate and retain power rather than embrace political systems defined and strengthened by their diversity. Since independence. transfer of political power has consistently been a thorn in the side of side of most African nations. Although many of the challenges of broadening and democratizing political participation in Africa rests in the hands of a few big men. there are also significant challenges at local levels. Today. millions of people in Africa are stateless. Some because their births were never recorded. others because they belong to the wrong ethnic group. Civil conflicts in Cote dlvoire. the Democratic Republic of Congo and numerous other countries have been fuelled if not created by pernicious citizenship policies that sever the link between certain parts of the population and the state. As rebel leader in the Ivory Coast reportedly exclaimed. "Give us our identity cards and we hand over our Kalashnikovs." This. to me. captures both the tension and the stakes in play. The people of Sudan. the DRC. Guinea. and others have long since passed the point where they can afford to be at war. It is imperative that we work to end conflicts and facilitate governments that reflect the will of the people. While we must remain vigilant in our scrutiny of those leaders who stifle democracy. we must also recognize leaders who promote democracy even if it imperils their own political position. Last summer. I visited Ghana and saw a democracy that is heading in the right direction. During the December 2008 Presidential elections. John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the election in an extremely narrow victory that required a runoff with Nana AkufoAddo of the former ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Domestic and international observers deemed the election free and fair. Facilitating mature democracies requires us to find ways to encourage leaders to relinquish power. and I think we can improve our use of these carrots. Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution and renew the commitment of the United States to help the people of subSaharan Africa to foster democratic rule. advance civic freedom and participation. and promote marketbased economic growth. and to alleviate the burden of poverty and disease that so many in the region continue to face. We must also remember to keep "fifty years of independence" in context. Fifty years may seem like a long time. but consider Americas own history when. fifty years after independence. the country had not yet had experienced its civil war.