The United States and Democracy in Africa:Discrepant Orientations of Anglophone and Francophone Africa Toward Democratic Practices (Good Governance, Administrative Reforms and Human Rights)

Abstract

President Obama’s first trip to Africa [as US President] in July 2009 took him to Ghana. The U.S. President made Ghana his first stop on the continent because he was probably highly impressed by the institutionalization of democratic processes in the country. While in Ghana, the president highlighted that country's commitment to peaceful democratic transition and establishment of effective governance practices. Obama also called on other African leaders to follow the example of Ghana by creating democratic institutions, embracing good governance practices, and showing respect for the human rights of their citizens. The recently concluded U.S.-Africa Summit (August 6-7, 2014) convened by President Obama in Washington, D.C. was no doubt initiated to advance the political agenda of his 2009 visit to Ghana, and also to establish stronger economic and cultural ties with Africa. The 2014 summit brought together an unprecedented number of African leaders to Washington, D.C. for a two day conference that covered a broad array of topics ranging from health Care, trade and investments, security and terrorism, to good governance, democratic institutions and human rights. A partnership between the United States and Africa is important and strategic because both partners must work together in order to function effectively in a complex global environment that is increasingly plagued by terrorism, political instability, devastating public health epidemics, economic inequalities, poor governance and the failure to effect credible administrative reforms in a number of African nations. This paper proposes to examine the content of U.S. support for the establishment of democratic institutions and good governance practices in Africa against the backdrop of the inability, unwillingness, or failure of some African nations to fully embrace the processes upon which such US support is supposed to be predicated. It is apparent that The Anglophone nations in West, East and South Africa have been more responsive to the political practices advocated by the United States and are in fact reforming their administrative processes and procedures, while most Francophone nations in West and Central Africa are content with the status quo. Why is there a discrepancy between the English-speaking and French-speaking African nations toward embracing democratic and good governance practices? It is to answering this question that this paper aspires to accomplish through a comparative analysis of the performance records of a select number of Anglophone and Francophone states in West and Central Africa. How have these English (Ghana, Botswana, South Africa) and French-speaking( Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) countries fared since President Obama first acknowledged the great strides made by Ghana during his 2009 visit?