US Urges Good Governance To Check Insecurity In Africa
The United States of America has called on political leaders in the Sahel region to promote good governance as part of efforts to address insecurity and violent extremism in the region. The US Special Envoy for the Sahel Region of Africa, Ambassador Peter Pham made the call during a special briefing within the African regional media hub. Pham explained that good governance, based on legitimacy of each of the governing authorities in the region, was critical in promoting peace.
“Security around the elections is also another cause of concern, especially in places that are already seeing conflict, like Burkina Faso and Niger. On the other hand when i was in Niger just a few weeks ago, i congratulated President Mahamadou Issoufou for both respecting the constitutional limit and stepping down after two terms, and in fact, when he does so at the beginning of next year and hand over power to whomever is elected to succeed him, that’s real progress.
“It ‘II be the first time in Niger’s six decades of independence that an elected president finishes his term of office and hands power to an elected successor. So, we should also note the good, the good developments when you see them.”
Pham explained that the $125m provided by the US as humanitarian assistance to selected countries, excluding Nigeria, in the Sahel region, was aimed at helping persons displaced by conflict in the affected countries.