Liberian president faces numerous challenges and opportunites
Justin Goldman, Opinion Editor
Last Monday, January 16, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in as President of Liberia, a West African nation founded by freed slaves from America in 1847. First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to the Liberian capital of Monrovia to witness the swearing in of the first female head of state in Africa. It was quite fitting that this historic event coincided with the honoring of Dr. Martin Luther Jr. In many ways the process associated with this transition in Liberia offers a window into the demanding road ahead if the continent is to fulfill its potential.
President Johnson-Sirleaf leads a country that has seen a 14-year civil war which destroyed its infrastructure. According to Lydia Polgreen of the New York Times, there is no piped water and no electricity grid; the roads, schools and health centers, where they still exist, barely function. During the inauguration the jubilant crowd shouted "Queen of Africa" celebrating what they hope will be a new era. The President developed toughness as an opposition politician which landed her in jail for speaking out against the military regime of Samuel Doe in 1985. She was dubbed Liberia's "Iron Lady."
Her vast experience in the world of finance will help he tackle the difficulty Liberia faces. The Harvard-educated former Vice-President of the Africa Regional Office of Citibank and former senior loan officer for the World Bank should help her negotiate the cancellation vast Liberian debt. The World Bank tracks the level of income per person and Liberia is one of the poorest countries ranked 206 out of 208. Emira Woods of the Christian Science Monitor reports that in 2004, a senior US Treasury official promised 100 percent cancellation of debts owed to the US as well as support for cancellation of Liberia's debts to other international institutions.
President Johnson-Sirleaf has expressed her desire to rebuild the close ties with the United States that have been strained by the civil war. The USA Today reported the President said, "American help is essential to restoring vital services, such as running water and power" and she warned that tens of thousands of former fighters could destabilize the country again if they don't get work or education. Former President Charles Taylor supported rebels in neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone. In March of 2003 rebel and government forces were fighting within six miles of the capital of Monrovia. U.S. Marines and Nigerian Peacekeepers were deployed to secure the country. In October of 2003 the United Nations deployed thousands of troops in a major peacekeeping mission.
Dr. Jendayi Frazer was confirmed last July as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs having come from the post of Ambassador to South Africa. She expressed the U.S. commitment to Liberia saying, "it is a symbol of America's engagement on all levels: our Congress; our Department of Defense, the Marines; and most especially, the State Department and the diplomats who stood in there with the Liberian people to make sure that they had an opportunity to express their vote through ending the civil war. It was American Marines that took Roberts International Airport and held that airport so the humanitarian assistance could come into the Liberian people in July, and we've been there ever since."
The efforts in Liberia show the need for consistent engagement to work with Africans to build African capacities. No analysis should ignore the vast challenges the continent faces from ethnic cleansing to a lack of infrastructure. Africa will continue to grow as a foreign policy priority for the U.S. and resources will be committed. As reported in Congress Daily, "I think Africa is a continent that is going to be of very, very significant interest in the 21st century," Gen. James Jones Jr., head of the United States European Command, told the Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee in May of 2003.
Current efforts in the Horn of Africa provide an insight into what future operations may entail. The staff of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) arrived on station in December of 2002 with the Headquarters based at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti. According to the Central Command (CENTCOM) the CJTF-HOA mission is focused on detecting, disrupting, and ultimately defeating transnational terrorist groups operating in the region - denying safe havens, external support, and material assistance for terrorist activity. Additionally, CJTF-HOA will counter the re-emergence of transnational terrorism in the region through civil-military operations and support of non-governmental organization operations - enhancing the long-term stability of the region.
Even at its high point with a transition of forces, CTJF-HOA only numbered approximately 1,700 US Military personnel. They have been remarkably successful even with CENTCOM focused on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The area of responsibility (AOR) is vast including Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Ethiopia in Africa, and Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula. One of the factors that drive the success of CJTF-HOA is that it is not a direct action force; they do not seek to engage the enemy. The humanitarian efforts prove vital in developing the key relationships with local leaders.
In Amran, Yemen according to the American Forces Press Service hundreds of people received medical treatment in late December during a CJTF-HOA Medical Civil Action Plan (MEDCAP) event. Doctors and civil affairs team medics from the task force teamed up with local practitioners and Yemeni Ministry of Health officials to offer free treatment and prescriptions at clinics. This coincided with a Veterinarian Civil Action Plan (VETCAP). Local veterinarians teamed up with civil affairs team members from Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa to treat more than 780 animals. According to the Armed Forces Press Service animals were given vitamins and anti-parasitic medication and were checked for any other problems. These efforts may be the most important for long-term success and are being performed by a small contingent.
According to Robert Kaplan of The Atlantic stability in Africa is threatened by disease, overpopulation, unprovoked crime, scarcity of resources, and refugee migrations. These difficulties make good governance a great challenge throughout the continent. Botswana is a nation in Sub-Saharan Africa that conveys hope of the continent in their efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. According to the Associated Press, in 2002, Botswana became the first African country to offer free treatment to all who needed it and the largely desert nation now has half the estimated 110,000 people in immediate need on life-prolonging anti-retroviral medicines. Although this effort attracted significant donor support, the Government has funded 90% of the cost. Countries such as Botswana and Liberia are just two members of the world's second largest continent. Continued progress in Africa will demand international aid, humanitarian intervention, and the commitment of Africans to build African capacities. Success comes from the aggregate of several successful efforts.