An American official expressed regret at the delay in implementing promises made by the military in power in certain West African countries regarding the return of power to civilians.
On Wednesday, during a press conference on the recent visit of US President Joe Biden to Angola, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, responded to a question regarding democratic governance in Africa from the West. She highlighted the challenges facing the region, particularly in Guinea-Conakry and the Sahel.
« I can tell you about how we addressed the challenge of the failure of democratic governance in West Africa. It is saddening for us that the people of Guinea-Conakry, as well as many inhabitants of the Sahel, are losing the ability to decide their own future – which is actually the goal of democracy, which is to unlock prosperity and opportunity. for individuals and communities, and to ensure that government resources are used for the benefit of the population », noted Molly Phee.
The US official recalled initial expectations in Guinea after the 2021 coup, where a change in governance would lead to a more equitable and less corrupt system. However, she claims to have observed that progress was slow and that the promised transition had not yet achieved the objectives set by the Guinean people.
« I know that in Guinea in 2021, there was great hope that change would bring a less corrupt and more equitable system of governance. Unfortunately, the promised transition took a long time to happen “, she clarified. “ I understand that there have recently been measures linked to a referendum on the constitution, but these measures have been slow in coming and have not yet achieved the objective that Guineans have set for themselves. “, she noted.
Molly Phee also highlighted the difficulties encountered by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the face of irregular power grabs in several Sahel countries, specifying that the international community had tried to put pressure on the regimes military to restore constitutional order and meet the expectations of their citizens.
« Despite the efforts made, this remains a matter of concern, and we must continue to work on it “, she assured, calling for “ continue to promote justice, the rule of law and the equitable use of national resources for the benefit of countries, and not for them to end up in the pockets of certain leaders or to be extracted by other governments abroad. »
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